How do you know if a baked potato is overcooked?

My dad madee twice baked potatoes. He left the potatoes in the oven for two hours. When he went to scoop the potatoes they fell apart and were mushy on the outside, and dry on the inside. Because of the "dryness" he insists that they were "underdone" I believe the exact opposite (that they were overcooked). I just want to know once and for all if they were overcooked or unercooked so I can end this frustration. Thanks for your help!

Deanna Watson
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4 Comments

PieceOfLayerCake
PieceOfLayerCake September 30, 2015
Two...hours....for a potato? There's no WAY it was undercooked.
 
Deanna W.
Deanna W. October 1, 2015
THANK YOU! Now let's see if I can convince my dad haha
 

Voted the Best Reply!

SilverSage
SilverSage September 30, 2015
They were definitely overcooked.

Cut open a raw potato. You will find there is moisture inside. If there was no moisture left, he cooked it all out. Usually if a potato is undercooked, it is hard, not dry.
 
702551
702551 September 30, 2015
Fresh potatoes -- like all vegetables and fruit -- naturally have some moisture. Slice a potato, lay the slices on a paper towel and come back ten minutes later. The paper towel will be damp.

A baked potato with a dry interior has had all the moisture cooked out of it, just like overbaking anything (a roast, a steak, fish, a cake, loaf of bread).

For plain eating, I don't find super dry potatoes particularly pleasant. For a moister baked potato, cook less. If you can stick a toothpick, paring knife, or something like a cake tester all the way through, it is cooked. It's really personal preference whether you'd like a drier baked potato or one with more moisture.

Drier baked potatoes do make excellent mashed potatoes because the lost moisture is replaced by the added milk/butter. Some cooks boil their potatoes, then dry them in the oven before mashing.
 
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