“Potatoes are firmly in the buried-in-soil category, so they’ll need a thorough wash before cooking,” says Catt Fields White, chef and the founder of San Diego Markets and The Farmers Market Pros. “In addition to good and bad bacteria, pesticides can linger in the soil and those need to go.”
Want Your Potatoes to Brown Well? Pat Them Dry!
If you are roasting, frying, or sautéing potatoes, get them nice and dry before you cook. Moisture causes splatters once the potatoes hit hot fat, and in the case of roasting, any oil you toss them in will roll right off. Dry potatoes get golden-brown and crispy; wet ones dont.
Kitchen towels work best for patting potatoes dry (and somehow drying potatoes with fabric feels very luxe – a bonus!) but if you only have paper towels, use those.
For Ease, Get a Decent Peeler
The key to easily peeling mashed potatoes isn’t a fancy peeler; it’s simply one that works. If your potato peeler isn’t cutting it, it’s probably dulled with wear. Pitch it and get a new one!
Those classic metal peelers you get for a few bucks at the grocery store do the job just fine, but it it’s comfort you want, the Oxo Good Grips Swivel Peeler is a classic. For those of you who prefer Y-shaped peelers, Kuhn Rikon makes some pretty mean ones…and in pretty colors!
How to Clean Potatoes
FAQ
Is a potato scrubber necessary?
Is it OK to keep the skin on in potatoes?
Is it OK to eat unwashed potatoes?
How do you scrub potatoes without a scrubber?
Should you scrub a potato before cooking?
While it can be tempting to skip this step before preparing potatoes, there are a couple of reasons why it’s essential to scrub a potato. Firstly, scrubbing helps to remove any obvious dirt from the potato. And yes, you should still wash them, even if you plan to peel them. But secondly, it can help remove pesticides from the potato.
Is it safe to take growths off russet potatoes and cook them?
For food safety, great care must be taken when consuming food suspected to be spoiled. In this way, if your potato is germinated and wilted, then it is already very spoiled.
Can you clean potatoes without scrubbing?
Yes, you can clean potatoes without scrubbing. If you have lots of potatoes and a little extra time, give your spuds a longer soak and skip the scrubbing. Here’s how: Place potatoes in a large container for soaking—like a clean sink or ice chest—and add cold water so they’re completely submerged.
How to clean a potato?
Another option is to keep a clean rough-textured cloth or scouring pad on hand to scrub potatoes. In that case, you could also use a clean kitchen towel. Don’t use any soap or cleaning products to clean the potato! Experts instruct that you should only use water and the item you’ve chosen to scrub the potato with.