Around the globe, potatoes are used in a variety of recipes. When preparing potatoes for baking, boiling, frying, or roasting, it’s common to wash, peel, and soak them. Even while it’s normal practice to soak potatoes, particularly to get rid of extra starch or to get them ready for cooking, it begs the question: Do raw potatoes lose nutrients when soaked?
In this article, you’ll learn what happens to the nutritional content of potatoes when they are soaked. You’ll also discover if it’s a habit that’s helping or harming your health.
Why People Soak Potatoes
Before diving into science, it helps to understand the reasons why soaking is a common culinary technique. Most recipes include instructions to soak potatoes.
- Remove excessive starch from potatoes: This will make them crispier when fried or roasted.
- In order to slow down the oxidation of cut potatoes, you can submerge them in water.
- How to prepare ahead: Soaking the potatoes will prevent them from drying while you wait for them to be cooked.
Soaking doesn’t have to be bad. Afterall, it is a way of cleaning and prepping. The nutritional benefits of prolonged soaking are not always worth it.
If You Soak Raw Potatoes, Do They Lose Nutrients?
Raw potatoes can lose some of their nutrients when soaked. These include water-soluble vitamins. The nutrients most vulnerable include:
1. Vitamin C
The vitamin C found in potatoes is a great source, but the vitamin is water soluble and sensitive to heat, light, and air. When potatoes are soaked in warm water or at room temperature, vitamin C will leach. If you soak potatoes overnight or for longer than 24 hours, their vitamin content will likely be reduced significantly.
2. B Vitamins
B-complex vitamins such as B6 (and folate) are also water-soluble. Potatoes are not the best source of B vitamins, but they do contribute to daily consumption. These vitamins can leach into the water while soaking. They are then lost when the water is discarded.
3. Minerals
Magnesium or potassium, both naturally occurring in potatoes, may also leach. If you have a diet that is potassium restricted, this could be useful. Potassium is an essential nutrient that is important for the heart and muscles of most people.
How Long Can You Go On?
The time spent soaking can significantly impact nutrient loss. Soaking in cold, fresh water for 15-30 minutes is usually safe and will result in minimal nutrient loss. However, soaking for several hours–or worse, overnight–especially in warm water, increases the leaching of nutrients substantially.
If you want to soak potatoes quickly (e.g., for a dinner that can be prepared in advance), keep them refrigerated and make sure they are submerged under cold water.
Can Cutting Make A Significant Difference?
Yes. The more surface area that is exposed to the water, the more nutrients will be lost. Slice or dice the potatoes before soaking to reduce nutrient loss. Because their skins act like a barrier, a whole, unpeeled potato retains more nutrients than peeled and cubed potatoes.
If you want to preserve the nutrients in your potatoes, do not cut them into small pieces and try to leave their skin on.
Is Soaking Beneficial?
Although soaking reduces nutrients, the idea isn’t completely bad–especially if you take into account cooking methods and your recipe goals.
- Improved texture in roasting, frying, or baking: The soaking process removes the starch on the potatoes’ surface that can make them stick or gummy.
- Cleaner process of cooking: Using a soaking solution can remove some dirt or pesticides from the pan if it has not been washed thoroughly.
- Reduced production of acrylamide: Acrylamide (a potentially hazardous chemical) can form when starchy potatoes are cooked on high heat. The formation of acrylamide can be decreased by soaking the potatoes for between 15 and 30 minutes.
Final Thoughts
Do raw potatoes lose nutrients when they are soaked? The answer is “yes,” especially vitamin C, B vitamins that are water-soluble. Even so, potatoes won’t lose all their nutrients by soaking in cool water for short periods of time. It is prolonged exposure, hot water temperatures, and over-cutting that cause nutrient loss.
If you are interested in potatoes’ health benefits, choosing the right cooking method and soaking them well will allow you to retain their most valuable nutrients. You can still enjoy potatoes as part of your balanced and nutritious diet, even though some nutrients may be lost.