A self-proclaimed ‘frugal foodie’ has revealed the secret ingredient that will make for the crispiest, ‘perfect’ baked potatoes every time.
Former MasterChef Australia contestant Stephanie Joy de Sousa says adding baking soda to boiled potatoes before roasting is a “game changer.”
“One thing I’m not very good at is making roasted potatoes crispy and when I read this hack on how to make them super easy I had to give it a try,” Steph said in a video.
‘All I did was add a teaspoon of baking soda to my potatoes while I was boiling them… and I can confirm that it worked 100 percent.’
She simply added the baking soda to a pot of partially boiled potatoes, put the lid on and shook them vigorously before draining them.
“I don’t know the science behind it, but they came out really fluffy on the outside and then I added a little bit of olive oil and salt and put them in a really hot oven,” she said.
‘These are the best potatoes I have ever cooked.’
Potato fans who were fed up with soggy roasted potatoes couldn’t thank Steph enough for the ‘amazing’ roasting hack.
Despite appearing on Master Chef Australia, Steph de Sousa admitted she struggled to get her roast potatoes crispy before discovering baking soda did the trick.
She simply added the baking soda to a pot of partially boiled potatoes, put the lid on and shook them vigorously before draining them.
“I tried this tonight and it’s AMAZING. I will never try another method again, thank you!” said one.
“Oh my god, I’m going to try this right now,” added another.
Cooks who have been using the “old school” trick to achieve crispy baked potatoes agreed that baking soda made them “exceptional” every time.
One woman explained that baking soda created a larger surface area on the outside of the potato for the hot oil to adhere to, giving the outer layer more of a crispy texture.
Others suggested that boiling the potatoes the day before and leaving them in the refrigerator overnight would give similar, “incredibly crispy” results.
Fans couldn’t get enough of this simple kitchen hack, saying it yielded “amazing” results.
Another used semolina instead of baking soda for potatoes that were just as “elite.”
One home cook recommended adding a pinch of turmeric to potatoes before roasting to give them an attractive deep golden color.
But there is one cook who takes a more low-key approach to preparing the perfect baked potato.
Home chef Alex Hird said she places canned potatoes in an air fryer for 20 minutes to achieve the best batch of roasted potatoes ever made.
“OMG! Who knew canned potatoes could turn out so good? PS I finally got an air fryer and it changed my life!” she said in a now-viral video.
Fans couldn’t wait to try the simple and convenient method for making crispy potatoes without the hassle.
“I’m not usually a big fan of canned potatoes, but these look delicious!” one woman said.