Kitchen Hacks
A 'Why Didn't I Think of That?' Way to Peel Potatoes
Say goodbye to that peeler, say hello to a brave new world.
Photo by James Ransom
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75 Comments
mary D.
March 20, 2023
I’ve been baking russet potatoes at 450 for 50 minutes and then scooping out the potatoes (sometimes I rice them) and make mashed potatoes w cream and melted butter. They reheat and freeze perfectly and I only dirty a knife. spoon, bowl and beater. Cleanup is a cinch because they are make ahead.
mehunter
April 30, 2021
For mashed potatoes I use a ricer, so I chop them up (much quicker than boiling whole potatoes) and the skins come off in the ricer. I usually use Yukon golds.
Susan E.
April 29, 2021
How long do you boil the big potatoes with the skin scored? Do you cook them this way or is it just for peeling?
cinamibun
April 29, 2021
I barely take the skin off my potatoes except for the eyes or dark sections that need removal. I also scrub the skin very well prior to doing anything with them.
Ginny S.
April 29, 2021
I'd like to stop receiving emails when a new comment is made on this thread, but I can't find a way to do that. Help from anyone appreciated.
Smaug
April 29, 2021
Under the email there should be a link to "account info" that lets you opt out of emails, but I don't know for a single thread; I'm pretty sure there used to be an opt out in the email, but I'm not seeing it on this one.
cinamibun
April 29, 2021
I think when you make a post there's a checkmark with the line send me emails about new replies. Make sure you remove the checkmark before you hit submit for the post.
Barbara
April 29, 2021
try boiling potatoes in water with a cup of salt in it. Not a typo - a cup of salt. Don't knock it until you try it.
joesince1956
April 29, 2021
For small red potatoes I actually have an attachment for my food processor that removes the skins for me. Much quicker than the video for me.
KrisKipp
April 29, 2021
Oh dear my children! Have your baby boomer parents/teachers/chefs left you with only takeout and no real kitchen skills? Parboil potatoes for easy peeling for potato salads and homemade hash browns/home-fries. You should also wash your potatoes prior to peeling for all dishes which makes them easier to peel. And has anyone heard about soaking sliced or diced potatoes in running water to remove starch and make them crisper when cooking?
Smaug
April 29, 2021
66? You are a baby boomer, which is now evidently a bad thing, lord knows why. Such baby boomers as I know tend to do things (cooking, gardening, whatnot) for them (our)selves, maybe the last generation to do so. Don't know about parboiling potatoes, I like them cooked in potato salads. You'd need an extremely dirty potato- like 1/2" of mud sticking to it- to interfere with peeling, and no I don't believe in washing out starch and nutrients before cooking, certainly not under running water.
cinamibun
April 29, 2021
You are talking about washing/rinsing peeled potatoes, right? I only clean/rinse off the potato skin to remove any remnants of dirt, just a quick rinse. I grew a crop of the small potatoes one year, and they recommend you first dry them, and quick rinse and dry them prior to storing them. I was so proud of the 4 pounds of potatoes I grew that year from 4 small potatoes. My landlord who had given me the plot got so jealous she didn't allow me to plant in the garden again, but I grow in containers now.
MacGuffin
April 30, 2021
Yep, I'm a boomer but if I'd had kids, I'd have taught them my ways. And FWIW I scrub the skins with vegetable wash before using them. I'm happy to learn something new if it actually makes sense but for the most part, I'm of the "don't fix it if it's not broken" mind.
Beth
April 29, 2021
That only works if the potatoes are close to the same size. As to needing asbestos fingers, do it under running cold water. And really, only with red potatoes, the others are too mushy.
Jane B.
April 29, 2021
Those are red potatoes. They are pretty firm. What about Idaho’s? The are softer and a little mealy right under the skin when they are cooked. Seems like you would lose some of the potato while pulling the skin off.
DKS
April 29, 2021
I assume it takes much longer to boil an entire potato than it take to cook smaller pieces.
Beth
April 29, 2021
Well yeah, it does. But pick medium size and try to get them about the same size - you don't want a huge one in with them, it will take forever to cook. Also, a tiny one will get done much sooner. I test with a fork, still in the boiling water, and when the smallest one is done take it out, run under cold water, pierce the skin and it will easily peel off. When that one's done, another should be ready to peel. And so forth.
MacGuffin
March 20, 2021
On the RARE occasion that I would peel a potato, I just use my Zena Star peeler. Swiss-made and miraculous. Its primary use it to peel beets, carrots, and such when I juice but it certainly does potatoes well and you can even make fries with it.
Mandi C.
March 17, 2021
ALWAYS start cooking boiled potatoes in COLD water, then all comes up to temperature together...no mushy outsides.
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