The humble potato is among a cook's most versatile ingredients. They take endless forms and taste delicious every which way. But before you bake, roast, or mash them, it’s important to give them a good scrub. Follow our simple advice on how to clean potatoes, when to clean them, and why it's important, and you’ll be good to go for fritters, au gratin, and hash (oh my!).
Considerations Before You Get Started
Before we get to cleaning them, let's cover the whys and whens for cleaning potatoes.
Do You Really Need to Clean Potatoes?
Yes! It’s very important to wash potatoes before cooking with them because they're root vegetables. Since they grow underground, potatoes likely carry residual soil, bacteria, and pesticides when you buy them. To help prevent foodborne illness caused by harmful residue, it’s vital that you clean potatoes, even if you plan on peeling them.
When leaving the skin on—like for a baked potato—it's important to properly clean potatoes even if you don't plan on eating the skin. If you poke an uncleaned raw potato with a fork before baking, or slice into a fully baked one, that utensil can spread contaminants from the skin to the flesh, which can then end up in your system.
When to Clean Potatoes
You might be inclined to wash your potatoes the minute you get them home—so your storage container stays cleaner and meal prep goes faster—but wait! Residual moisture left on washed potatoes during storage can cause them, at best, to go bad faster or, worse, trigger mold. The optimal time to wash potatoes is just before you use them.
If you plan on peeling your potatoes, washing them beforepeeling is essential for preventing cross-contamination. Otherwise, contaminants from the skin can get on your hands, vegetable peeler, and cutting surface, potentially ending up on your peeled potato and other food you're prepping.
Storage Tip
After cleaning, peeling, and chopping, submerge prepped potatoes in cold water, completely covering all potato surfaces. This storage method prevents the cubed potatoes from oxidizing and turning brown.
If storing washed potatoes in water for longer than 2 hours, place them in an airtight, covered container and set it in the fridge. Use these potatoes within 24 hours.
What You Need
- Whole, unpeeled potatoes
- Large bowl or other food-safe container
- Cold water
- Vegetable brush
- Vegetable peeler
Never use soap, bleach, disinfectants, or chemicals to clean potatoes or any other produce. These products can leave a harmful residue that can be inadvertently ingested.
How to Clean Potatoes
It only takes a minute or so to clean potatoes, but that doesn't mean it's a good idea to skip this important task. Here's the best way to proceed.
Step 1: Select Quality Potatoes
The process of cleaning potatoes starts at the grocers. Choose potatoes that feel firm to the touch, don’t have a musty odor, and are free of discoloration and blemishes.
Step 2: Soak in Cold Water
Soak potatoes in cold water to loosen dirt, 15 to 30 minutes. Use any food-safe container—like a bowl, bucket, or ice chest—that's big enough for all your potatoes to be completely submerged.
Step 3: Scrub With a Vegetable Brush
Scrub unpeeled potatoes with a vegetable brush under cold running water to wash off remaining contaminants.
Step 4: Trim Eyes and Remove Sprouts
Using a vegetable peeler, remove any eyes—those small bumps where sprouts emerge—that are larger than a pinprick. Next, remove all sprouts. Most potato sprouts come off with a gentle rub, but you can also cut them off.
A sprouting potato is perfectly safe to eat (as long as the potato shows no other sign of deterioration). However, the sprouts themselves are unsafe for consumption, so they should be removed.
Step 5: Peel and Prep (as required)
After cleaning unpeeled potatoes, pat them dry with a towel before you cook them if you want the skin to crisp up during cooking. Otherwise, you can peel and prepare as desired. Use the prepped potatoes immediately or properly store them for later.
Frequently Asked Questions
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FAQs
An important rule of thumb when it comes to cleaning potatoes is to wait to do so until the last second in order to preserve their freshness. They require a three-step cleaning process: washing, scrubbing, and drying, to ensure that they are ready for your gratin, shepherd's pie, or a sheet pan for roasting.
Why is it important to wash potatoes? ›
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), at a minimum, potatoes should be rinsed under running water before cutting. This is crucial, even if you plan on peeling them, because germs on the outer skin can infiltrate the inside of your spuds when you cut them.
Do potatoes need to be cleaned? ›
The Food and Drug Administration advises you wash potatoes before you eat them. Potatoes grow in the ground, and carry not only dirt but also bacteria to the grocery store and later, your table. Pesticides also remain on potato skin; even organic potatoes carry some degree of contaminants.
What happens if you don't clean potatoes? ›
Since they grow underground, potatoes likely carry residual soil, bacteria, and pesticides when you buy them. To help prevent foodborne illness caused by harmful residue, it's vital that you clean potatoes, even if you plan on peeling them.
When should you rinse potatoes? ›
Rinsing potatoes helps remove excess starch, so it is recommended to rinse the potatoes before cooking. To ensure even more starch is out of the way, it's recommended that they even be quickly rinsed after boiling. We recommend using hot water for rinsing after boiling and cold water prior to boiling.
What are the benefits of unwashed potatoes? ›
However what many people don't realise is that unwashed potatoes stay fresh nearly twice as long! When light hits a potato's skin, chlorophyll builds up turning it green and rendering the vegetable unsuitable for eating. A small amount of soil is enough to significantly slow down this process.
Is it better to store potatoes washed or unwashed? ›
Storing potatoes the right way requires proper ventilation. Ziata recommends open containers (like open paper bags, baskets, and sacks), as these options will prevent excess moisture from accumulating. "Avoid airtight containers and sealed plastic bags, and never wash your potatoes before storing," she says.
What is the difference between washed and unwashed potatoes? ›
It's best to buy small amount of potatoes often, rather than buying large sacks of them, to ensure that they are fresh when you eat them. If you need potatoes that will last a while, buy unwashed potatoes. Unwashed potatoes last longer than clean potatoes, as the dirt protects them from bruising.
Should I wash my potatoes before baking them? ›
You should certainly rinse the potatoes — we prefer russets — to remove any dirt and debris. You can even give them a quick scrub with a vegetable brush. But you need to dry the spuds well after the bath. Excess moisture on the skin can seep into the potato during baking and cause soggy skins.
Should you wash potatoes before you cure them? ›
Before curing potatoes, I lightly rinse them in cool running water to remove excess soil, but I make no attempt to remove soil from eyes and crevices. Serious scrubbing should always be delayed until just before the potatoes are cooked.
Even with advancements in cultivation, processing and packaging, experts say about 40% of pre-washed fruits and vegetables can be contaminated with bacteria that could be harmful to the health of your customers. So, the clear answer is no – pre-washed fruits and veggies are neither clean, nor safe for consumption.
Do boiling potatoes clean them? ›
Boiling in hot water is just going to push around any dirt particles or sand. As far as scrubbing, just check a couple of the potatoes as a sample and if the eyes are deep they can easily trap excess dirt. If shallow you probably can get away from doing this step.
When should you no longer use potatoes? ›
Potatoes have gone bad if they show visible signs such as mould, green parts, sprouts, soft or mushy texture, musty smell, or changed taste. Can potatoes last six months? Yes, they can!
Can you clean potatoes with vinegar? ›
White vinegar diluted with water can help disinfect potatoes, but simple water and scrubbing is just as effective. If the potatoes are very dirty, consider soaking them in a clean sink filled with water first. When peeling the potato, be sure to cut away any sprouts or discolorations.
Why do you soak potatoes first? ›
Soaking potatoes in water helps remove excess starch. Excess starch can inhibit the potatoes from cooking evenly as well as creating a gummy or sticky texture on the outside of your potatoes. Cold water is used because hot water would react with the starch activating it, making it harder to separate from the potatoes.
Do you soak potatoes in the fridge or counter? ›
(If you decide to try soaking the raw potatoes anyway, they can be soaked in water in the refrigerator for several hours without any safety concerns. Potatoes can be soaked even overnight as long as they are in the refrigerator.)
What does rinsing potatoes before cooking do? ›
By rinsing off the excess starch, you can achieve a better balance and control over the browning process, resulting in evenly cooked and beautifully golden fries. Another advantage of rinsing the potatoes is that the cold water makes the potato cells firmer, leading to crispier fries when fried.
Why do unwashed potatoes last longer? ›
It's best to buy small amount of potatoes often, rather than buying large sacks of them, to ensure that they are fresh when you eat them. If you need potatoes that will last a while, buy unwashed potatoes. Unwashed potatoes last longer than clean potatoes, as the dirt protects them from bruising.
What does washing potatoes in cold water do? ›
Soaking potatoes in water helps remove excess starch. Excess starch can inhibit the potatoes from cooking evenly as well as creating a gummy or sticky texture on the outside of your potatoes. Cold water is used because hot water would react with the starch activating it, making it harder to separate from the potatoes.
What are washed potatoes good for? ›
White washed potatoes have creamy coloured, smooth skin outside and white flesh inside. They should have few eyes and a fairly even texture. White potatoes are excellent fried, baked, boiled and roasted. They have a great boiled texture that is perfect for salad.
