Idle question. I’ve always heard that you need to prick the skins before baking a potato. The potential consequence for failure to do so is a catastrophic potato explosion.
Has anyone had this happen to them?
a catastrophic potato explosion
…or a bombe de terre, if you will.
French speaker here: what makes it funny for me is it kind of sounds like someone trying to say “pomme de terre” with a stuffy nose
That’s what they we’re going for, yea
slow clap
What’s “taters”, precious?
Yep
No pan or tray? Straight on the rack huh?
Yep! One of the worst burns I’ve ever gotten too. The potato sticks to you like glue and doesn’t come off right away.
Really sucks.
Despite microwaving potatoes frequently, (1-10/wk, don’t judge me) for many years (often questionably, typically without pricking) I have yet to have one explode. One would assume microwave explosions would be more common.
Perhaps luck, perhaps potato type/size (I like Yukon gold and reds, which are thin skin, small, and relatively soft) but it’s just me so I don’t usually buy large/baking potatoes, and maybe those are more prone to bursting?
I put them in a lidded microwave safe container, bit of water in the bottom, microwave for 10-15 minutes. Never a burst in… almost 20 years?
Not judging, but that’s a lot of potatoes.
Avg of 5/wk, 260/y, 5200 over the 20years.
Did you celebrate the 5000th?
In the oven, really hot and it blew open and “baked” all over the inside. Hell to clean up. I was sure I poked it, but… couldn’t remember.
Now I go all serial killer on them before baking.Now that’s the exciting outcome from my worst fears.
I used to work in a bar that made baked potatoes all the time
It was a fast way to sober up a bit when one would pop in the oven
When I was a kid my mom was baking potatoes one time and realized partway through that she forgot to stab them before putting them in the oven. She quickly opened the oven and slid the rack out and stabbed one with a fork. Unfortunately it was too late. I was standing right next to the oven and potato exploded all over my mom and I as soon as the fork touched it.
That’s the sort of horror story that’s going to keep me stabbing my potatoes.
Potatoes have exploded in my family’s microwave numerous times.
Yes. It blew up real good.
Yes.
I stab deep with a fork; twice on the ends, twice on the sides (six total). I’m paranoid but it works.
No but had eggplants explode, and instantly sear onto the entire inside of the oven. Even kicked the door open a little.
I would fear an eggplant more than a potato. Higher moisture and tougher skin. Not going to take any chances.
Been practicing cooking for pretty much thirty years. Many many baked potatoes, never had one explode.
Same here! Last night I was stabbing a couple out of habit and felt like the question needed to be asked.
Never stabbed one potato in all that time.
…Perhaps they don’t explode in Australia? Or it could be a microwave thing. I don’t have a microwave.
Yes. And in a very traditional oven too.
Never
