More and more people are washing their produce with soap for various health and safety reasons.
Washing some produce, such as apples and pears, with soap can have a lot of benefits. There might be residual pesticides and insecticides on the skin that should be rinsed off before consuming. Moreover, rinsing off produce may help remove other germs and viruses on the skin.
Knowing these benefits of washing produce with soap, should you also wash potatoes with soap?
Potatoes should not be washed with soap. In fact, soap residue can be difficult to remove and will leave an unpleasant taste especially if the soap is scented. Potatoes just need to be rinsed with fresh water in order to remove any dirt and bacteria.
Your fingers or a soft brush can be used to remove any stubborn dirt that won’t wash away.
Rinsing a potato is an important step in preparing a potato for cooking since there is usually dirt and bacteria on the skin. Moving water from a faucet will help loosen and remove any surface dirt and bacteria.
When Should A Potato Be Washed?
Potatoes should always be washed before being used. Imagine cutting, peeling, or even cooking a potato that has dirt and bacteria on the skin… yuck!
This means your entire dish is going to be full of dirt and bacteria so it’s best to give the potato a thorough wash before using it.
How To Wash Potatoes
Washing potatoes is a simple but necessary step in preparing potatoes for eating.
There are lots of ways to wash or rinse potatoes. Some people soak them, others use a dishwasher to automatically rinse them, while others just use the sink and a strainer.
Whatever method you decide to use, the potatoes just need to be rinsed using regular water that does not have any soap or detergents.
A properly washed and prepared potato should not have any visible dirt or mud on it. If the potato still feels dirty to the touch then give it another rinse until it is clean.
You can also use a soft brush, sponge, or even your fingers to break off any difficult dirty areas.
Avoid Using Soap When Washing Potatoes
Although it is helpful to use soap when washing your hands, potatoes should not be rinsed with soap or soapy water. Many “soaps” are detergents with fragrances that will become hard to completely rinse off.
So unless you enjoy a soapy flavor or a fragrant scent on your potatoes, avoid using soap when rinsing potatoes.
Not to mention, it’s much easier to just give your potatoes a quick rinse with water before cutting or eating them.
Soaking Potatoes in Soap Water?
Now that we know potatoes should not be rinsed with soap or soap water, what about soaking potatoes in soap water?
Do not soak potatoes in soap water, soap, or any cleaning detergents. Most soaps and cleaning detergents have an unpleasant taste and often have a fragrance. The potatoes will absorb the unpleasant taste and the fragrance.
Only soak potatoes in water and rinse off the starches when you’re finished soaking the potatoes.
Frequently Asked Questions for Washing Potatoes
There is some confusion on when a potato should be washed since we all understand that a potato should be washed.
Below we will cover the best time to wash your potato as well as answer some frequently asked questions on when potatoes should be washed.
Should You Wash Potatoes Before Storing?
Potatoes should not be washed before storing. The reason why you do not want to wash potatoes before storing them is because moisture can cause the potatoes to sprout or encourage mold to grow.
Potatoes that are covered in dirt are safe to store in a cool, dark, and dry location.
However, if you absolutely must wash the potatoes before storing them because they’re incredibly dirty and you don’t want to create a mess in your pantry, then you need to completely dry the potatoes before storing them.
Moisture on or near the potatoes will encourage them to sprout or grow mold so make sure that the potatoes are completely dry when stored.
Should You Wash Potatoes Before Baking?
Potatoes should be washed before baking or any other form of cooking. Baking an unwashed potato means that there might still be dirt or bacteria on the potato’s skin. That will lead to some unpleasant crunchiness and might cause food poisoning if the bacteria survive the cooking.
Always wash the potato before placing it in the oven to bake.
Should You Wash Potatoes Before Cooking?
Potatoes should be washed before any form of cooking. Cooking an unwashed potato means that there might still be dirt or bacteria on the potato’s skin. That will lead to some unpleasant crunchiness and might cause food poisoning if the bacteria survive the cooking.
Always wash the potato before cooking it to ensure you get rid of any dirt and bacteria.
Should You Wash Potatoes Before Peeling?
Potatoes should be washed before peeling even if you plan to soak or rinse your potatoes afterward. Peeling a dirty potato will only cause the bacteria and dirt to clog your peeler. The peeler will also start spreading the dirt and bacteria onto your freshly peeled potato.
So make sure to always wash your potatoes before peeling.
Should You Wash Potatoes After Peeling?
Potatoes should also be washed after peeling. After you peeled a washed potato, there still is a chance that some dirt or other contaminants were spread by the peeler. So it cannot hurt to give the freshly peeled potato a rinse to ensure that all the dirt and bacteria are rinsed off.
So make sure to always wash your potatoes before and after peeling.
Should You Wash Potatoes After Harvesting?
Potatoes should not be washed after harvesting unless you plan on cooking them that day. The reason why you do not want to wash potatoes after harvesting or before storing them is because moisture can cause the potatoes to sprout or encourage mold to grow.
Potatoes that are covered in dirt are safe to store in a cool, dark, and dry location.
However, if you absolutely must wash the potatoes before storing them because they’re incredibly dirty and you don’t want to create a mess in your pantry, then you need to completely dry the potatoes before storing them.
Moisture on or near the potatoes will encourage them to sprout or grow mold so make sure that the potatoes are completely dry when stored.
