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My Trick to Quickly Peel Potatoes

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If you need a clever trick to help you quickly peel potatoes, look no further! This trick is a little unconventional, but it can really save you precious minutes in the kitchen!

If you need a clever trick to help you quickly peel potatoes, look no further! This trick is a little unconventional, but it can really save you precious minutes in the kitchen, especially when you're making potatoes for a crowd! 
I’ve peeled a lot of potatoes in my day, as have a lot of people. Sometimes when I’m doing it I think to myself “You know, I really like peeling potatoes. Peeling potatoes is kinda nice.” Lately though I’ve been feeling more like “Really? Do I have to? There has to be a better way!”

And there is! And it’s actually really fun too!

This is totally one of those obvious “Why did I never think of this before?” kind of things.

Here it goes!

How to Quickly Peel Potatoes

If you need a clever trick to help you quickly peel potatoes, look no further! This trick is a little unconventional, but it can really save you precious minutes in the kitchen, especially when you're making potatoes for a crowd! 

Gather however many potatoes you want to use and give them a quick rinse. It helps if you choose some that are mostly kinda the same size.

If you need a clever trick to help you quickly peel potatoes, look no further! This trick is a little unconventional, but it can really save you precious minutes in the kitchen, especially when you're making potatoes for a crowd! 

Fill a pot with water and pop them in.

Put the pot on the stove on medium heat, covered, and let them come up to a boil. Boil away for however long it takes them to cook. Half an hour-ish? I always just put them on and do whatever else I need to do in the meantime and poke them with a fork every once in awhile to see how it’s going. If you have really big potatoes, you can just cut them in half to cut down the cooking time if you like.

When  you think they’re about done, get a big bowl of ice water going.

If you need a clever trick to help you quickly peel potatoes, look no further! This trick is a little unconventional, but it can really save you precious minutes in the kitchen, especially when you're making potatoes for a crowd! 
If you need a clever trick to help you quickly peel potatoes, look no further! This trick is a little unconventional, but it can really save you precious minutes in the kitchen, especially when you're making potatoes for a crowd! 

Plunge the potatoes into the ice water (they can all go in together at the same time) and leave them there for about 20 seconds or so. By now, just the outsides will be cool to the touch, but the insides will still be steaming.

If you need a clever trick to help you quickly peel potatoes, look no further! This trick is a little unconventional, but it can really save you precious minutes in the kitchen, especially when you're making potatoes for a crowd! 

Pull the potatoes out and put them on a clean tea towel. You can use your hands. They won’t burn your precious pinkies.

If you need a clever trick to help you quickly peel potatoes, look no further! This trick is a little unconventional, but it can really save you precious minutes in the kitchen, especially when you're making potatoes for a crowd! 

Use your hands to pull/rub the skins right off. It literally takes about 2 seconds per potato. And it’s awesome.

There you have it! Perfectly cooked, peeled potatoes, all ready to be mashed or sliced, or whatever you like!

I will never make peeled potatoes any other way again, that’s for sure!

Another a-peeling kitchen time-saver: How to Peel Garlic in Just Seconds! Really!

An Update and Thoughts on How to Quickly Peel Potatoes

Update: I’ve had some comments where people are asking how this is time-saving if you have to boil the potatoes and then wait for them to cool, when you could just peel them with a peeler in a few minutes. WELL, I thought I’d better clarify. 🙂 First of all, if you’re eating the potatoes, you’ll be needing to cook them anyway, so why not have the cooking step do most of the peeling work for you?

Secondly, you DO NOT need to wait for the potatoes to cool. They will be cool to the touch almost instantly as soon as you toss them in the ice water (within a few seconds) and the peels can be brushed off with almost zero effort with your finger tips in just a second or two. So instead of taking 5-10 minutes to peel a big batch of potatoes, it will take maybe 1-2 minutes AND you won’t have to use that darn peeler thingy that can be so frustrating. Once you’re done boiling and brushing the skins off, the potatoes are ready to eat! Careful though, they might be cool on the outside, but they’re steaming hot on the inside. Just ask my burnt finger!

Also, I love the skins too. The skins are amazing and delicious.  My family, however, does not. Kennedy would never touch potatoes with the skins on them at this point in her life and I know a lot of adults who feel the same way. If I have a big group of people to feed, I always peel the potatoes, just in case. Hope that clears things up! Happy peeling!

Do you have a favourite method to help you quickly peel potatoes?

MORE GREAT IDEAS LIKE THIS

 

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Comments

  5. sissygirl53 says

    I always leave the skins on. I read somewhere that just under the peel is where most of the nutrients are plus the peels are a good source of fiber.

    Reply

  7. Designs by Barb says

    The only way I would do this step, is if I were making Potato Salad, not mashed. The ice would cool off the potatoes and who wants cold mashed potatoes. The skin is FULL of nutrients. A lot easier, to just peel them, and I HATE peeling them, but with a good peeler (Cutco), it is quick and easy, AND the peeler feels good in your hands and doesn’t give you jerky skins. Smooth slicing all the way around. NO I do not work for Cutco, BUT have used the same peeler from them, since 1996, So 17 years, without buying a new one. Amazing huh? Makes peeling them, well worth it if you really DON’T want the peel.

    Reply

    • Pat says

      I myself have only done this when making potato salad. I am going to try it when making mashed potatoes. Professional cooks and chefs say when making mashed potatoes melt the butter and heat the milk. The next time I make mashed potatoes I intend to use that chefs tip. I think the hot melted butter and the hot milk will heat the potatoes right back up.

      Reply

      • Nancy Wilson says

        I read your comment that you use this method for peeling potatoes for potato salad. Once you remove the potato skin do you wait for the potato to cool before you cube for the potato salad. Hope you can clarify for me. Thanks so much

        Reply

        • Pat Griffith says

          Sorry that it took over two years to see your question. When using that method of peeling when making potato salad I leave the potatoes in cold water until they are completely cold throughout.

          Reply

  8. Anonymous says

    This is the way its done in Germany and the way my German grandmother taught me. Works great although for mashed we just drain them and let them sit on a clean towel so the extra moisture can evaporate before we rub the peel off, it makes the mashed potato fluffier

    Reply

  10. Anonymous says

    An other secret to this great trick is to keep a new pair of kitchen rubber gloves for just this. You won’t burn your hands and the rubber rubs those skins right off. The rubber gloves are fantastic for peaches, tomatoes and beets too! Wouldn’t can without them!

    Reply

  11. Anonymous says

    Although my family and I like the peels, there are times when we’d rather not have them. I just wanted to say that this is a wonderful way to peel your potatoes. I also noticed that there were a few people here that didn’t read this right. Even when doing the peeling this way, the potatoes are still HOT INSIDE! They are only COOL TO THE TOUCH.

    Reply

  12. Anonymous says

    I appreciate this and will definitely give it a try. I have arthritis in my hands yet I am often assigned mashed potatoes when we have big family get-togethers because (supposedly) mine are the best. (I really just think no one else wants to peel 10 lbs of potatoes for our large family). Anyway, all that peeling is actually painful for me to do. Last Christmas I resorted to leaving the peels on while using yukon gold potatoes, but just didn’t like them as well. Now I can actually look forward to making mashed potatoes at Easter dinner for out next big get-together!

    Reply

  13. Leigh says

    I have done this as well,works great. Another way is instead of boiling bake them then do the same thting. It just gives the taters a different taste.

    Reply

  14. Andie @ Found and Fancied says

    Makes perfect sense! You’re going to cook them anyway, no time difference there. So why not spend 2 minutes getting the peels off instead of 10.

    I have a family member with Crones Disease and he can’t eat the peel, but everyone else loves them. This will make it so much easier to make a separate batch for him.

    Thanks for the great tip!

    Reply

  15. Andie @ Found and Fancied says

    Makes perfect sense! You’re going to cook them anyway, no time difference there. So why not spend 2 minutes getting the peels off instead of 10.

    I have a family member with Crones Disease and he can’t eat the peel, but everyone else loves them. This will make it so much easier to make a separate batch for him.

    Thanks for the great tip!

    Reply

  16. Kilee Everett says

    You can do this with boiled eggs also…put the boiled eggs in ice water and the shell peels right off.

    Reply

  17. Carol says

    If you don’t mind the extra laundry — you can use a kitchen towel as well to just rub them off.
    For boiled eggs — when you put them in cold water after they’ve boiled — crack them slightly. The cold water will get under the shell and the shell will peel off easily once cool enough to touch.

    Reply

  18. Michelle says

    Thanks for the tip! I have arthritis in my hands, and peeling potatoes for six people at least once a week is a daunting task. I will never use a potato peeler again.

    Reply

  19. Anonymous says

    I don’t know if anyone has noticed the difference in the taste of the potato when boiled with the peeling on. It tastes so much better. I have always used this method for potato salad. I think it keeps the taste of the potato inside the peeling and makes for better salad. I will use this from now on for all my potatoes. Great tip!!!!

    Reply

  21. Judy Russi says

    I have a potato salad recipe that I boil the potatoes with the skin on — then peel with a knife while mixing the salad. It’s really a pain because the potatoes are hot and it’s time consuming. Why didn’t I think of this? Thanks for the tip — everyone loves my potato salad but I don’t make it too often because of the work of peeling the potatoes. Thanks for the tip — can’t wait to try it — I think I’ll make potato salad soon and more often this spring/summer.

    Reply

  22. Tiago says

    why do you even peel them? i only peel them to make fried. and even fried, they are so good with the skin.
    try to cut them in 4 or 8 parts, frie them with the skin, and eat with a mayonnaise with garlic .
    or boil with the skin and eat with some olive oil over them.

    if you dont know yet, ill give you a tip of a great way to cook potatoes that we use a lot in Portugal.

    it is called “batatas a murro” , or “punch in the potato” in english… or kind of it :p

    boil them untill they start to get cook, but not all the way
    take them out and take all the water. put them in a kitchen rag and give them a small punch on each , just to get them down and open a little bit. dont destroy the all potato 🙂
    after that, put them in a pyrex, cover with olive oil, garlic, and a bit of salt, and put them in the oven some time. when the start to roast, take them out

    you can put some rosemary on top with the garlic too

    Reply

    • Courtenay says

      That sounds absolutely delicious! I’ll have to try that one! If it were up to me, I’d never peel them either. Unfortunately, other people in my house like them peeled, so that’s what I do! This is just so much easier if I have to peel them!

      Reply

  23. Bob Ritchie says

    Nice idea, but all I think about as I read the instructions is I just added a bowl to my clean-up after dinner. I also added a tea towel to the laundry that has potato peels on it. I can peel 6 large potatoes into the sink where my disposal is in under 2 minutes. No extra clean-up.

    Reply

  24. Jane McArdle says

    after there boiled I use a spoon to take off the peel..learned in a restaurant many years ago

    Reply

  25. John says

    I rarely peel my potatoes, always was told the vitamins are in the skin. I normally take a green scrubber and scrub them up under cold water to get the dirt off and clean up any unsightly areas, and stick them with a fork. If I am in a hurry to have them prepared, I will take a plastic bag, toss in the pricked potatoes, close the bag and toss them in the microwave for about 5 to 10 min. depending on how many potatoes you have, when done they are hot and steamy and ready to be mashed.

    Reply

  26. Beverly says

    Here’s the problem I have with doing this, it takes way longer to cook whole potatoes than peeled and cut up. It takes lots more energy-as in electricity or gas. If possible I leave the peel on when I cook potatoes, that’s where all the nutrients and fiber are. Only time I peel potatoes is for “fancy” mashed potatoes for company. For potato salad, or for family meals, I leave the skins on.

    Reply

  27. Muhammad says

    The Science Behind:
    When the potato is boiled it is very hot and when you place it into cold water, the sudden change in outer temperature of potato make a jet of steam coming out that pushed the peel to loose it grip. Now with just a rub it get off.

    Reply

  28. Loli says

    Like Kennedy, my son won’t eat potatoes cooked with the skin on. He says they taste like dirt I do scrub them very well. I have used this method to peel potatoes too, but I notice they do have an “‘earthy” taste. It’s messier than peeling and stickier too. So I get my husband to peel them for me if he wants potato salad. My Mom always peeled them your way but we did not know about putting them in ice water. It was hard to get the peels off. It came off in little pieces or strips and was sticky. Maybe putting them in ice water makes a difference. I’ll have to try it again your way.

    Reply

Trackbacks

  3. […] How To Speed Peel Potatoes – A great way of saving time with this tip, no need to peel before boiling your potatoes. […]

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