Killer French Fries!!!

Factual Questions
1
  • 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
2

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

Happy Birthday.

3

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.

4

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!

5

[mom]Don’t you know that all the vitamins are in the skin? Eat up.[/mom]

6

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>

7

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.