Whether you prefer them roasted, mashed, baked or fried, potatoes are one of the most universally beloved vegetables. But preparing the spud is far less enjoyable than eating it. Many recipes call for peeling and dicing potatoes, which can be time consuming—especially when you're cooking for a crowd. To save time in the kitchen, get this step out of the way ahead of time by peeling and cutting raw potatoes—then soaking the potatoes in water to prevent them from browning.
While it is safe to peel and slice potatoes ahead of time, you need to take one additional step in order to prevent oxidation. "Placing [peeled and cut] potatoes in water helps prevent oxidation, which turns their exposed flesh brown," says Ronna Welsh, the author of The Nimble Cook and the owner and chef instructor at Purple Kale Kitchenworks in Brooklyn, N.Y. While oxidation won't make the potatoes unsafe to eat, it does change their flavor.
How to Soak Cut Potatoes in Water to Prevent Browning
In order to successfully prepare your potatoes ahead of time, you will need an airtight container with enough room to completely submerge the spuds in water.
Fill an airtight container halfway with water.
Wash potatoes in cold running water to remove any dirt.
Peel the potatoes completely.
Slice the potatoes according to recipe instructions (or keep them whole).
As you slice, place the potatoes into the container with water.
Once all of the potatoes are peeled and sliced, fill the rest of the container with water so the potatoes are completely submerged.
Place the lid onto the container, making sure it's airtight.
Store the potatoes in the refrigerator.
Types of Potatoes to Soak
Waxy potatoes, like white and Yukon gold, hold up better in water than non-waxy ones. "This is because they have less starch and more moisture and will take on less water while being stored," says Tracey Brigman, EdD, MS, RDN, LD, a clinical associate professor and associate director for National Center for Home Food Preservation at the University of Georgia. "Sweet potatoes can also be peeled and stored in water for up to 24 hours."
When Not to Peel, Cut, and Soak Potatoes
You should avoid peeling and cutting potatoes ahead of time for any recipe that calls for finely diced or grated potatoes. "Because all potatoes are rinsed of surface starch when soaked in water, grated potatoes would lose even more starch," says Welsh. "But starch is key to holding the potato pieces together for things like hash browns or potato pancakes, so you don't want to rinse it away." Grated potatoes are also more difficult to dry thoroughly, which is important if you want to fry them.
How Long Peeled and Cut Potatoes Last in Water
You should store peeled and cut potatoes in water for 24 hours to ensure the quality of your final product. "If you drain the potatoes and notice they are turning brown, that they've started getting soft, or if they are slimy you should discard them," says Brigman.
How to Prepare Peeled and Cut Potatoes for Cooking
What you do to your potatoes after soaking them in water depends on what you're using them for.
For roasting: Pat the potatoes completely dry before adding oil and putting them in the oven, says Welsh.
For frying: Rinse after soaking to rid the potatoes of excess surface starch, then drain and dry well.
For boiling: Potatoes can be placed directly into the cooking pot after being drained.
As soon as you peel the potatoes, you'll want to place them into a bowl of water so they're fully submerged, and then store the bowl of potatoes and water in the refrigerator. The water will seal off the potatoes from the air, so the chemical reaction can't occur.
How long can peeled and cut potatoes sit in water before cooking, before they begin taking on too much water? A: We usually recommend no more than 24 hours. You can keep the potatoes from absorbing the water by making sure the water is not salted, and is chilled (you can even add ice to the water).
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. Cold water is used because hot water would react with the starch activating it, making it harder to separate from the potatoes.
If you're here, you'll probably be glad to know that yes, you can peel and cut potatoes the day before you plan to serve them — and that it's super easy! All you have to do is submerge the bare potato pieces in water and refrigerate (more on that later).
The main reasons to cut the potatoes and pre-soak in water are: To allow the excess starches and sugars to be removed from the outer surface of the fry strips AND to keep the potatoes from browning prematurely from exposure to air. Covering in water helps the potato from turning a dark color.
Why use salt water for soaking potatoes? There's moisture naturally found in potatoes, and moisture is drawn to higher concentrations of salt. (This is a process called osmosis.) So, if you put the potatoes in a salt water bath, that will help draw out some of their moisture, resulting in crispier fries.
Peeled potatoes left out by themselves at room temperature, on a refrigerator shelf or wrapped in foil or plastic wrap will still get dark overnight, so submerge them in a bowl of water, cover and refrigerate. Cubed peeled potatoes can sit in water overnight, but they need to be refrigerated.
If you'll be cooking the potatoes in the next few hours, you can leave them submerged in water at room temperature, Tiess says. If it will be longer than a few hours, place them in the refrigerator. Peeled, sliced, submerged, and refrigerated potatoes should be cooked within 24 hours.
If you're going to be using a masher and you prefer to not have skins in your mash, you will have to peel the potatoes yourself. But after they're boiled the skins slip off easily. Hold the hot potatoes in a clean kitchen towel-covered hand, then use a paring knife to scrape or pull off the peel.
The best (and most popular) way to keep cut potatoes from turning brown is to completely submerge them in a bowl of water. Store the water-covered potatoes in a bowl in the refrigerator until you're ready to use them, up to one day in advance.
You can store your potatoes this way for up to 24 hours with minimal discolouration. The key is to put them in the water as soon as you finish cutting them, as every minute counts.
When slicing the potatoes place into water with a little acidity to keep them from turning gray. A small amount of white wine vinegar of lemon will do the trick. Then drain and place the potatoes in foil along with your spices and some olive oil or vegetable oil.
It's important to drain the potatoes immediately after cooking. Don't leave them to sit in the liquid while you finish preparing the rest of the meal. Potatoes retain their heat quite well, so putting them back in the pot after draining and putting a lid on them will keep them warm until you're ready to serve.
Peeled, cubed potatoes cut into small, one-inch pieces should cook in 10 to 12 minutes, once the water reaches a boil. Larger pieces (about 2 inches across) may need longer, around 15 minutes. Medium whole potatoes should boil 20 minutes before they'll be tender.
When you hear the water boiling, you start the timer. Some things like jams, tomatoes, apples, pears and other high acid foods, are only boiled for 10-40 min. If you are canning low acid type foods, like meats, green beans, and potatoes, you would boil them for about 2 hours for pints and 3 hours for quarts.
Peel potatoes, carrots, parsnips and any other veg you're having and leave them in pans of cold water overnight. This will save you a lot of faff and additional mess on Christmas morning.
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