Baking potatoes

What are you expecting?

Your attention to detail is quite anal....but you forgot to tell us what "variety" of potato you are using. That might be the key.

salt and buttermilk

What kind of potato? Salt?

Ewww-- margarine??? Try unsalted butter for more natural flavor.

-- Larry

They come in a bag marked "Idaho Baking Potatoes"

I use salt rarely

An e-mail suggested I use sour cream instead of margarine.

Dick

Salt, butter, sour cream.

And I'd reheat carefully under the broiler instead of microwaving.

gloria p

I wouldn't bake them by time; I'd stick a fork in 'em and see if they twitch.

Seriously, a moderate difference in moisture content could make a pretty large difference in time to "perfectly" done -- which, IMO, has been reached when the potato "fluffs" when you cut it open and squeeze it.

Isaac

Try using real garlic instead of garlic powder. That stuff is probably loaded with salt (lucky you rarely use salt!) and yet is likely to contain little if any garlic. The real stuff is so cheap and good.

I kind of like garlic powder in my baked potatoes, though I rarely use it for anything else. Garlic powder is just made of powdered garlic--it's garlic salt that's mainly salt.

Another thing I like in my potatoes is cottage cheese. My whole family actually prefers it to sour cream with our potatoes.

--Rebecca

Obviously, I can't speak for the garlic powder you find; but, around here, garlic powder does not contain ANY salt. It is simply powdered, dried garlic, with a small amount of anti-clumping agent added. Perhaps you were thinking of garlic salt, which is mostly salt.

Though I disagree about the sodium content of garlic powder, I whole-heartedly agree that fresh (real) garlic is much better for most uses. I do keep garlic powder on hand for occasional use; but, I almost always use fresh garlic. The rare occasions I use garlic powder, it is usually in cooked foods that just don't quite have enough garlic kick.

Hi Dick,

I rub a little butter on the washed and dried potatoes, season the skin lightly with fresh ground pepper and ground sea salt. Place in a similarly prepared oven.

I pierce my potatoes when they are about 50% done.

To me it produces a more flaky texture meat and a crispy skin.

David.

I know this is not what you asking, Dick, but have you ever just had a baked potato, with a little butter and salt and pepper? You probably have and don't prefer it, but you are asking for a way to improve your potato made with the condiments you have chosen in your stuffed potato.

Here is how I prefer to bake a large russet. Wash the potato, then instead of stabbing them with a knife to release the steam, or putting a potato nail in them to make them bake faster (or more even?), I actually make 3 complete slices in the potato so it will not be as moist, and it will be a little bit more fluffy. The difference is similar to mashed potatoes that are very wet, and mashed potatoes that are fluffy. You can tell that I don't care for 'stuffed potatoes' because they usually are too moist (don't care for wet mashed potatoes). Which do you like?

After they are cooked to doness, I take them out, slice them lenthwise, add a little butter for taste, salt & pepper. Um, Um, Good.

The potatoes are still really, really HOT!, so if you want to mix your condiments in them, do so at the table. It won't cool the potatoes off that much.

Potatoes are just as good (or better?) as a potassium replacement for people who take diuretics for high-blood pressure.

Dee Dee

Bake at 425 for 15 minutes, and then the rest of the time at 375.

Use sour cream AND butter.

Dick Adams wrote: