Should you rinse them right by after bringing them home or wait until you ’re ready to cook ?

Blaine Moats

Since we can do everything frombakeandtwice baketoroast , fry , grillroom , hasselback , hashish , smash , andsalad - ify spuds , we almost always have a openhanded bag of potatoes on manus . We observe and savor them often in recipes ranging from timelesscasserolesto trendingMillion - Layer Potatoes , and it ’s cleared that we ’re not alone . The medium American consume 124 pound of potatoes each yr , according toIdaho Potato .

To assist you stock up wisely , we ’ve already coveredhow to choose and store potatoesand recently shared theeasiest way to remove the peel from a boil potato without a ecdysiast . And today , we ’re lead back to basics and explaining how to lap Solanum tuberosum .

Sure , this concept vocalize like common horse sense , but when you take a moment to reckon all of the potential questions that could start up along the way , a guide for how to wash Irish potato starts to make so much sense . Should you wash immediately after bringing tater home , as we advise withbananas ? Can any tools make the labor easy ? Is it wise to wash after boil ?

We tapped the Test Kitchen to suffice all of those questions and excuse the ultimate way to wash away your spuds to get them fair and recipe - ready .

Sarah Brekke , M.S.,Better Homes & GardensTest Kitchen brand managing director

Do YouReallyNeed to Wash Potatoes?

Potatoes are root veg that grow in grease underground . Even after picking , potatoes almost always carry around some dirt and debris that may have some pesticides or bacteria in the premix .

To help remove any potentially insecure - to - consume elements , it ’s of import to clean your Irish potato — yes , even if you plan on peeling them or do n’t contrive to feed the skin . A dirty potato skin can channel contaminants to the part of the dish you do plan to eat , which poses a intellectual nourishment safety risk .

How to Wash Potatoes

Besides a sink , your spuds , and a knife to withdraw any bruises , growths , or blemishes , the only other indispensable cock you ’ll need to wash potatoes is a veg copse .

“ A copse is a must - have to assure the intact surface gets efficaciously cleaned , especially in irregular area like the eyes of potato , ” explicate Sarah Brekke , M.S.,Better Homes & GardensTest Kitchen brand manager .

Once you ’ve got that oneessential kitchen tool , you ’re ready to master how to wash Irish potato the Test Kitchen way :

You ’ve now seize how to wash Irish potato before starting your formula . It ’s wise to to keep in mind that washing might hail in handy later on as part of your Solanum tuberosum prep .

“ Depending on the formula , it can be helpful at certain times to rinse your chopped white potato to remove any excess amylum that ’s on the exterior of the pieces , ” Brekke says .

For example , rinsing potatoesunder cool H2O beforeboilingcan help avoid the gummed exterior grain that can leave after cookery , specially with Russet potatoes . ( “ examine this trick the next time you make Solanum tuberosum salad , ” Brekke recommends . ) Likewise , rinsing after cooking can help oneself to wash away excess amylum and any possible gumminess so that your mashed potatoes are lighter and flossy .

1 Trick to Make Washing Small Potatoes Easier

These instructions for how to wash potatoes wreak well for gravid potatoes andsweet potatoes , however , it can be a hassle to lave and cancel dozens of small new white potato vine or fingerlings . For these form of diminutive white potato , Brekke advocates for a acetum soaking .

When to Wash Potatoes

It might be tempting to define your succeeding self up for streamlinedweeknight meal prepand wash potatoes immediately after they enter your kitchen , but it ’s wise to to look . rather of laundry potatoes right after convey them inwardly from yourvegetable garden , the market store , or thefarmers grocery store , press pause until you ’re ready to savor your potatoes .

“ As with most green goods detail , it ’s right to wash potato just before feed to optimize freshness and slow any declension , ” Brekke says .