How to Avoid Hard Skin on a Cooked Potato

A fully loaded baked potato can be a cheap yet complete meal.

Cook potatoes in the slow cooker, barbecue grill or oven to avoid the hard skin that occurs as part of the baking process. Your potatoes will be soft all the way through. Cooking potatoes with the skin preserves the ample nutrition they provide. One medium potato has 35 percent of the recommended daily amount of Vitamin C, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Additionally, they are a good source of fiber and B vitamins. Some varieties of potatoes have a more desirable texture for baking. Does this Spark an idea?

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Potatoes
Vegetable brush
Lint-free dishtowel
Fork or sharp knife
Aluminum foil

Instructions

Preparation
- 1
  
  Choose Russet, long white or one of the other high-starch potato varieties. Starch cooks the potato pulp soft and fluffy while enhancing its flavor. This makes high-starch potatoes the perfect choice for recipes that do not require a firmer texture for additional processing.
- 2
  
  Scrub potato under running water. Dry with a clean, lint-free dishtowel. Rubbing the potato on the towel removes any remaining dirt and germs that you loosened with the vegetable brush.
- 3
  
  Prick or make slits in the potato on both sides, about seven or eight times altogether, with a fork or sharp knife. This releases the natural steam buildup that happens during baking.
- 4
  
  Wrap each potato individually with aluminum foil. Seal tightly to trap steam between the outer potato skin and the aluminum foil. Steam keeps the skin soft while the potato bakes.
Oven or Toaster Oven Baking
- 5
  
  Preheat oven or toaster oven to 350 F.
- 6
  
  Place potatoes directly on the oven rack if you are only baking a few. Cook large quantities in a baking pan for easier handling.
- 7
  
  Bake for one hour, or until a fork inserts easily.
- 8
  
  Remove from oven and unwrap foil, being careful to avoid steam burns. Slice lengthwise and add your favorite toppings.
Slow Cooker method
- 9
  
  Put potatoes in the slow cooker. Do not add any water, as potatoes contain a significant amount of water to make their own steam.
- 10
  
  Select high heat for potatoes that will cook in four hours. Choose the low heat setting if you will be gone all day, as the potatoes will take eight hours to bake.
- 11
  
  Remove from slow cooker and unwrap foil, being careful to avoid steam burns. Slice lengthwise and add your favorite toppings.
Barbecue Cooking
- 12
  
  Place foil-wrapped potatoes on the grill. If you have a gas grill, then set the temperature to 350 F, or medium.
- 13
  
  Turn potatoes every 10 to 15 minutes for even baking.
- 14
  
  Bake for one hour. If a fork inserts easily into the potato, then it is fully cooked. If not, then continue cooking on the grill for another 10 to 15 minutes. The time will vary depending on whether you have consistent gas heat, or charcoal with decreasing heat.
- 15
  
  Remove from barbecue grill and unwrap foil, being careful to avoid steam burns. Slice lengthwise and add your favorite toppings.