Do you need to scrub fresh potatoes before cooking? If so, what is the fastest way to clean them all?
Here are the top best methods on how to scrub a potato. And the best part is that you can use these methods for almost all types of potatoes ranging from red potato to Yukon Gold potato.
Wait no more! Scroll down to discover what they are!
Step-by-Step Guide On How To Scrub A Potato
Now, we show you the best way to wash potatoes with little to no effort.
A note here is that you should clean fresh potatoes right before using them for your favorite recipes, as this helps to avoid early rot and spoilage.
Method 1: Use A Vegetable Scrubber Or Exfoliating Bath Gloves
Let’s start with how to clean a potato using a clean vegetable brush or exfoliating bath gloves.
Step 1: Clean your hands with soap.
First, let’s wash your hands using an antibacterial soap and rinse them. You don’t want to transfer any harmful bacteria or dirt from your hands to the clean potatoes, right?
Step 2: Rinse the potato with cool water.
You should wash all the potatoes, including ones you are about to peel or the organic ones.
Organic potatoes might contain no chemicals or pesticides, yet they still have dirt and bacteria on the skin. Thus, it would be best to clean them first, or else you might drag some of the dirt of bacteria onto the flesh while peeling.
Step 3: Use a scrubbing brush/ exfoliating bath gloves to take off the dirt and the pesticides.
Use a vegetable brush to scrub potatoes in a circular motion. If you don’t have one, a clean sponge with a scratchy side can also be a good scrubber for potatoes.
You can also put the exfoliating bath gloves on, then gently massage the potato to remove the dirt.
During the scrubbing process, focus on the eyes, especially the large ones, as they contain lots of dirt. Besides, if you notice any sprouts, put them off right away.
Step 4: Rinse the scrubber and the potato
After scrubbing for a while, the scrub brush or the gloves might start to turn-off color. If this happens, rinse the brush/gloves and the potato relatively under cold water.
Step 5: Repeat the steps above until all your potatoes look brighter
Repeat the scrubbing and rinsing process until the potato has a few shades lighter than it had at first.
Step 6: Pat the potato dry with a paper towel
Use a paper towel or clean dish towel to pat the scrubbed potato dry and remove any left-over dirt and bacteria.
Then, repeat the whole process until you have all the fresh potatoes clean enough to use in your preferable dishes, such as garlic butter steak and potatoes skillet.
Method 2: How To Scrub Potatoes Without A Scrubber
What if you don’t have a scrubber? How to scrub potatoes in this situation? Here let us show you some ways on how to clean potatoes without brush.
#1 Use the paper towel or dish towel
How to clean potato skin without a brush? Let’s use a paper towel or dishtowel.
You only need to wet the paper towels or kitchen towels with warm water, then start rubbing the potato skin. In case you use the dishtowel, you can wrap it around the potato and twist it a few times to take the dirt off the potato.
#2 Use the dishwasher
Washing potatoes in the dishwasher – it sounds pretty strange to you, right? However, this is one of the best methods on how to clean potatoes fast.
First, you can place the unwashed potatoes on the top rack of an empty dishwasher (make sure there’s no soap left in the machine, or else your potatoes might taste like soap).
Set the dishwasher to the rinse-only cycle, and turn it on. After that, sit back and have potatoes clean in minutes.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can You Use Soap To Clean The Potatoes?
Well, you’d better not wash potatoes with soap, or else the potatoes will taste like soap. Rinsing and scrubbing a potato is good enough to remove almost all the dirt outside it.
Is There Any Substance You Can Use To Clean Potatoes Faster?
Vinegar is the safest cleaning solution if you want to cut down the time on cleaning potatoes. So, how to clean potatoes with vinegar?
First, dilute vinegar with water, then soak the potatoes into the substance. This ensures the acidic blend kills all bacteria on the potatoes’ skin.
After that, scrub them with a brush and rinse them under running water to remove the vinegar odor.
To Peel Or Not To Peel Potatoes?
Potato skin has tons of fiber and nutrition. Thus, leave it on if it is in good shape. Sometimes, potatoes without peels bring a much more fantastic taste to your dishes.
For instance, if you intend to make French fries to enjoy with fried chicken, it would be best to use the Russet potatoes with peels to bring the fresh air to the dish.
Do You Need To Wash Potatoes If You Are About To Peel Their Skin Anyway?
If the dirt and bacteria only stay on the potato skin, why don’t you just peel it off?
Well, that is true in a way. However, when peeling, the bacteria and harmful germs might transfer from the potatoes’ skin to your hands. Then, you may spread the bacteria onto the good parts by touching them.
So, should you wash potatoes before peeling? Definitely, yes! It is a must if you want to ensure the potatoes get rid of the dirt, nasty germs, and probably pesticides.
Do You Need To Cut Out Potato Eyes?
Well, you don’t need to dig out the eyes of a potato if they are just pinpricks. However, if they are quite large, you’d better address them all as they usually contain a lot of dirt.
Can You Wash The Potatoes The Night Before You Need To Use Them?
Due to the oxidation, the cut surfaces of potatoes will turn brown if you leave them at room temperature for a period. Besides, the leftover moisture can cause the potatoes to have mold or bad odors.
That’s why if you intend to wash the potatoes the night before cooking them, you should dry them carefully then refrigerate them to prevent oxidation and the bad odors.
Wrapping Up
Now you have figured out the simple methods of washing sweet potatoes or any potatoes you’re about to use for your dishes.
Let’s give these methods a try and save yourself tons of effort on cleaning and preparing potatoes for cooking. In case you have any questions on how to scrub a potato, please leave your comment below. We’re here to help you out.
