Hints on Spuds

Potatoes are, not just for the Irish during famine, but for anyone who is feeling poor, the cheapest calorie-dense food there be that is nutritious. Each tater has as much Vitamin C as an orange, so long as you do not pare the peel away.

A ten-pound sack of potatoes sells for under $5.00 in many stores, well under $10.00 in all. When you get the bag home, dry out your kitchen sink and toss the potatoes in. The worst of the dirt will remain in the sink, and you’ll reduce your cleaning chore with each cooking session. Inspect each potato for soft spots or any greenish or blackened areas. All of those need to be cut away, so plan on using affected potatoes first.

Store the potatoes in an opaque fabric bag. A cloth sack is best, but you can even use a cloth duffle bag. Make it a habit to check your spuds twice a week. Take out all the potatoes and tear off and discard any sprouts that might have developed.

The secret to restaurant-quality taste of Idaho or Russet potatoes is to soak them before baking. To save energy, bake as many at one time as will fit into your oven.

I use a jumbo dishpan for soaking (while cleaning.) I put in five squirts of Veggie Wash®, for convenience in cleaning them. I place the potatoes in the basin and add cold water to cover. (The Veggie Wash is a cleansing agent that removes pesticides. Especially if you take any medications, you do not need those chelated heavy metals in your body! . The large container I bought on Amazon years back seems to be lasting a lifetime to refill a spray bottle version from.) Rinse the potatoes free of the cleansing solution in a colander and then dry each thoroughly with a kitchen towel. Remove any eyes.

Use a fork to make two deep sets of four pricks into each potato, one set on each side. Place the taters directly on the racks of the oven, then turn the oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit and bake for forty minutes. Turn the oven off but let the potatoes continue to bake in the already-hot oven, for another ten minutes.

Store the baked potatoes in the fridge for up to five days. You can freeze baked (or boiled, etc.) potatoes for longer storage. You can then reheat them in the microwave or make cottage or home fries from them.

NOTE: Potatoes for French fries should be soaked for restaurant-like taste. But they should not be baked before deep-frying.