Can You Eat Potato Skin?

Boiled, baked, fried—we love potatoes in any form! Many people enjoy cooking and eating potatoes without peeling them. Should you do this too?

Can you eat potato skin? Yes, you can eat potato skin. Moreover, it is healthier to eat a potato cooked unpeeled as the skin provides a good amount of fiber and essential nutrients. The important thing is washing the potatoes really well, removing the sprouts and spots, and making sure the peel doesn’t have a green tint. 

Continue reading about the health benefits you never knew potato skin had, why cooking potatoes with their skin on is a good idea, and if it is true for all types of potatoes. 

Is Potato Skin Edible?

Eating potato skin is safe so long as the potatoes are healthy and don’t have a green tint. 

If you are going to cook and eat the potatoes without peeling them, it is important that you wash and clean the skin properly.

To do so, start with scrubbing the potatoes under running cold water using a vegetable brush. If there are any spots or sprouts on the spuds, remove them with the tip of your knife. If you see any green parts, cut them out. 

Is Potato Skin Good for You?

Even if you love eating cooked potatoes with their skin on, you have most likely wondered at least once if you are actually supposed to eat them. Are there any benefits to eating potato skin?

In short, yes. The skin of healthy organic potatoes is really good for you! 

The macronutrient content of potato skin is quite impressive. The baked skin of a single medium-sized potato contains 115 calories and around 5 grams of fat and 3 grams of protein. It also contains 27 grams of carbohydrates. 

Health Benefits Of Potato Skin 

There are more health benefits to potato skin than you could ever imagine. But this is true when the potatoes you are using are organic and the peel is all healthy and in a good condition. 

• Potato peel is rich in fiber. As you may know, this is the nutrient that provides healthy digestion. So, if you are concerned about your digestive health, you should certainly keep the skin of your potatoes on. 
• It is packed with minerals. The unappealing-looking potato peel contains a range of essential minerals. These include a high amount of manganese and potassium, as well as calcium, magnesium, phosphorus, iron, zinc, and copper. 
• Potato peel contains vitamin C. If it is only the citrus fruits you associate with vitamin C, you will be very surprised to learn that there is some of it in a potato skin too. The skin of a whole potato contains 8 grams of vitamin C. 
• There are B vitamins in potato peel. The group of B vitamins is vital for healthy skin, heart, and brain. It is also essential for the health of your nervous system. There are high amounts of vitamin B5, B6, and niacin (a form of vitamin B3) in potato skin. It also contains thiamine (B1), riboflavin (B2), and folate (b9).
• Potato skin benefits a stronger and healthier bone structure. This is thanks to the certain minerals it contains, including magnesium, phosphorus, and calcium. 
• It has anti-allergy benefits. Potato skin is a source of flavonoids, plant compounds that regulate cellular activity and fight free radicals. Quercetin, a type of flavonoid potato peel contains, is known for its anti-allergy properties. 
• Potato skin is a source of choline. This is a nutrient essential for a healthy brain and nervous system. 

Can You Eat The Skin Of Any Potato? 

Potato skin is edible despite the potato variety. In certain cases, you may find the skin of the potatoes too tough or spotty. If this is the case, peeling the potatoes before using them is a better option. 

Additionally, the skin of certain potato varieties, such as russet potatoes, may be bitter if you taste them raw. But when cooked, the skin of these potatoes changes its flavor and tastes better. 

Whatever type of potatoes you are buying, it is always best to opt for organic ones. This is because there is a higher risk of pesticide contamination in the case of non-organic potatoes.

And as many studies show, synthetic pesticides are possibly carcinogenic, i.e. they may cause cancer. 

Is Sweet Potato Skin Edible Too? 

Sweet potatoes and potatoes are only distantly related. But the skin on sweet potatoes is edible too. And it is just as healthy as the skin of other potato varieties. 

Sweet potato skin is particularly rich in vitamin A. A hundred grams of sweet potatoes baked with the skin can provide you with more than the daily recommended dose of vitamin A.

What Does Potato Skin Taste Like?

You may find the flavor of raw potato skins unappealing and even slightly off-putting. Some may say that raw potato skin tastes like dirt.

It should be noted, however, that the flavor of potato skin differs from variety to variety. In general, the thinner the potato skin, the milder it tastes. 

But things change when you cook the potatoes. Properly seasoned and cooked potato skin has a flavor similar to a French fry but deeper. 

Compare eating peeled baked potatoes and unpeeled baked potatoes. While the flavor differences are not major, the latter tastes richer. The skin also adds texture and bite to the cooked potato. 

Can You Eat Potato Skin Raw?

First things first, if you ever think of eating a small amount of raw potato skin a try to find out how it tastes, make sure to wash it thoroughly. And if you do, you surely won’t suffer any health problems. 

But what about eating an entire raw potato with the skin on?  

Eating raw potatoes is not something we recommend you do. First off, raw potatoes don’t taste that great.

And second, your body can’t properly digest the starch in the potatoes until they are cooked. And regarding the raw skin on the potatoes, eating it is not recommended. 

Even if you have decided to eat an entire raw potato as if it is an apple, you do need to peel it first. This is because there may be various bacteria on the raw potato skin. These bacteria may cause foodborne illnesses. 

Eating the skin on cooked potatoes is different as the heat used to cook them kills the bacteria too. 

Can Potato Skin Make You Sick? 

Potato skin can make you feel sick if you have eaten a green potato. The green color of the skin and the flesh of the potato signals that the vegetable contains a high level of solanine.

Solanine is a toxin that may cause headaches, fatigue, and nausea. 

Why Cook Potatoes With Their Skin On?

Not only do experts say that it is totally fine and even healthy to eat potato skin but there are also cooks who recommend cooking the potatoes with their skin on for a tastier dish. 

When boiling potatoes, it is recommended to keep the skin on as it is said to preserve the nutrients while the spuds boil and cook.

Additionally, when making potato mash, leaving a little skin on the potatoes gives mashed potatoes texture and enhances the flavor of the potatoes. 

As for baked and fried potatoes, the potato skin becomes crunchy and its crispy texture nicely contrasts with the soft flesh of the spud. 

What Can You Do With Potato Peels? 

If you used a lot of potatoes for a dish that required you to peel them but you don’t want to discard the healthy skins, there is something fun and crispy you can do with them. You can make crunchy potato skin chips. Here’s how.

1. First off, use the potato skin as soon as you have peeled the potatoes. Cut them into pieces of your desired size. 
2. Drizzle with a couple of tablespoons of oil or spray with some cooking oil when you have arranged the peels on a baking tray. 
3. Once the peels are on the baking tray, sprinkle them with salt and your favorite seasonings. Make sure the pieces are not overlapping as this will prevent them from getting fully crispy. 
4. Put the baking tray into the oven to 375°F and bake the potato peels for 8-10 minutes or until they become all crunchy and golden brown. 

You can also try deep-frying the potato peels. But this will make them extremely oily and unhealthy. Baking the peels makes them crunchy anyway. So, we recommend you opt for the healthier version of this easy and nutritious snack. 

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