From The Happy Housewife:
If you have 20 pounds of potatoes to wash for your Thanksgiving meal throw them in the top shelf of the dishwasher. Set on the quick rinse cycle and let your dishwasher clean the potatoes. Not something I would do every day, but definitely a space and time saver during the holidays.
Thanks to Habits for a Happy Home for the post link and picture!
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{ 74 comments... read them below or add one }
Okay, that picture makes me laugh! that’s a pretty smart move!
LOVE IT!! That is a great idea.
AWESOME!
Nice!!!!
this is a foodservice trick used in restaurants a lot! they run them through the dishwasher without soap.
I would be worried about leftover soap residue…but I am a bit cautious about these things! Anyone have thoughts on if it is really safe?
@becca, My only thought is there would be less soap residue on the potatoes running the dishwasher without soap, as there would be left on the dishes running them with soap.
@Susan, good answer! I had the same concern, but if I feel ok eating on the dishes washed with soap, I would be ok eating the potatoes washed without soap!
@Wendi Sisson, also note that dishwasher detergent isn’t really soap. The main “poisonous” thing about these detergents is that they’re strongly alkaline, but the residues aren’t harmful.
@becca, or the rinse aid
@becca, It doesn’t say to wash it with soap, just to put the rinse cycle on. I would assume you don’t use any soap
I know you would not add soap, or rinse aide, I just assume there is some soap residue in the dish washer from previous cycles, as there is in other appliances (laundery, ect.).
Thanks for the comments everyone! Still don’t know if I am brave enough to try it, but we shall see.
@becca, i agree, i think think there may be too much residue in the empty dishwasher. except the comment that we eat off the dishes makes me think about it.
I know you would not add soap, or rinse aide, I just assume there is soap residue in the dish washer from previous cycles, as there is in other appliances such as your washing machine.
Thanks for the comments everyone! Still do not know if I am brave enough to try it but it is a good thought!
@becca, Okay, here’s a stupid question. Does the rinse-aid come out when you are doing just a rinse cycle? Because I wouldn’t want rinse-aid on my potatoes either. I honestly don’t know if it does or not – I would think it wouldn’t because there’s no soap to rinse off if you’re doing a rinse-only cycle. But I’m cautious too and just wondered!
@becca, Never in a million years! That is so not something I would ever do to my family.
this is really funny!
What a great idea! I might try doing this with my ever-growing family.
This looks like a winner for summer canning projects too. Now I wonder when they’re going to come up a with a green bean washing accessory for the dishwasher….
@Teri Capshaw, how about putting them in a lingerie bag?
@Teri Capshaw,
What if you put the beans in zippered mesh laundry bags?
@Karen S. and @Diane,
Thanks for the great idea! I’ll have to try it. I have to do something with that lingerie bag anyway. (I bought it thinking I would carefully tuck each little baby sock inside before washing– yeah right!)
Too funny!
Wonder what other veggies can be washed in the dishwasher!?!?!?!?!?!?
I really did follow Happy Housewife’s tip and did it last year. We have a family of seven plus Grandma and Grandpa over for Thanksgiving. Worked like a charm – just on rinse. Love easy.
Thanks for featuring the Thanksgiving Tips I’m Thankful For link
Too funny!
I have to laugh at this. But then, my children are the ones washing produce in the bathroom sink to “help”!
Reminds me of a tip I saw for drying large amounts of lettuce, if doing a large salad. Place the lettuce in a clean pillow case, which has been turned inside out, to help avoid the lint which gets left in the inside corners of the case. Tie the end of the case, place it in the clothes dryer, and turn on the spin cycle.
I love this idea, but my potatoes always seem to have little nooks and crannies where dirt hides…
@JoAnne,
I think it would be worth trying, and then you would only have to concentrate on the little nooks if the jet sprayers missed them!
I saw a video recently in which a young man poached salmon in the top of the dishwasher, while it washing dishes.
I’ve washed my carrots (fresh out of the garden) in the dishwasher before! So easy to freeze right after they have been washed!
I love the picture. Looks like something I would try and my husband would end up having a fit cause I would break something or clog something. I am really good at breaking appliances using them for things they are not meant to be used for.
Bwahahaha! That’s awesome! I’m gonna do it!
Great tip! I think it would work well with Sweet Potatoes too!
@Angela,
I sure hope so. My one-year-old son has a bunch of allergies, so sweet potatoes are a major staple in his diet. Every few weeks, I cook up a bunch of them, mash them, freeze them in ice trays, and then store them in a ziploc (to make for easy serving sizes).
This will take a small chunk of time out of the process…and anything helps
Another way to spare space (in the oven) is to cook the potatoes in the crockpot.
Ditto on the crockpot! When potatoes are really cheap we have “Baked Potato Mondays” at the office. We line the bottoms of 2 crockpots with foil then fill ‘em with potatoes (washed & pricked) Turn on High at 8am, they are ready by Noon. Then get all your fixin’s on sale with coupons (sour cream, shredded cheese, bacon bits, etc.) and you have yourself an inexpensive and super-easy lunch.
you can wash your greens in the washing machine – just use cold water & don’t let it cycle through the whole cycle!
I love this idea! I need to bake 25 potatoes for a class project and this is going to save me so much time!
Ha! I just love that picture.
A little off-topic, but here’s a frugal tip for baked potatoes: DON’T wrap them in foil! They taste much better without foil!! But do use russets, which have the thicker skins and are better for baking.
Also saves you time and money not to wrap them. All you have to do is prick them a few times with a fork to prevent exploding.
I agree. Oven-baked potatoes without foil are so much better!
Use Kosher salt on the outside of them to get the crisp outer skin that you see at restaurants. It also flavors the potato wonderfully.
@Heather,
If you think the foil is leaving a taste try parchment paper. I coat my taters with oil and sprinkle with salt. It really does make a big difference.
@Kristine, No, I didn’t mean that I can taste the foil; just that the foil affects the texture of the finished potato. I think they must need to breathe while baking!
And it just drives me crazy to think of all the foil wasted wrapping pototoes.
I LOVE this! I shared it with my Facebook friends and will be sharing on my blog as well. Thanks for this great idea!
I NEVER even thought of that! Such a great idea! Thanks!!!
LOL I would have never thought of that! Great tip! Now to let me Rinse Aid container run dry before Thanksgiving…
@Christine Steendahl – “The Menu Mom”, You can contact the manufacturer of your dishwasher but I highly doubt that the *rinse* cycle uses any rinse aid. I believe the rinse aid is used only at the end of the wash cycle when the dishes have been cleaned thoroughly to (at least partly) aid in the drying cycle.
When I want to cook only a few potatoes, I use a microwave potatoe bag. It is fast and works great. The dishwasher idea is a hoot. I will try the crockpot idea also.
@mindy, here is a link to make the tater baker bag. I have made this and it is very easy. Just make sure you follow her instructions on which products to use. It’s very important. enjoy
http://www.atimetostitch.com/freebies.htm
Hmmm, what if *you* are the dishwasher? Hmm…contemplating trying the washing machine on the rinse cycle.
@Charity,
DON”T!!! Someone I know tried this once and it killed the machine!
@Kristine, Someone actually tried it?? Gracious! I don’t think I would do it especially since I don’t have a need to wash a ton of potatoes, but it would be funny to see the look on my husband’s face as I’m scooping potatoes out of the washing machine
My mon always used the washing machine to wash pickles prior to canning-it worked great! No problems with the machine after either.
If you are tight on time/space for Thanksgiving you could also wash them a few days before your gathering. They last just fine.
Great Idea!!! I would have never thought of this!
But wait, is this article saying that if you just throw them in the sink and spray them – that’s not getting the dirt off? It’s a great idea, but I’m just thinking about the time it’ll take to do the rinse cycle in the dishwasher.
I’m not a big fan of this…I don’t use dishwasher detergent with chlorine or phosphates, but those can be really bad for you over time and I would think porous potatoes would absorb the chemical residue from inside the dishwasher. I’m all for saving time any day, but I’m voting no on this one ; )
@Kelly,
I second your comment Kelly, plates and flatware are not porous, but potatoes and other food items would absorb chemicals.
I would be concerned about detergent residue, especially with a porous food like potato and in light of this NT Times article about how many of us use way too much detergent, which leaves considerable residue in the dishwasher: http://www.nytimes.com/2010/03/13/your-money/13shortcuts.html
@Kelly,
As of Summer 2010, manufacturers are no longer allowed to include chlorine and phosphates in their products. I don’t know how many may still be on the shelf, but before long there will not be any detergents that include them.
This is absolutely brilliant!
Don’t you still have to peel them all (for mashed potatoes)? How much time is that really saving? I usually have to rinse my potatoes after I peel them anyway.
@Melissa N,
I just leave the skin on my potatoes, even when I’m going to mash them. My kids don’t care, even my picky ones. A little sour cream, milk, butter, garlic salt and pepper is what I add…just because that’s the way we like them.
Just watch out if they are really dirty, it could clog your dishwasher….we get potatoes dug from the ground and are a bit more dirty than store ones.
I would be concerned about detergent residue, especially with a porous food like potato and in light of a recent NT Times article about how many of us use way too much detergent, which leaves considerable residue in the dishwasher.
I tried that once with carrots and had dirt and grit in my dishwasher for quite some time afterward, it was really hard to get out. I wouldn’t try it again.
Not such a good idea if you are watching your energy bill! Time and sink space maybe. Good thought, but check your DW to see if it’s a “quick rinse” (under 3 minutes) with Energy Star first!
What a great idea. Thank you so much for the tip!
My husband is going to think I am crazy when he sees me loading the dishwasher with potatoes instead of dishes. =)
LOVE this idea!
That is great idea, love it!
-Dawn
Just Married with Coupons
Hmm, well this would maybe work okay if it was done in one of the latest dishwashers that use the all-in-one tabs. However, if your machine has a rinse-aid dispenser, or a salt reservoir, it would be best to ensure these are both completely empty!
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