Is It Safe To Boil Potatoes Covered With Aluminum Foil? (2024)

FAQs

Is It Safe To Boil Potatoes Covered With Aluminum Foil? ›

A: Of course, this would be considered safe, the underlying question is, why? Boiling potatoes with or without skin, whole or cut up will boil and cook well. Wrapped in foil and boiling would be uncommon.

NEVER BAKE POTATOES IN FOIL.

Foil wraps will not decrease baking time, but will result in a soggy potato interior with wet skin. Wrapping a baked potato in foil after it has been baked will allow you to hold up to 45 minutes, but the best method for holding a baked potato is in a bread warming drawer.

It does an excellent job of blocking light, air, and any harmful microbes that could lead to spoilage. Research conducted by the International Aluminum Institute shows that only minimal amounts of aluminum transfer from cookware and foil into food, making it safe for cooking and food storage.

In a large pot, add potatoes, 1 tablespoon salt, and cold water to cover by 1 inch. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to medium, and cook uncovered until potatoes are tender and can easily be pierced by a knife, about 10 to 15 minutes (20 to 25 minutes for larger potatoes).

The most important part here is that you use cold water instead of boiled – if you boil the water first, the outside will cook faster than the inside resulting in an uneven texture. Cubed spuds will take around 15 minutes where larger chunks or whole new potatoes will be 20-25 minutes.

Some say wrapping baked potatoes in aluminum foil helps them cook faster (aluminum conducts heat, then traps it), and it does keep them hot for longer once they come out of the oven, which is why we think restaurants use this method. Wrapping potatoes will also give you a softer, steamed skin, if that's what you like.

One of the other reasons why we shouldn't store leftover food in aluminium foil is that it doesn't do a good enough job to keep oxygen from getting into the food. This allows bacteria to grow inside the food, which may spoil the food the next day and it'll go bad just as quickly as if you hadn't wrapped it up at all.

Leaching of Aluminum: One significant concern when using aluminum foil for cooking is the potential leaching of aluminum into food, particularly when using it with acidic or high-temperature foods.

According to the Idaho Potato Commission, aluminum or metal pans can react with cut potatoes, causing them to brown too quickly. While this isn't always the case, glass baking dishes and mixing bowls are a safer choice.

When it comes to aluminum foil, small amounts of aluminum leach into food that's cooked using aluminum foil or aluminum cookware. Thankfully, the body has numerous mechanisms in place to help rid the body of excess amounts of this metal.

What are signs of aluminum toxicity? ›

The signs and symptoms of aluminum toxicity are usually nonspecific. Typical presentations in chronic toxicity may include proximal muscle weakness, bone pain, multiple nonhealing fractures, acute or subacute alteration in mental status, and premature osteoporosis.

The Takeaway

Foil has a shiny side and a dull side because of how it is manufactured. Unless you are using foil that's labeled non-stick, which does have a non-stick side, it does not matter what side you use. Both the shiny and dull sides can be used the same way to cook, freeze, and store food.

For most potato dishes it's important to add the potatoes to cold water and allow the water to come to a boil with the potatoes in the water. The potato starch can react as soon as it comes in contact with hot water, which will promote uneven cooking and mealy potatoes.

Dense potatoes don't absorb seasonings easily, so you'll need to salt the water liberally so that the water the potatoes do drink up also carries in seasoning. And because potatoes are so timid in flavor, they need that salt to bring them out of their shells. Pour some salt in, then keep going.

In general small or cubed potatoes will take about 10 to 15 minutes to boil, while larger, whole potatoes will take between 20 to 25 minutes. To check potatoes for doneness, insert a knife into one.

Probably not worth worrying about. If you cover food or wrap food that is non-acidic in aluminum foil, it's just not an issue, ever. If you cook food in aluminum foil occasionally, it's just not an issue.

Sure, it's true: If you run out of parchment paper, you can use non-stick foil in the oven.

In short, science says it makes no difference at all, and there is no correct or incorrect way to use aluminium foil, as confirmed by Robert L. Wolke in What Einstein Told His Cook and America's Test Kitchen. You can place either side in either direction whether cooking or freezing food with aluminium foil.

Cut into Smaller Pieces

Cut the potatoes into quarters or cubes to speed up cooking time. Leave small new potatoes whole, halving larger ones. No matter the size you cut the potatoes, keep pieces similar in size so they finish cooking at the same time.