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Food & Recipes

How to Clean Potatoes in 10 Minutes Without Having to Do Any Scrubbing

Planning on making a pile of spuds for your Thanksgiving feast this year, but dreading scrubbing them all down before you cook? Then we definitely recommend learning how to clean potatoes in your dishwasher.

That’s right, you can simply plop a bunch of potatoes into your dishwasher to get all that dirt off. — but there are a few important things to consider before you run the machine.

First, and probably most obvious, do not add any detergent to the dishwasher for potato cleansing. You don’t want to serve up spuds à la soap, after all. Instead, Delish recommends simply putting your potatoes on the top rack of the washer and running it through a rinse cycle. It should only take about 10 or so minutes, depending on your machine.

But why is it so important to scrub your potatoes before cooking in the first place? Well, according to the EWG, these tubers are among the “dirty dozen” produce products that frequently have lingering pesticides. This dishwasher method can rinse all of those away, though.

And, of course, potatoes are grown underground in the dirt. “We try to keep the dirt on till the potatoes come out of storage,” Idaho Potatoes explains. “As washing them immediately might trap moisture in the eyes of the potatoes and create a musty or mold smell while stored.”

Once the potatoes reach a shipping facility, they are usually given a light rinse to get rid of dirt and allowed to dry before making their journey. “However, sometimes not all the dirt gets removed or the water may still have some particles that end up on the potatoes,” the potato pros add.

Luckily, a run through the dishwasher can help clean everything up! If you’re wary of using the appliance for food, Idaho Potatoes also recommends another low-hassle option: Submerge them in a clean sink full of water and let them sit for a while. They don’t specify exactly how long, but enough that you feel confident the dirt has been lifted and fallen to the bottom. Then drain the sink and give the spuds another rinse and some scrubbing to make sure they’re good and clean.

Giving them a good wash is important whether you decide to peel them or not, as the nasty bits can still seep in or spread around while you peel. Keeping the skin on is also a great way to get more nutrients from your potatoes, like fiber and various vitamins and minerals.

Now, whatever way you’re whipping up potatoes, you can make plenty of them without worrying about the washing process taking up a ton of time beforehand!

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