Should You Soak Potatoes? Why and When You Should Do It!

Easy to find, inexpensive, and convenient to use: potatoes are the perfect kitchen staple, adapting to a wide variety of dishes, from appetizers and first courses to side dishes, from creative dishes to classics. Some recipes may suggest soaking potatoes in a bowl of water, but the step isn't explained: why do you do it? And why isn't it sometimes explained? This technique has several functions and can significantly improve the outcome: it improves the final consistency of the tuber, prevents oxidation, and even makes cooking more even. Below, are the situations in which soaking potatoes can make a difference.

To Improve The Consistency

It's well known that potatoes contain a good amount of starch: the amount ranges between 15% and 18%. Removing the excess helps give French fries or chips an even browning, reducing oil absorption, and thus preventing the flesh from becoming sticky and floury when boiled. In short, for crispy, firm potatoes, the advice is to cut them according to the recipe and soak them in a bowl of cold water for 15 minutes to an hour, changing the water once or twice. Before cooking, drain them carefully and dry them thoroughly with a clean kitchen towel.

To Promote a More Even Cooking

Soaking potatoes helps ensure even cooking, especially when boiling, steaming, or baking. By removing some of the surface starch, you prevent the potatoes from becoming too soft on the outside while remaining tough on the inside, a common problem, especially when working with pieces of varying sizes. Soaking them in water for 30 minutes is enough: a useful trick when preparing baked potatoes, for example, where a pleasant crust should form while remaining tender on the inside. Instead of soaking, in this case, you can blanch them for a few minutes if you prefer.

To Avoid Oxidation: They Will Not Turn Black

Once peeled, potatoes are among the vegetables most affected by contact with air, just like artichokes. This doesn't mean they're no longer edible or that their flavor changes: what undoubtedly changes is their aesthetics, with a progressive loss of freshness. To keep the texture of potatoes clear and shiny, a good practice is to immerse them in water immediately after cutting them. If you need to cook them for a long time, perhaps more than an hour, you can also add lemon or apple cider vinegar, which slows down the degradation. When is it best to use it? In dishes where the eye also wants its part, like a salad to play with colors, where the few ingredients must be perfect.