Ask Dr. Potato

Q: Regarding starch in potatoes…do some varieties have less starch than others?

Q: I want to make Ribbon fries, but need to know the first step…is it best to cut, cold rinse, drain and then fry? Or can you just cut and fry?

Q: Why is it that when I take out frozen French fries from the bag to cook my hands are sometimes greasy afterwards?

Q: Our potatoes & carrots didn't cook in the stew and we’re not sure why, can you please help. We used tomato soup for the broth and read that this might be the cause.

Q: I am starting a food truck and want to offer fresh-cut loaded fries. My question is…after the first fry, can we refrigerate (not freeze) the fries? That way when someone orders, we only need to fry once. 

Q: I own a restaurant and we make a ton of potato pancakes. How do we keep 30 pounds of shredded potatoes from turning dark while storing them?

Q: I'm carving a raw white potato to make potato prints for my holiday cards. How long will a raw carved potato keep in the fridge?

Q: My doctor put me on a strict, no-carb diet. Is it okay to eat potato skins?

Q: Is there an easy way to clean a large amount of fingerling potatoes? I'm going nuts trying to get enough for a large meal!

Q: We are planning on serving baked potatoes at an upcoming wedding and I will need approximately 150 potatoes. We are going to use extra-large potatoes (like you can get at Costco). We will have access to 3 ovens, each with only 2 racks. It appears from your website that the most effective way to bake is without foil. We intend on wrapping them after baking and storing in an insulated cooler to keep warm until ready to serve. Questions: Is it okay to rub oil on them prior to baking so the skins will not be dried out? And, can we stack the potatoes 2 high on each rack in order to get 50 potatoes in? We intend baking them at 450°F - how long will we need to keep them in the oven?