Potato skins, don't throw them away! Tricks and clever ideas to recycle them

Throw away the potato skins? If so, after reading this article and learning about all their benefits, you won't want to do it again.

©Anna Molcharenko/Shutterstock

Throw away the potato skins? If so, after reading this article and learning about all their benefits, you won't want to do it again.

Everyone likes potatoes, but can we say the same about their skins? Perhaps you have never considered them yet they have various benefits that unfortunately we do not exploit and without knowing it we throw them in the garbage depriving us of their multiple properties. Let's find out together and see how they can be reused. (READ also: 20 alternative uses of potatoes)

Index

The multiple benefits of potato peel

The peels of this tuber contain polysaccharides, also known as dietary fiber, are a rich source of potassium and, albeit in smaller quantities, contain vitamin C, vitamin B, thiamin, riboflavin, niacin and many other minerals such as calcium, magnesium, zinc and iron. Compared to the rest of the potato, the peel contains much more nutrients: 100 grams contains 7 times more calcium than the same amount in mashed potatoes.

Here are some of the benefits it brings to our health:

Good digestion

The peel of potatoes is made up of dietary fibers that help the gastrointestinal tract to perform its function in the best possible way. Dietary fibers help slow down the absorption of nutrients in the stomach, thus giving the feeling of satisfaction. In addition, by facilitating the movement of the intestine they relieve constipation, prevent the absorption of toxic material and bad cholesterol in the intestine and have a detoxifying effect on the body.

Improve circulation

Thanks to its antioxidant, healing and antibacterial properties, a potato peel tea will help improve circulation and reduce inflammation. After blanching your potatoes, never throw away the cooking water, but drink it hot or cold.

Helps wound healing

Potato peels contain antimicrobial and healing properties that aid in wound healing. Thanks to their excellent healing capacity, they prevent the growth of bacteria and fungi, thus avoiding the development of infections in the wound. It is no coincidence that the boiled peel is used as a bandage material for burns, having the ability to avoid the loss of superficial skin.

Helps prevent the risk of cardiovascular disease

The potassium contained in the peel of the potato reduces the risk of a possible heart attack, the dietary fibers prevent the absorption of bad cholesterol in the intestine. For this reason, the peel helps reduce blood cholesterol levels, avoiding the risk of cardiovascular disease.

Prevents aging

Potato peels can moisturize the skin and release antioxidants, thereby reducing the appearance of wrinkles while protecting against inflammation and skin infections.

Now that we know their benefits, let's see how we can reuse them on a daily basis.

How to reuse potato skins in the kitchen

Although most of the time potatoes are cooked without the skin, the peel is eaten too and is a great snack that you could pair with some toppings. But be careful, you must be sure that you have a fresh product, picked for a maximum of five months, in season, stored away from light sources, free from sprouts and from organic farming, otherwise it is better to peel them.

Old potatoes, sprouted or exposed to sunlight, have a higher concentration of solanine - an alkaloid useful to defend against insects and fungi which, taken in large quantities, is toxic to humans - compared to ripe and consumed potatoes. within five months of collection. Organic potatoes also have a quantity of solanine less than 30% compared to those grown with the conventional method.

After these tricks, here are some ideas to reduce waste and take advantage of the skins of this tuber:

"Fried" potato skins

This is a tasty snack that requires minimal effort, the result will be a tasty snack with a lighter consistency than the classic recipe which, even in the baked version, still manages to maintain the same toasted flavor as French fries.

ingredients:

Raw potato skins
extra virgin olive oil b.
Salt to taste
Pepper as needed

Preparation:

Wash well, cut the potato skins into medium pieces and place them in a baking dish.
Season the skins to your liking with salt and pepper (or with your favorite spices) and add a drizzle of oil.
Bake for about 8-10 minutes at 180 ° C until crisp.
Here are your potato skins, taste them hot with accompanying sauces.

Optional: Instead of the oven, you can fry them in plenty of oil.

Potato boats with pumpkin

This is another exquisite recipe that you should definitely try. Although it takes longer to make, it is always a simple recipe with which we use all the parts of the potato.

Ingredients for 4 people)

4 medium sized new potatoes
400 gr pumpkin
200 g cheese
Salt to taste
pepper as needed
extra virgin olive oil to taste
parmesan
spring onion (optional)

Preparation:

While preheating the oven to 180 °, wash the potatoes well and cut them horizontally without removing the skins in order to obtain boats.
Grease both sides of the boats with a drop of oil and place them face down on a baking sheet covered with parchment paper.
Continuing, cut the pumpkin into cubes and place them next to the potatoes, greasing them with a drop of oil.
With the oven preheated, put the vegetables in the oven and cook for about 8 - 10 minutes.
Then turn the potatoes and continue cooking for another 10 minutes until you get tender vegetables.
With the help of a spoon, empty the potatoes, being careful not to damage the skins.
In a separate bowl, with a fork, mash the "pulp" of the potato that you have just removed together with the pumpkin, season with salt and pepper and add the cheese.
Stuff the potato skins with the mixture you just prepared.
Reheat in the oven for another 5 minutes.
Pumpkin potato boats ready!

Potato croutons

To give more flavor and a crunchy touch to your soups or soups, you could try instead of the classic croutons, those made with potato skins. In addition to giving originality to your dishes, they will improve their nutritional content, you will not regret it!

ingredients:

Potato peels
extra virgin olive oil b.
Salt to taste

Preparation:

Wash and cut the potato skins into small pieces and place them in a baking dish.
Add salt and a drizzle of oil.
Bake for about 8-10 minutes at 180 ° C until crispy, being careful not to burn them.
After letting them cool, cut them into small pieces that you can sprinkle in your soup or velvety.
Savor your dish.

How to reuse potato peels for beauty

Goodbye bags under the eyes

You can use potato peels to get rid of swollen bags under the eyes. To do this, you have to put them in the freezer for about 15 minutes, then apply them on the bags on the cut side and keep them for at least 10 minutes, until they are heated in contact with the skin. The micronutrients contained in the peel together with the cold are excellent drains that will help you solve or reduce the problem.

Eliminate blemishes on the face

Potato peels can also be used to remove blemishes from the face. Blend the skins of 2 potatoes with a little white yogurt and a teaspoon of turmeric. When you have obtained a homogeneous mixture, apply it on your clean face and let it act for 20 minutes. After that, wash your face with warm water and moisturize it with your usual cream. You can repeat it as many times as you want.

Lighten the armpits with potato peel

To remove underarm stains, you can apply potato peel to the area you would like to lighten by letting it act for half an hour before taking a shower. Another very effective alternative is to use some of the water where you boiled the potatoes, mix it with lemon and baking soda - two natural whiteners - and apply the mixture to your armpits. For this last remedy, make sure you don't have any cuts or just shaved because the lemon could irritate your skin.

Darken white hair

This is a trick that has been used since ancient times to darken gray hair using the starch contained in potato peels. Just use the water in which you boiled the potatoes or - if you haven't done it - boil the skins for about 30 minutes over low heat. Then let it cool to room temperature, filter and use the liquid to rinse your hair after washing.

This remedy works especially with dark hair. The effectiveness of this treatment is due to the fact that the potato peel activates an enzyme in the hair which gradually darkens white hair. You can repeat this treatment as many times as you want without any problems, since it does not harm either the hair or the environment.

Regardless of whether or not you have white hair, this natural remedy is great for toning and fortifying your hair.

How to reuse potato peels to clean

We told you there are so many ways to use for potato skins. Even during house cleaning they prove to be an important ally. Thanks to their properties they can replace many of the chemicals normally used that are harmful to health and the environment. Let's see how we can use them:

Do-it-yourself ecological degreaser

Unlike the degreasers on the market, the use of potato peels helps to care for the environment and avoids the allergic reactions that usually cause chemicals. However, it must be considered that the shelf life of this natural product is short. Just put the potato water in a sprayer and use it to degrease the greasy areas of the kitchen. You will notice when you scrub that the dirt comes off more easily.

In case you have to clean difficult surfaces such as burnt or greasy pots, use the potato peel directly together with the coarse salt and rub in circular movements.

Brilliant cutlery

If you need to remove stains from cutlery, especially when they seem difficult to remove, just rub the peel of the potatoes and you will see that they will come out very easily, giving the cutlery a nice shine.

Potato peels in the garden

If you don't know what else to do with potato peels, you can separate them from the rest of the garbage and use them as compost for the garden, your plants will love them.

From cooking, to beauty treatments and home cleaning products, now that you know all their incredible benefits and different utilities, we ask ourselves: will you still want to throw away the potato skins?