Do You Have to Cook Canned Potatoes?

From mashed potatoes to scalloped spuds, we love potatoes in all of their forms, and that includes canned potatoes. As convenient as these canned tubers are, if you’ve never used them before, you may wonder if they’re ready-to-eat goods or if they need to be cooked before consumption.

Why Cook Canned Potatoes? The short answer is that yes, canned potatoes should be cooked before you eat them. Canned potatoes are only partially cooked before the canning process, and it’s important to fully cook potatoes, canned or otherwise, before consumption to prevent digestive irritation. According to Healthline, eating raw potatoes won’t give you food poisoning, per se, but some of the proteins and chemical compounds in raw spuds, such as lectin and resistant starch, can inhibit the digestive process.

Enhancing Flavor and Texture Cooking canned potatoes also enhances their flavor and texture. Roasting, baking, sautéing, or boiling them can add a desirable crispiness, softness, or a browned exterior that improves the overall taste of the spuds.

• Getting Ready

Canned potatoes come in small sizes, making them ideal for dishes that require smaller spuds. They work wonderfully in stews or as delightful side dishes.

• How to Cook

When it comes to cooking canned potatoes, you’ve got choices! You can grill, sauté, or roast them to mix up the flavors and textures. And if you’re in the mood for mashed potatoes, go ahead and mash them up! Just remember, starchy potatoes are the best pick for that creamy mash we all love.

• Things to Keep in Mind

Canned potatoes might not work well for some recipes like scalloped potatoes. You can decide whether to peel them or not based on what you’re making.

• Before using canned potatoes, check if the can is damaged. If it is, don’t use it because bacteria might have gotten in.

• If you’re worried about the salt or other stuff in canned potatoes, rinse them with cold water before using.

• If you have leftovers, keep them in the fridge and use them within a few days. And don’t use canned potatoes if they smell bad or have mold on them.