January 13 - Peeling Potatoes

When I told Lyle that this week I was going to write about peeling potatoes, he laughed.  “What can you say about that?” he wanted to know.

Personally, I think that it is kind of neat that someone with no sight can peel a potato just as well as someone who can see. Lyle was surprised at the concept, but I told him that I often peel the potatoes without trying to squint and see what I am doing.

This is how. When you hold an unpeeled potato in your hand, the skin is rough to the touch. When the skin is removed, the surface is smooth. You can even feel the little rough spots if you have missed something. I would encourage those of you who can see, to try this as an experiment. It works better if you use a potato peeler rather than a sharp knife.

I have found that the method works equally well with carrots and parsnips. Of course, you can always cheat and buy those nice little clean new potatoes that don’t need any peeling at all!