How to Peel a Potato

Safety in the kitchen starts with proper use of kitchen utensils. To remove the peel from a potato safely, you can use either a knife or a potato peeler; whichever utensil you prefer. Whatever your preference, be sure to use it properly to avoid injury.

Difficulty: Easy

Instructions

Using a Potato Peeler

1. Buy a basic potato peeler. Don't waste your money on fancy, expensive versions. A simple stainless steel handheld unit wastes less food and works just fine.

2. Wash your new potato peeler thoroughly. It may look clean, but it's been touched by numerous people with who-knows-what on their hands.

3. Scrub the potato. This step gets extra dirt off your food that can dull the peeler and dirty the counter top.

4. Grasp the potato firmly in your secondary hand. Use your primary (writing) hand to hold the peeler with the blade facing the potato. Applying pressure, shave the potato down and away from yourself.

5. Turn the potato slightly, and adjust your grip. Repeat Steps 4 and 5 until the potato skin is removed completely.

Using a Knife

6. Clean the potato.

7. Hold the potato in your non-writing hand by its sides.

8. Grip the knife handle in your writing hand, blade facing you. Curl your fingers around the handle, but not your thumb.

9. Rest your thumb against the potato for stability.

10. Pull the knife toward you slowly, skimming the potato skin layer off as you go. You must work carefully, maintaining complete control over the knife so as not to cut your other hand.

11. Continue the process, rotating the vegetable to achieve the best angles for potato skin removal.

Tips & Warnings

• If you wish, you can remove potato "eyes" with the tip of either utensil. Hold the potato firmly in place and use the tip to dig out the imperfection carefully.
• Always keep your utensils sharp. Dull blades lead to the use of additional force. If a slip occurs, the extra force can cause a nasty cut.

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