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
Can you rinse a large number of potatoes without scrubbing them?
Yes, you can clean potatoes without scrubbing. If you have lots of potatoes and a little extra time, give your spuds a longer soak and skip the scrubbing. Here's how:
- Place potatoes in a large container for soaking—like a clean sink or ice chest—and add cold water so they're completely submerged.
- Soak for at least an hour, giving the water an occasional swish to ensure even soaking and help dissolve particles.
- After soaking, give the spuds a final rinse in the sink, pat dry, and prepare immediately.
Can you clean potatoes with vinegar?
Cleaning potatoes with vinegar is an alternative method to try. Like water, vinegar helps remove dirt and bacteria, but it also helps preserve potatoes' freshness.
After rinsing potatoes in cold water to remove dirt (if necessary), submerge potatoes in a vinegar bath of approximately 3 parts water and 1 part white vinegar. Ensuring they're all completely submerged, soak potatoes for 5 to 10 minutes, and then pat dry for immediate use.
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