Budget Bytes: oven baked potato skins $4.09 recipe (2024)

FAQs

Why are my potato skins not crispy? ›

If you oil them up early, the skins may not turn crispy. The salt, too, can run off the potatoes in the heat. Instead, do a quick oil baste after the potatoes reach 205°F: Remove the pan from the oven. Brush with olive oil (or bacon grease if you have it) and a hefty sprinkle of kosher salt.

We recommend baking potatoes at 400 degrees F for about an hour. Smaller spuds might take a little less time, while larger baking potatoes over 1 pound might take a little more.

The ideal potato for baking is low in moisture with a high starch content. These qualities allow a potato to bake up with a delightfully fluffy center and crispy skin. Because it has all of these features, Russet potatoes are the ideal potato for baking and the most commonly used choice.

In this recipe, potatoes are cut into connected slices before being seasoned and baked. I leave the skin on (it gets crispy and yummy), but this can be made with them peeled also.

When a small amount of vinegar is added to the soaking water before frying, it can help impart a tangy flavor to the fries without making them taste overly vinegary. The acid in the vinegar can also help to slightly break down the surface of the potatoes, aiding in the development of a crispier texture during frying.

After harvesting, potatoes must be cured. Let them sit in temperatures of 45 to 60 degrees Fahrenheit for about two weeks. This will give the skins time to harden and minor injuries to seal. After the potatoes have been dug, brush the soil off.

"I see a lot of people using foil to wrap their potatoes in but this is a big no-no and causes soggy skins!" he says. 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.

Rumor has it that an un-pricked spud will explode in the oven—but in all actuality, that's unlikely.

Varieties like King Edward and Desiree potatoes are the best potatoes for baking, since their relatively high starch content gives you that soft and fluffy inside. Their skin also doesn't hold moisture well, which makes for that ideal crispy exterior. Alternatively, sweet potatoes are a good choice.

Yukon Gold potatoes (yellow) are the best varietal for pomme purée—and they're easy to find. Dice the potatoes for even cooking. Start the seasoned, diced Yukon Golds in cold water, bring to a rapid boil, then turn down to simmer for a gentle cook.

What potatoes do chefs use? ›

One of Chef Andrew's all-time favourite potatoes is the Désirée. This is the number one go-to potato for boiling. It's also ok to bake as it has a nice firm texture without being chewy. The Dutch Cream potato is one of the main potatoes used on restaurant menus and is great for roasting or baking.

A: Adding oil to potatoes before baking is perfectly fine, just a personal preference. Without oil the Idaho russet skin bakes up crispy, with oil the skin will carry a lot of the flavor of the oil so some people have a preference for using olive oil or peanut oil.

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.

Salt + Warm Water (Brine): Dissolve salt in warm water to soak the potatoes before baking. This draws out moisture to create the perfect texture. Oil: Vegetable oil works best since we're roasting at a high temp. This crisps up the skin on the potato as it bakes.

If roasted potatoes lack their crunchy sheen, overcrowding is usually the culprit. Just as overcrowding bacon or mushrooms in a saucepan causes disappointingly mushy results, placing potatoes too close to each other on a baking sheet will prevent them from crisping while they roast.

If the potato cubes were too large or unevenly cut, this might result in some pieces remaining crunchy. Crockpot Temperature: Crockpots can cook at varying temperatures, even on the same setting. If your crockpot is not heating evenly or maintaining a consistent temperature, it might have resulted in uneven cooking.

The difference lies in their starch content and structure. Waxy potatoes are amazing for boiling as they keep their shape, but floury potatoes fry up crisper. Use a floury (also called mealy) potato such as Russet or Shepody for your chips and you'll have better success.

What are potato scabs? Common scab is caused by a number of different species of Streptomyces, and powdery scab by Spongospora subterranea. Both are pathogenic micro-organisms and cause rough, scabby patches. Scabs appear during summer and persist on harvested tubers throughout storage.