How to Peel Potatoes Without a Peeler

Peeling a batch of potatoes to make potato salad or mashed potatoes is a hassle. You may have seen this video before featuring Dawn Wells, better known as Mary Ann on Gilligan’s Island. Her method of peeling potatoes without a peeler must work since was on the home page of the official Idaho Potato website at the time of this writing.

First, she scores the potato all the way around with a knife and then boils places the potato in boiling water.

The potato is then dropped in ice water and swirled around for ten seconds or so. Then, voila, the skin comes off.

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Check out the video, it’s a little over a minute long.

How cool is that? I did an extensive internet search and can’t find any other method for peeling potatoes that doesn’t involve a peeler.

Next time I make a big batch of potato salad I’ll try it and report back.

I bet you all do that anyway. The word on the street is also that basic potato peelers are better and generate less waste than some of the fancier versions.

If you decide to use a potato peeler, here’s what you’re supposed to do:

1. Scrub the potato.
2. Hold it in one hand and the peeler in the other.
3. Slant the peeler downward and slowly peel the skin off.
4. Turn the potato around and peel the other side.
5. Do the same with the top and bottom.
6. Rinse with cold water.

Don’t forget that the skin is full of nutrients, so eat it if you can.

Photo credit: istockphoto/piotr_malczyk