this post was submitted on 02 Sep 2023
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Like, I get comments from people telling me it's weird I always try to peel potatoes like I am trying to make the worlds longest 1-piece potato peel. To me it feels way for efficient and fun to continu down a potato in 1 peel, while circling around it, instead of randomly scraping a hundred different pieces of peel off and having to reintroduce the cutter knife to the potato for every piece.

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[โ€“] Thaolin@sh.itjust.works 53 points 1 year ago (7 children)

Given that the skin has up to 12 times the nutrients of the entire potato it covers I personally stopped peeling my potatoes in most situations. It also adds a great crispy texture when you're roasting or frying. With that said, you do you when peeling. If it's cathartic to peel it all in one piece go for it. Or you can cut the potato in half and simply use a knife to trim the skin off like a sweet potato.

[โ€“] Heikki@lemm.ee 73 points 1 year ago

That's not true. For a potato, about half the total fiber is found in the skin. No other nutrients are drastically reduced.

Source

[โ€“] Pantherina@feddit.de 5 points 1 year ago (1 children)

You should NOT do this with Potatoes. Their skin contains Solanine, which is a nightshade toxin.

Other veggies and fruits yes, but not potatoes. Other nightshades like Tomatoes and Pepper are way different.

[โ€“] TalesFromTheKitchen@lemmy.ml 11 points 1 year ago (1 children)

Fresh or properly stored non "green" potatoes should be safe to eat with the skin, as the solanine content is usually below the threshold of 100mg per kg, as I understand it according to this Source. What I found interesting is that the Solanine apparently accumulates in frying oil (it starts breaking down at about 170ยฐC according to Wikipedia) which might be troublesome since some places swap frying oil infrequently.

[โ€“] Pantherina@feddit.de 1 points 1 year ago
[โ€“] freebee@sh.itjust.works 4 points 1 year ago

Rather peel, peel is gross. I prefer simply boiled and salted, without skin.

[โ€“] GCostanzaStepOnMe@feddit.de 3 points 1 year ago (1 children)

Should be worth noting that the skin of potatoes contains toxins.

[โ€“] gowan@reddthat.com 24 points 1 year ago (1 children)

Not if you remove eyes, sprouts and green parts. What you want to avoid is green flesh. If you scratch under the skin and its green pitch it.

[โ€“] GCostanzaStepOnMe@feddit.de 1 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago) (3 children)

The toxins exist throughout the skin, but in smaller concentration than in the sprouts and green parts. Doesn't mean that the skin is inherently unsafe to eat, but you probably should peel it if you eat potatoes regulary, or if you're cooking for children, old people or someone immunocompromised.

[โ€“] danhakimi@kbin.social 8 points 1 year ago

Toxins exist in the water you drink and the air you breathe, unless you distill the water to the point of actually being dangerous to consume.

A small concentration of toxins is absolutely unavoidable. The presence in potato skins is pretty negligible.

[โ€“] gowan@reddthat.com 5 points 1 year ago (1 children)

They are in such small concentrations that your body tends to eliminate them. They do not accumulate.

[โ€“] GCostanzaStepOnMe@feddit.de -4 points 1 year ago (1 children)

You do you, I'm just going by the recommendation of my local health advisor.

[โ€“] sp00nix@lemmy.ml 9 points 1 year ago

Does he enter the room and say "Hi everybody"?

[โ€“] TWeaK@lemm.ee -4 points 1 year ago (1 children)

I think cooking goes a long way to dealing with the toxins, also. Raw potatoes are very toxic.

[โ€“] GCostanzaStepOnMe@feddit.de 6 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago) (2 children)

No, alcaloids are stable under heat, that's why you should also discard the water when cooking potatoes with skin.

[โ€“] AAA@feddit.de 2 points 1 year ago

Not that I ever reused the potato cooking water, but TIL. Thank you.

[โ€“] freebee@sh.itjust.works 2 points 1 year ago (1 children)

you seem knowledgeable about potatoes. Is it okay to let the water cool down and water outside plants with it?

[โ€“] blackbrook@mander.xyz 2 points 1 year ago (1 children)

I don't know, but if you let it sit on your stove for a few days you can develop a really impressive stink!

[โ€“] freebee@sh.itjust.works 1 points 1 year ago

try it after you boiled it together with some brocolli

[โ€“] Player2@sopuli.xyz 1 points 1 year ago

Worth mentioning that different types of potatoes have more and less pleasant skins to eat, so it depends

[โ€“] Schaedelbach@feddit.de 1 points 1 year ago (1 children)

Yeah, except for mashed potatoes the skin stays on.

[โ€“] SpaceNoodle@lemmy.world 13 points 1 year ago

Nope, skin stays in for mashed as well. Mashed red potatoes with skins, a few lumps & loads of roasted garlic!