Wrapping potatoes in foil does not decrease the cooking time of a baked potato . While wrapping in aluminum foil will help keep a potato warm after cooking — and this is one reason for the practice — cooking a potato in aluminum foil results in a potato with a dense interior and soggy skin that can be the breeding ground for bacteria.
Another thing we wanted the answer to was, is it OK to bake potatoes in foil?
Some sources claimed here’s Why Baked potatoes are not just an easy and quick weeknight meal when you’re short on time — they’re also packed full of fiber and rich nutrients like flavonoids, carotenoids and phenolic acid that serve as antioxidants.
One thought is that we think we must have done it out of habit, without knowing the reason. Not anymore… 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.
One way to think about this is Aluminum foil helps the skin on your potato stay nice and soft, and it is safe to use as long as you don’t allow your baked potato to cool down to a dangerous temperature while still in the foil after cooking. How long can you keep baked potatoes in foil?
Why do baked potatoes get soggy when cooked?
Cooking a potato wrapped in foil allows very little moisture to escape from the potato while it cooks . This results in a soft, wet, soggy skin and a dense interior that is much more similar to a boiled or steamed potato than a classic baked potato with a crisp skin and a light, fluffy interior.
Should you wrap potatoes in olive oil when cooking them?
Wrapping potatoes will also give you a softer, steamed skin, if that’s what you like. But we prefer our potato skin crispy and seasoned, so we rub our potatoes with olive oil and cover them with kosher salt before roasting them on a baking sheet (turning once or twice). They don’t seem to take a noticeably longer time to cook.
What happens if you cover potatoes when cooking?
In general, covering a casserole dish will cook the food faster . This is because the lid traps the heat that rises off the food instead of letting it dissipate into the oven. Covering also has the effect of moistening the food inside, like steaming, because any moisture that rises off the food is trapped by the lid. Can you over boil potatoes?