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Should potatoes be washed twice?

Let's say you have to make a recipe that includes potatoes, let's say sliced, you'll most likely proceed as follows: Peel the potatoes, wash them, slice them, wash them again, pat them dry and add them to your recipe.

But there's a "but": depending on the recipe, the second washing may be a bad idea. Let's see why.

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Keywords for this post:Potatoes Vegetables Starch Washing Preparation

Last modified on: May 19^th 2025

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Let's take a closer look:

1) Wash the potatoes, then peel them => nothing to say, this is essential, unless your recipe uses potatoes with the skin, in which case you just need to wash and brush them carefully.

pommes de terre épluchées et lavées

2) Cut the washed potatoes into slices => also classic, but without it being really visible, a discreet white substance appears (after a while) on the cut surface, which is the starch contained in the potato.

pommes de terre en tranches

Now, this starch, although tasteless, is an excellent natural thickener which can be very useful in the rest of the recipe. Let's imagine you're making a leek-potato soup, for example, using the unwashed potato slices will improve the velvety texture of your future soup, and the same applies to a gratin.

That's why the answer to the question "Should potatoes be washed twice?" is "It depends!" :

- If the potatoes are to be used in a recipe where you're looking for a velvety, creamy, binding texture (soups, "raw" gratins, etc.) => no, they shouldn't be washed a second time, but added freshly cut.
- If the potatoes are to be used in a recipe where crispness or crunchiness is required (chips, fries, etc.) => yes, they should be rewashed to remove the starch.

Note that if you cook or precook the potatoes before use (for a gratin or tartiflette, for example), any starch is eliminated by cooking.

To sum up: Depending on the recipe you choose, wash the potatoes once or twice, i.e. keep or eliminate the starch they produce on the surface.

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The 1 comment already posted on this page

Thank you for this advice. I have learnt something new today!
Posted by David may 23^th 2025 at 13:05 n° 1

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