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I bake Russet potatoes. I just washed them a little with cold water and then place them in a baking pan after I put foil on the bottom of the pan. I do not peel them. Is this a good method or should I wait until they dry?

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  • What do you mean by " then added them on the foil in the oven."?
    – TFD
    Mar 2, 2012 at 3:58
  • @TFD I edited it Mar 2, 2012 at 4:14

2 Answers 2

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For baking potatoes

  • Don't just wash them, scrub them. Otherwise you're eating dirt. No, that's not a joke. Potatoes grow in dirt, and are usually sold coated with dirt. Yes, really.
  • Either salt them and wrap them in tin-foil, or simply bake them on a bed of salt. Dessication of the skin is important.
  • You'll probably want to bake them longer and higher than most recipes say. I find 425F for 1 1/2 hours is optimal (and 2 hours is fine). That results in skin which is dry, crispy, and slightly caramelized, while this inside still is fluffy (albeit, according to some, overcooked).
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    Another way to get crispy skins is to rub a tiny bit of oil around the surface.
    – Cascabel
    Mar 2, 2012 at 18:50
  • What's wrong with eating dirt if you don't mind the taste or texture? Plus, isn't eating a bit of dirt here & there actually healthy for you? Why do I need to wash them at all? Isn't just the heat of the oven enough to sanitize them? Not washing them saves time & effort.
    – ma11hew28
    Dec 18, 2016 at 15:58
  • If the sweet potatoes are grown organically then the dirt is probably good for you. For example, dirt contains vitamin B12 due to all the bacteria living there. Jun 22, 2019 at 20:26
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You can just bake them on an oven rack or tray, Nothing special required

Drying them wont make much difference after an hour or so in the oven

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