Follow This Tip for an End to Gray Potatoes (2024)

Cold Water and Vitamin C Prevent Discoloring in Potatoes

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Barbara Rolek

Barbara Rolek is a former chef who became a cooking school instructor and award-winning food writer.

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Updated on 08/18/19

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Follow This Tip for an End to Gray Potatoes (1)

After peeled or grated potatoes are exposed to air they will begin to turn gray or brown. This appearance can be off-putting, but the good news is that the quality of the potato isn't compromised. This is a harmless natural reaction and it is perfectly fine to cook and eat potatoes even if they have turned gray. But there are also kitchen tricks you can use to prevent this discoloration.

Why Potatoes Turn Gray

Potatoes, along with apples, pears, bananas, and peaches, contain an enzyme that, when exposed to oxygen, reacts to produce discoloration on the surface of the potato or fruit. Potato skins and fruit peels are the natural ways oxygen is blocked from reaching this enzyme. Once they are removed, oxidation begins. To prevent this reaction, the enzyme must be deactivated by cold, heat, or acid, or you must provide a barrier to keep oxygen out.

Keeping Peeled and Grated Potatoes From Turning Gray

There are several ways to prevent peeled potatoes from turning brown. All of them work by doing one or more of the following:

  • Cooling the temperature of the potato
  • Reducing the acidity (lower the pH) in the potatoes
  • Limiting the amount of air reaching the potatoes

Tricks to Prevent Potatoes From Turning Gray When You Peel or Grate Them:

  • To keep peeled whole or cut potatoes white, cover them with cold water until you are ready to use them. If you are going to boil them, you can simply do so once you're done getting them ready. For other uses, drain the potatoes and pat them dry before cooking them. This trick even works overnight, as long as they are refrigerated. This works not only by keeping the potato cold but also by preventing air from reaching it.
  • When grating potatoes for recipes like potato pancakes, potato pie,and potato kugels, mix in a little ascorbic acid, which is nothing more than vitamin C powder. A pinch of a crushed vitamin C tablet in a little water works just fine even after the potatoes have already turned gray. The acid magically whitens them again by changing the pH, which is a measure of acidity. True to its name, ascorbic acid is acidic. Besides vitamin C, you could use vinegar or lemon juice, both of which are acidic enough to do the trick.
  • Combine both these methods by soaking the potatoes in a bowl of cold water mixed with vinegar or lemon juice.
  • Vacuum pack the peeled or grated potatoes to prevent air from causing the discolorization.

Polish Gray Dumplings

Sometimes, gray potatoes are a good thing. In Poland, kluski czarne (black dumplings), also known as kluski żelazne (iron dumplings) or kluski szare (gray dumplings), are a variation on kluski śląskie (Polish potato dumplings).

In addition to mashed potatoes and flour, grated potatoes that are intentionally allowed to oxidize or turned dark are added to the dough to give it a gray color. Although kluski were onceconsidered peasant food, today they appear at gourmet restaurants in Europe as a side dish instead of potatoes.

Follow This Tip for an End to Gray Potatoes (2024)

FAQs

How to stop potatoes from going grey after cooking? ›

A small amount of white wine vinegar of lemon will do the trick. Then drain and place the potatoes in foil along with your spices and some olive oil or vegetable oil.

How do you keep potatoes from turning gray in the fridge? ›

Soak them in water

Store the water-covered potatoes in a bowl in the refrigerator until you're ready to use them, up to one day in advance. For a little extra insurance, add something acidic to the water, such as a splash of vinegar or fresh lemon juice. This will help slow the oxidation process even more.

Can you peel potatoes and leave them in water overnight? ›

A: You can store peeled potatoes in water in the refrigerator for about 24 hours. Peeled potatoes left out by themselves at room temperature, on a refrigerator shelf or wrapped in foil or plastic wrap will still get dark overnight, so submerge them in a bowl of water, cover and refrigerate.

Are GREY potatoes OK to eat? ›

After peeled or grated potatoes are exposed to air they will begin to turn gray or brown. This appearance can be off-putting, but the good news is that the quality of the potato isn't compromised. This is a harmless natural reaction and it is perfectly fine to cook and eat potatoes even if they have turned gray.

Can you store potatoes in a paper bag? ›

A basket, bowl, or paper bag is better than a plastic bag. A paper bag, basket, or large bowl are ideal for storing a pile of potatoes since they allow for plenty of air circulation. If you carried potatoes home from the store in a plastic bag, it's best to remove them for longer-term storage.

How to stop potatoes from going black after cooking? ›

Luckily, this doesn't require an elaborate science experiment—adding some acid, like lemon juice, white distilled vinegar, or citric acid, to your bowl of submerged taters will suffice. I've found that adding one tablespoon of lemon juice (or the entire half of a lemon) per half gallon of water does the trick.

Is it OK to peel and cut potatoes ahead of time? ›

If you're here, you'll probably be glad to know that yes, you can peel and cut potatoes the day before you plan to serve them — and that it's super easy! All you have to do is submerge the bare potato pieces in water and refrigerate (more on that later).

How long before cut potatoes turn brown without water? ›

The moment you peel or cut them, within a few minutes they start changing colour and turn either grey or brown.

Should you put salt in water when soaking potatoes? ›

Covering in water helps the potato from turning a dark color. Adding salt to the water to form a brine mixture may seem helpful and can impart a flavor to the potato strips, however, salt is a major contributor to the fry oil breaking down prematurely, so I don't recommend it.

Why put potatoes in water before cooking? ›

Soaking potatoes in water helps remove excess starch. Excess starch can inhibit the potatoes from cooking evenly as well as creating a gummy or sticky texture on the outside of your potatoes. Cold water is used because hot water would react with the starch activating it, making it harder to separate from the potatoes.

Can you freeze raw potatoes? ›

You absolutely can freeze potatoes, and you should if you have an excess of spuds. But there's one important thing to remember: You should really only freeze cooked or partially cooked potatoes, as raw potatoes contain a lot of water. This water freezes and, when thawed, makes the potatoes mushy and grainy.

How to stop pre-cooked potatoes from going black? ›

After boiling potatoes, how can I keep them from turning brown overnight so I can make potato salad the next day? A: Place the potatoes in water to cover and add some acidity like a teaspoon of concentrated lemon juice or white wine vinegar to keep from browning.

How to fix oxidized potatoes? ›

Browning of the potato is caused by oxidation, and cannot be undone, much like with cut apples. To prevent your potatoes from browning when cut, you can submerge them in water, or use a chemical such as lemon juice to prevent oxidation.

Why did my potato bake turn grey? ›

It's starch - this has always happened with certain types of potato but does with other food too ie apple, avocado. Theyre fine to eat!!

What causes potatoes to turn dark after cooking? ›

Potatoes may turn a darker or black color after cooking. This will happen if the potatoes are old or have been in a cold environment, such as from exposure to frost or being in a refrigerator.

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