Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunter's Campfire Peeling Potatoes

While utilizing my potato peeler, I got to thinking about all of the pictures (as well as movie and cartoon depictions) of GIs peeling potatoes with paring knives, I got to wondering just what percentage of the potatoes peeled were wasted in the deep peeling that goes along with knives/large quantities/hurry.

Many of what were potatoes, looked like square golf balls

Depends upon the skill of the person doing the peeling.

the rest was turned into vodka

Why peel them? The best part is on the outside.

“Pvt Pyle, I think we finally found something that you do well.”

👏🏻

Precisely. Mashed, oven fries, baked etc, eat all of it!

I have wondered the same thing. Especially because potato-peeling was presented as punishment. No incentive to not be wasteful.

Remember the Mark Twain story?

Huck or Tom, don't remember which. I read it about 55 years ago.

The boy was trying to get a job on a river boat as cooks helper. So was another boy of about same age. The Captain gave each boy a bucket of potatoes, and an empty bucket for the finished product.

The second young man was quite cock sure and proud of his peeling job with each potato skin removed in one continuous piece.

Our hero was a bit intimidated, but continued to do his best as he skinned each spud.

When they were finished, the second boy had one bucket half full of white taters and another half full of peelings. Our young hero had a bucket almost full of edible product and a little bit of peelings in the second bucket.

The Captain came along and exclaimed about going broke with wasted food. The cocky young man was sent ashore and our hero started traveling the river.

That story always held a lot of significance to me.

Can't recall ever having to "hand peel" potatoes in U.S. Army Basic Training or AIT (mid-late '60s) -- Every mess hall I pulled KP duty in had at least 1 large commercial potato peeling machine that basically 'sanded' the peeling off via spinning against abrasive discs rather than cutting it off. Water ran through interior of machine while operating. What was left was a starch-like slurry residue instead of a pile of peelings. Potatoes were smooth and clean.

WTH do you peel potatoes?? Last time I peeled a potato was probably 20+ years ago... Mash 'em with the skins on.. You'll have better results - taste-wise...

Like fast food... the bag is healthier for you than what's inside.




GR

Off topic but the mrs bought a ribbon tater cutter that’s bad ass

Because, when potato's are exposed to sunlight they will form a green tint. Most times that is nothing more than Chlorophyll which is harmless, but it can also be the toxin Solanine which most times is found just under the skin or within the skin of the potato but can sometimes also be found with the body of the potato. It's a deadly toxin, one that can be fatal with as little as half a gram for a 200-pound man, and No, cooking doesn't get rid of it.

Phil

One kitchen had a machine peeler, we tried it once.

Don't recall peeling. I do remember a couple troops cracking 3 or 4 cases of eggs into a huge tub. Did my KP tour in the butcher shop. We were usually done for the day around 10:30 AM.

Or how sharp a knife they use.

Of course this is dependent upon the person sharpening the knife being one of those superior humans with whom the hoi-polloi have no business associating.

Oh yeah! I remember my first day in then Army in June 71. In formation DI asked for college graduates to step forward.
I was pushed forward from behind (I knew not to volunteer for anything). Four of us unlucky souls volunteered for KP. We had 100 pound sacks of Idaho russets to peel. I had my Case Trapper on me and used it for the task at hand. I carried the Case Trapper all thru Basic and AIT and the DIs knew. Drill Sargent Davidson found mine in the barbed wire live fire pit and returned it to me. We did have Hobert peeler with the abrasive tub but preferred college graduates. This was before Volunteer Army. My two brothers had gone thru this company before me with the same cadre of DIs. They were seasoned combat LURPS and real men. They made men of a lot of boys.