Should Baked Potatoes Be Wrapped In Aluminum Foil Or Not?

People are always looking for shortcuts and hacks in the kitchen. If you make baked potatoes as a side dish or main meal, loaded up with various toppings, you've probably experimented with how you can reduce the baking time. Some people wrap them in aluminum foil thinking they bake faster. Not only does it take the same amount of time to bake, you could unknowingly create a food safety risk. "Potatoes can potentially be one of the most hazardous foods that you can serve," says Stephen Chavez, chef-instructor of Plant-Based Culinary Arts at the Institute of Culinary Education’s Los Angeles campus. "People are always afraid of the mayo in a picnic potato salad, but surprisingly, the cooked potatoes have as much, if not more potential to become hazardous, than the mayo does!"

Meet The Experts

• Kimberly Baker, PhD, RD, LD, a food systems and safety program team director at Clemson University.

• Stephen Chavez, chef-instructor of Plant-Based Culinary Arts at the Institute of Culinary Education’s Los Angeles campus.

What Happens When You Cook Potatoes In Foil?

A potato covered in foil retains moisture so you end up steaming the potato instead of baking it.

"Baking a potato wrapped in foil in a traditional oven will cook the potato," says Chavez, "but the foil will hold in all of the moisture which will cause the interior of the potato to be more wet than fluffy, and the skin of the potato will be soft, rather than crispy." The moisture can create a perfect haven, if bacteria is present, to reproduce when the baked potato cools down while wrapped in foil and hits a temperature of 135 F to 41 F. This temperature range is considered the danger zone.

He recommends placing a potato directly in the oven without any coverings.

When Should You Wrap in Foil?

There are some exceptions when wrapping a potato in foil makes sense. Barbecuing and having a hot grill or spending time around a campfire? Then, wrap the potatoes in foil to protect them from the coals.

"The only benefit to baking a potato wrapped in foil is that you can bake it in places other than a traditional oven, for example on a grill or the coals of a campfire," says Chavez.  If you wrap potatoes in foil, he says, "Potatoes should never be stored wrapped and warm for any more than about two hours."

Related: 62 Grilling Recipes For An All-Star Barbecue

Safely Bake A Potato In Foil

If you're set on your baked potato method, then make sure you immediately take off the foil after you pull them from the oven to reduce any chances of bacteria growing.

Wondering what a piping hot baked potato and bacteria have to do with each other? Potatoes wrapped in foil don't have much oxygen, creating an ideal environment for botulism. "Botulism is caused by a bacteria called Clostridium Botulinum that is found naturally in the environment, particularly in the soil," says Kimberly Baker, PhD, RD, LD, a food systems and safety program team director at Clemson University.

The bacteria doesn't disappear with heat, instead, it will wait until the right conditions present itself. "When the bacteria does not have what it needs to live, it will encapsulate itself creating a spore until the conditions change to where it can grow again."

Although botulism is rare, it does occur so it's important to know the correlation between potatoes and botulism spores.

How Potatoes Can Have Spores?

Potatoes are a root vegetable and grow underground. This bacteria is often present in the form of spores in the soil. "A potato grows in the ground making it very common to have these spores present on the skin of the potato," says Baker. Soil has the ideal conditions for this bacteria to live. "Clostridium Botulinum thrives best in environments that are warm, moist and low in oxygen," says Baker. When there's minimal to no oxygen, the spores can flourish.

Why You Should Wash Your Potatoes

If you're thinking that the heat is going to eliminate any harmful bacteria and you can skip washing your produce, think again. Washing a potato before cooking is one way to minimize any risks. "If the potato is not thoroughly washed with cool running water to physically remove the spores and then the potato is cooked in foil," explains Baker, "the spore is then subjected to the ideal environment (warm, moist and low oxygen) and the spores will begin to actively grow when it begins to cool down."

How Long Can Cooked Potato Stay In Foil?

Baked potatoes wrapped in foil should be eaten as soon as possible. Once you pull them out of the oven, you'll want to dig in. "To avoid the risk of botulism, potatoes that are baked in foil should be removed from the oven and consumed immediately," says Baker.

You want to make sure the potatoes or any food, stay out of the Temperature Danger Zone (41-135F). According to Chavez, "Controlling time and temperature abuse is the number one thing that people can do to avoid food borne illness."

If you cook the potatoes in advance or plan to eat them several hours later, then keep them in the oven and ensure the temperature is maintained at a food safe level. Baker says you can keep them in "an oven set above 140 degrees F to keep them hot until serving."

How To Store Potatoes In The Fridge

Not planning to eat them right away? Make sure to place the cooked potatoes in the fridge sans foil. "If they are not kept at 140 degrees F before serving, then they should be immediately refrigerated," says Baker. A baked potato kept in foil, even in the fridge, can still retain plenty of heat and may have an unsafe internal temperature. "It is always best to cool foods as rapidly as possible in order to get them out of the temperature Danger Zone," says Chavez.

Can You Tell If a Potato Is Not Safe To Eat?

The problem with some bacteria is there is no way to detect it or see it. "There are no signs when Clostridium botulinum is growing on food," explains Baker. "It cannot be seen and does not have a taste or odor." This makes it difficult to know if a potato that has been left out for more than two hours or was in the temperature Danger Zone contains this bacteria.

When food safety rules haven't been adhered to, it's best to assume that it's not safe to eat. Botulism is rare but does happen. Take the advice of a food safety expert: "When in doubt, do not eat the potato and throw it out," says Baker. "If a person consumes the baked potato that is contaminated with Clostridium Botulinum they may contract Botulism, which is deadly," explains Baker. 

Related: 25 Potato Casseroles To Warm Up The Dinner Table

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