Killer French Fries!!!

[DougC]

- Let me begin by saying that I find skin-on french fries to be a revolting abomination, with no place in civilized man's fast food joints.
- Now, I once had a guy who worked for a food distributor tell me that skin-on french fries were just cheaper to make, because the producer didn't have to peel the potatoes (Yes, I know how they peel the potatoes but eating the skin is supposed to be not good for you, or does it matter? Does frying it make it safe, or not?
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Anyone responding to this thread within the next 23 hours 17 minutes is required by law to wish me a happy birthday. - MC

[bibliophage]

It is my understanding that the prohibition against eating the potato skins stems from the presence of a toxic chemical called solanine. But the skins themselves contain relatively little solanine. I wouldn't worry about it unless you're going to eat several pounds a day of potatoes. It is the eyes and any green patches that you have to worry about, because they contain much higher levels of solanine. Even then I wouldn't worry too much. Cecil says (http://www.straightdope.com/classics/a2_055b.html) Do you know how many green potato chips you'd have to eat to kill yourself? Fifty kajillion, that's how many. You could get killed if fifty kajillion potato chips fell on you. So let's not get too excited here.


Happy Birthday.

[Celyn]

I won't go for the scientific version, because it has already been addressed by Cecil and Bibliohage, but what kind of silly person are you? I mean, having evidence that potato chips come from potatoes, instead of from the evil scientific laboratory of McDonalds, strikes you as unhealthy and unpleasant? (Waaaah! and Eeeek!)

And do have a very happy birthday! (With cake, but without chips.)

P.S. You could possibly eat chocolate too. But only if your sensibilities permit.

[evilbeth]

Can I respond to this thread just to wish you a happy birthday?

Since this is GQ, probably not. So, I'll just say that green potato chips taste bad so don't eat them. Oh, and happy birthday!

[Fretful Porpentine]

Don't you know that all the vitamins are in the skin? Eat up.

[troub]

Originally posted by Fretful Porpentine
Don't you know that all the vitamins are in the skin? Eat up.

Yes, and I bet mom knew about these killer deadly poisons even as she was spooning them down our throats. Vitamins, indeed :).

Seriously, though, it's more a matter of personal taste and preference whether or not you want to eat the skin. Many people don't like it all, and I certainly wouldn't eat a potato skin all by itself, but I eat plenty of them as long as a piece of potato or french fry is attached. It only killed me once. <monty python>It got better.</monty python>

[jessicala]

Bah, the skin is the best part. At least on baked taters - I've cut back on my french fry consumption. But rub a little olive oil all over the potato before popping it into the oven to bake - mmmmMMMMMMmmmmmmm. The skin comes out nice and crispy.

Happy (belated?) birthday, by the way.