We all love a steamy baked potato loaded with sour cream, chives, and melted cheese. However, unwashed potatoes from the garden are dirty, and potatoes from the market have pesticides and chemicals. Learn how to choose good potatoes from the grocery store and how to clean potatoes for your dinner table.
Potato skins have more nutrition than the inside of the potato. They contain fiber and are rich in Vitamin C, B vitamins, potassium, calcium, and other nutrients. Unfortunately, they also have contaminants, especially if you purchase them from the store.
Many of the veggies you find in your local market are treated with one thing or another, and potatoes are no exception. For example, chlorpropham is an herbicide that stops weed growth and inhibits potato sprouting.
While the FDA (Federal Drug Administration) recognizes this chemical as safe, it’s still a good idea to clean-potatoes before preparing dinner for your family.
Ways to Quick Clean and Scrub Potatoes
Here are a few ways to clean potatoes, whether they are from the grocery store or garden. We also show you how to pick healthy potatoes from the market and prepare a tasty recipe using potato skins.
Be prudent about the potatoes you choose. How to tell if a potato is bad is to use your senses. Rotten (or rotting) potatoes smell unpleasant, have wrinkly skin with some moldy spots, and are often squishy.
Best Ways to Wash Potatoes from the Grocery Store
One of the best ways to wash potatoes to remove bacteria and germs is to use a vinegar wash. This solution kills certain germs while cleaning away dirt. Here is how to clean potatoes with vinegar and water.
Begin by rinsing the potatoes under cool running water while rubbing the surface with your hands to loosen dry dirt. Prepare the potato wash by combining three parts water and one part vinegar in a large bowl.
Set each potato into the bowl, swish them around for about ten seconds, and rinse them thoroughly with clean water. Dry them with a paper towel and prepare them as usual.
Washing Potatoes with a Scrubbing Brush
Potatoes often contain surface dirt, and it’s necessary to scrub the skin before preparing the potato for cooking. A soft scrub brush is an ideal tool for washing potatoes to remove contaminants even if they are organic since there is still a chance of bacteria.
Work with one spud at a time and hold it beneath running water. Use your hands to gently rub away dirt and then place it into a colander.
Once the colander is full, set it beneath the faucet and run water over each potato as you scrub the surface with a vegetable scrubber. Use gentle, circular motions and pay close attention to extra dirty areas. Give the potato a quick rinse and dry it with paper towels.
Use your clean potatoes right away or make them into frozen raw potatoes. You can also blanch them first.
How to Clean Potatoes from the Garden
If you’re fortunate enough to have a veggie garden, those vegetables still require cleaning before cooking them in your next recipe. Whether you are growing potatoes from scraps or slips, here is how to wash potatoes, picked and cured from the garden.
When harvesting potatoes from the garden, do not wash them until right before you plan on eating them. Washing potatoes beforehand shortens their shelf life.
Use your hand to brush away loose dirt and store them in a cool and dark kitchen area. Once you’re ready to eat them, clean them using a water and vinegar wash or brush them beneath running water with a veggie brush.
Picking the Tastiest Potatoes from the Grocery Store
Have you ever purchased potatoes from the store and discovered they are green or riddled with brown spots? Knowing the best ways to wash potatoes is great, but it’s just as important to pick the perfect potatoes from the grocery store or farmers market.
Selecting Potatoes
Don’t be afraid of using your hands while browsing the grocery store for good potatoes. Pick them up and squeeze them gently. Make sure they are firm and do not give with pressure.
Inspect the surface for blemishes and cuts that lead to decay. Avoid buying potatoes with sprouts unless you plan on cooking them immediately. Stay away from them if they have wrinkled or green skin, dark spots, or bruising.
Using Potato Skins to Make Potato Chips
After washing potatoes in vinegar and water or cleaning potatoes with a scrubber, you peel them to make creamy mashed potatoes. Don’t toss those potato skins in the trash. Use the peels to make fun potato skin chips.
Wash the potatoes with warm water to remove dirt and use a vegetable peeler to peel the skins away from the spuds. Think about the size you want your chips to be as you cut them.
Use the potatoes for a meal right away to prevent them from turning brown, and set the skins aside. Preheat your oven to 425°F and prepare the peels for baking. Place the potato peels into a bowl and drizzle olive oil over the top.
Toss the skins with your hands to coat them evenly, and then spread them in a single layer on a parchment paper lined pan.
Sprinkle the desired amount of sea salt over the top of the peels and add black pepper and other seasonings if you like. Set it in the oven and cook the potatoes for 15 to 20 minutes, or until crispy.
If you have leftover potatoes, learn the many different ways to preserve potatoes, from freezing to canning. You can enjoy them all year!
There are so many different varieties of potatoes, from Yukon gold and russet potatoes to Idaho potatoes, and they all serve their purpose in the kitchen.
Whichever potato is your favorite, it’s essential to clean them before preparing them for a meal. Fortunately, these veggies are easy to clean, and the skins are both healthy and tasty.
Now that you know how to clean potatoes to ensure that your potato recipes are dirt and chemical free, we’d love it if you’d share our potato cleaning tips with the spud-lovers in your life on Facebook and Pinterest.