A: Poke the potatoes with a fork just enough to pierce the skin so the potato won't burst when baking, especially in the microwave. Four or five times should be plenty. A potato is composed mainly of water, so poking them helps release steam as it cooks.
"It pokes holes in the skin, which allows steam to escape. Otherwise, they could explode—it doesn't happen all the time, but it happens every once in a while. The potato is full of water it's trying to turn to steam, or water vapor.
For this experiment, we washed two potatoes and poked holes with a fork in one of them, leaving the other unpoked. The potatoes were then placed in the oven at 400 degrees Fahrenheit, and they each took one hour to fully bake. Overall, we did not detect any difference between the poked and unpoked potatoes.
Rumor has it that an un-pricked spud will explode in the oven—but in all actuality, that's unlikely. Conventional wisdom says that when you bake a potato, you have to prick it with a fork all over a few times, piercing the skin to allow steam to release.
Use a fork and poke the potato four or five times on each side. These little holes allow steam to escape while the potato is cooking. Forget to poke, and your potato could end up exploding in your microwave from the pent-up steam.
The important thing to remember is always to prick the potatoes with a fork before cooking – this allows the steam to escape and will stop them from exploding.
Directions. Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. Poke holes in potato and wrap in foil. Bake in oven for 45 to 60 minutes until tender.
Poke the potatoes with a fork just enough to pierce the skin so the potato won't burst when baking, especially in the microwave. Four or five times should be plenty. A potato is composed mainly of water, so poking them helps release steam as it cooks.
Place the potatoes on a microwave-safe plate and cover them with a damp paper towel or dish towel to keep them moist while they cook. Microwave the potatoes on high. Start with five minutes for one potato and add two minutes to the cook time for every additional potato you're microwaving at once.
Ignore what sounds like your potato screaming for help — it's just potato moisture turning into potato steam and escaping through the fork holes as potato vapor.
The Potato Trick
The theory is that if you add a potato to a salty soup and simmer it, the potato comes out salty. If there's salt in the potato, it stands to reason that you've removed some of the salt from the soup.
What does Potato Hole mean? The term comes from slavery, when slaves had to dig holes in the earthen floors of their cabins. It was the only place they had to keep food cool — and, in some cases, to hide it and store it. For us, Potato Hole is a place where you can find and honor the treasures of the black community.
Whether you're preparing loaded baked potatoes, a hash-brown casserole or plain ole' mashed potatoes, keep the peels out of the garbage disposal! The starch from potatoes and potato peels can turn into a “thick paste,” which may cause the blades to stick.
Hollow heart potatoes are still edible and safe to eat, as long as the splitting hasn't reached the surface, which can then invite rotting. If you find yourself with hollow heart potatoes, you can cut out the hollow piece and eat the good parts!
All they need is darkness and moisture — making your kitchen or pantry an ideal place to start growing "eyes." But these extra appendages don't mean you have to trash your taters — if they are still firm when you squeeze them, the potatoes can be eaten — once you've removed the sprouts and cooked the potatoes.
While microwaving to completely cook the potato will result in a soft and mealy Russet, cooking in the microwave for just 5 to 6 minutes before placing in the oven keeps the potato's original texture. Drizzling with olive oil and sprinkling with salt before baking at 400 F will allow the skin to get nice and crisp.
A microwave can cook a potato fast. Depending on the size and quantity of your potatoes, you can cook a whole potato within 6 minutes or so, from start to finish. Compare that to baking them in the oven, which can easily take an hour, or boiling them in hot water, often taking over 15 minutes.
Potatoes for health and nutrition
They're rich in vitamin C, which is an antioxidant. Potatoes were a life-saving food source in early times because the vitamin C prevented scurvy. Another major nutrient in potatoes is potassium, an electrolyte which aids in the workings of our heart, muscles, and nervous system.
Wash and dry potatoes. With a fork or sharp knife, pierce each potato 2 or 3 times. Rub each potato with a little oil (just enough to lightly coat) and salt generously.
Keep Potatoes in a Cool and Dry Environment
As previously explained, potatoes should be placed in a cardboard box, mesh bag, or basket to ensure good ventilation. Store your potatoes in a cool, dark place (45 to 50 F is the ideal temperature range), such as your pantry or unheated basement.
Expert Advice. "Yes, it's good to prick them," says Brennan Smith, a faculty member of the School of Food Science at University of Idaho. "It pokes holes in the skin, which allows steam to escape. Otherwise, they could explode—it doesn't happen all the time, but it happens every once in a while.
Foil holds in moisture and steams the potatoes, resulting in a "boiled" taste and texture. Plus, without the use of foil, the skin will get extra crispy and flavorful.
Over baking the potato -
Visual signs: The potato skin will start to wrinkle when over cooked. The potato, when wrapped in foil or placed on the bottom of a pan will have a dark brown spot on the bottom, a sure sign of over cooking.