Potato water weight loss when microwaved

[vegman]

I thought this was interesting.

Peeled raw potatoes weight before cooking: 24.5 oz.

Weight after microwaving directly on glass platter for 25 minutes: 11.8 oz., 52% loss.

[Chumly]

I've never microwaved a potato close to that long. I usually cook it 6-8 minutes. Is it edible after 25 minutes, or all dried out?

Michael

[vegman]

I've never microwaved a potato close to that long. I usually cook it 6-8 minutes. Is it edible after 25 minutes, or all dried out?

Michael

A single one of the Yukon Gold potatoes I usually get takes about 6-8 minutes in my microwave oven and would burn long before 25 minutes. More potatoes take longer. This was I think 7 small potatoes. I usually don't weigh food, but know from long experience how long to set the oven for with different amounts of food.

I microwaved these until they were pleasantly well done.

[debknott]

Vegman,

I have never microwaved potatoes that are already peeled. Does the outside not get stiff or something? I often microwave potatoes with the skin on, but I would much rather use your method. That way I would not need to let the potatoes cool for a long time. It's difficult to peel a hot potato.

[vegman]

Debknott,

The outsides get slighly firmer than the insides, probably from drying out, and can get slightly brown (and burnt if overcooked).

If microwaving multiple potatoes or potato pieces, to get relatively even cooking, it's best to used comparably-sized potatoes or cut them into comparably sized pieces.

The smaller the pieces, the larger the surfaces that can get firmer/slightly crisp, which I like. I used to often cut them into small wedges, but then found that microwaving them whole or in large chunks saves time and is also good.

I microwave them just before the point of overdone/substantially brown/burnt, so they are not underdone.

I usually set my microwave oven to an amount of time I am pretty sure will not cause burning, then look at them and microwave additionally in increments until they are done the way I like. My microwave oven, like many, does not cook very evenly, so often some are ready before others; to avoid burning, I remove the done ones and cook the undone ones more.

I eat a lot of potatoes, and have thought about getting an air fryer, with which I have no experience, for cooking them.

[vegman]

Sometimes I microwave potatoes in a glass Pyrex dish with the lid on, with water. With such moist cooking, leaving the skins on seems to result in better flavor than peeling them, and the skins are pretty easy to remove with fingers, after the potatoes have been cooled with cold water. Timing is less finicky than dry cooking, and evenness is better, since not only microwave energy but also steam is doing the cooking.

However, I think dry cooking (peeled) results in the best flavor.