# Peeling potatoes in the army **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Tags:** food-cooking\ **Created:** [November 1, 2022, 4:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/peeling-potatoes-in-the-army/974155 "2022-11-01T16:19:04Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![scudsucker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/scudsucker/32/14101_2.png) [@scudsucker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/scudsucker)\ **Post date:** [November 1, 2022, 4:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/peeling-potatoes-in-the-army/974155/1 "2022-11-01T16:19:04Z")
I am watching a new Netflix movie based on the wonderful novel “All Quiet on the Western Front” by Erich Maria Remarque. At one point the recruits are talking shit, peeling potatoes. It struck me this is something of an army-movie trope, I have seen it in comics, in movies etc. But my understanding is that the [best way](https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/foods/potatoes#nutrition) to prepare potatoes is with the skin on. Where does this army trope originate? Minor punishment for miscreants? A decision to limit nutrients by removing the skins? I personally never remove the skin, even for mash, but that is because I am lazy. ---
**Author:** ![Velocity](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/velocity/32/18006_2.png) [@Velocity](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Velocity)\ **Post date:** [November 1, 2022, 4:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/peeling-potatoes-in-the-army/974155/2 "2022-11-01T16:23:27Z")
I don’t know about the trope, but Alfred Wight (James Herriot) wrote that he, too, peeled a lot of potatoes while in the Royal Air Force, so it was a real thing. ---
**Author:** ![kenobi\_65](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kenobi_65/32/13178_2.png) [@kenobi\_65](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kenobi_65)\ **Post date:** [November 1, 2022, 4:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/peeling-potatoes-in-the-army/974155/3 "2022-11-01T16:24:39Z")
> [@scudsucker](#): > > But my understanding is that the [best way](https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/foods/potatoes#nutrition) to prepare potatoes is with the skin on. > > Where does this army trope originate? Minor punishment for miscreants? A decision to limit nutrients by removing the skins? > > I personally never remove the skin, even for mash, but that is because I am lazy. My WAG would be that, if said activity actually occurred, it was in preparation for mashing the potatoes, rather than baking them. ---
**Author:** ![scudsucker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/scudsucker/32/14101_2.png) [@scudsucker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/scudsucker)\ **Post date:** [November 1, 2022, 4:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/peeling-potatoes-in-the-army/974155/4 "2022-11-01T16:26:47Z")
WHAT??? I mean this is off topic but James Herriot is not actually named James Herriot kind of changes a few long-held childhood beliefs. ---
**Author:** ![Chefguy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chefguy/32/138_2.png) [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)\ **Post date:** [November 1, 2022, 4:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/peeling-potatoes-in-the-army/974155/5 "2022-11-01T16:27:25Z")
In Navy boot camp, there is a service week (or used to be) where your company has to go work at the mess hall. This involves all manner of chores, including working in the kitchen. Seems to me that mashed potatoes were of the instant sort, and I don’t recall anyone having to peel raw spuds. My brother remembered having to do that chore, however, when he was in the Army in the 50s. ---
**Author:** ![kenobi\_65](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kenobi_65/32/13178_2.png) [@kenobi\_65](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kenobi_65)\ **Post date:** [November 1, 2022, 4:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/peeling-potatoes-in-the-army/974155/6 "2022-11-01T16:29:23Z")
> [@Chefguy](#): > > Seems to me that mashed potatoes were of the instant sort, and I don’t recall anyone having to peel raw spuds. My brother remembered having to do that chore, however, when he was in the Army in the 50s. That makes some sense, since it appears that instant mashed potatoes really weren’t a thing until the 1950s and 1960s. > **[Instant mashed potatoes](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Instant_mashed_potatoes)** > > Instant mashed potatoes are potatoes that have been through an industrial process of cooking, mashing and dehydrating to yield a packaged convenience food that can be reconstituted by adding hot water or milk, producing an approximation of mashed potatoes. They are available in many different flavors. > Mashed potatoes can be reconstituted from potato flour, but the process is made more difficult by lumping; a key characteristic of instant mashed potatoes is that it is in the form of flakes or gra... ---
**Author:** ![Velocity](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/velocity/32/18006_2.png) [@Velocity](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Velocity)\ **Post date:** [November 1, 2022, 4:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/peeling-potatoes-in-the-army/974155/7 "2022-11-01T16:33:17Z")
I know, I was shocked too. ---
**Author:** ![scudsucker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/scudsucker/32/14101_2.png) [@scudsucker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/scudsucker)\ **Post date:** [November 1, 2022, 4:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/peeling-potatoes-in-the-army/974155/8 "2022-11-01T16:34:49Z")
Why peel them at all, though? There is a local bar that sells deep-fried potato peels, which at the premium they charge probably covers the cost of the entire potato. But this is (in theory) the army, no one is getting overpriced bar snacks ---
**Author:** ![kenobi\_65](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kenobi_65/32/13178_2.png) [@kenobi\_65](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kenobi_65)\ **Post date:** [November 1, 2022, 4:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/peeling-potatoes-in-the-army/974155/9 "2022-11-01T16:36:54Z")
> [@scudsucker](#): > > Why peel them at all, though? Because a lot (maybe most) people who make mashed potatoes intentionally don’t include the skins. Peeling the potatoes before mashing yields a more uniform and smooth result, and even if peeling removes some of the nutrients, the smooth texture is what a lot of people likely want. > [@](#): > > Mashed potatoes may be a homegrown dish, but good restaurant chefs can raise it to a star-worthy experience with careful preparation and the addition of different spices, herbs, and fats. Most chefs peel the potatoes in pursuit of the fluffiest, creamiest cloud of buttery goodness, and generally agree that starchy potatoes such as russets and Yukon Golds make the best mashed potatoes—but those varieties also tend to have the thickest skins, so if you belong to the skin-on camp, you might want to try a thin-skinned variety. > **[Mashed Potatoes: Should You Peel Your Potatoes?](https://www.thespruceeats.com/should-mashed-potatoes-be-peeled-1808048)** > > Potato peels contain nutrients and add color and texture to a dish, but not all cooks think they belong in mashed potatoes. Where do you stand? ---
**Author:** ![What\_Exit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/what_exit/32/10652_2.png) [@What\_Exit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/What_Exit)\ **Post date:** [November 1, 2022, 4:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/peeling-potatoes-in-the-army/974155/10 "2022-11-01T16:37:19Z")
At Great Lakes Naval Station Boot Camp there was absolutely potato peeling. I was thankfully on it only 1 day of hell week. Easiest duty was keeping the little boxes of cereals stocked, I was on that one morning too. Most of the duty I can recall was just hauling large boxes around, swabbing and taking trash out. ---
**Author:** ![thorny\_locust](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thorny_locust/32/431_2.png) [@thorny\_locust](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/thorny_locust)\ **Post date:** [November 1, 2022, 4:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/peeling-potatoes-in-the-army/974155/11 "2022-11-01T16:38:46Z")
> [@scudsucker](#): > > my understanding is that the [best way](https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/foods/potatoes#nutrition) to prepare potatoes is with the skin on That’s a pretty common thing to hear now, but I don’t remember it from my childhood in the 50’s and 60’s. Potatoes, other than baked potatoes, were almost always served peeled. Young “new” potatoes, which have smooth and tender skins much of which will scrub off when you wash them, were sometimes served with the skins on; but it’s highly unlikely that new potatoes were what was being shipped to the army, as in addition to the increased yield from letting them grow longer new potatoes don’t store as well or stand up as well to shipping damage as mature ones. ---
**Author:** ![themapleleaf](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/themapleleaf/32/14349_2.png) [@themapleleaf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/themapleleaf)\ **Post date:** [November 1, 2022, 4:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/peeling-potatoes-in-the-army/974155/12 "2022-11-01T16:48:24Z")
For me, this whole army potato peeling trope begs a different question. If kitchen detail peeling piles of potatos is/was a common military chore or punishment, does that mean that the soldiers had to eat an excess of potatos? ---
**Author:** ![Bayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bayaker/32/3454_2.png) [@Bayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bayaker)\ **Post date:** [November 1, 2022, 5:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/peeling-potatoes-in-the-army/974155/13 "2022-11-01T17:00:51Z")
I don’t think that prior to the last few decades it was possible to think of an ‘excess’ of potatoes. In addition to peeled being the societal norm for mashed potatoes, ISTM that loads of spuds shipped to the army(especially as far back as as the WWI trenches) would not be of optimal quality. The skins would be bruised, full of eyes, and frequently moldy. ---
**Author:** ![LSLGuy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lslguy/32/5813_2.png) [@LSLGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LSLGuy)\ **Post date:** [November 1, 2022, 5:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/peeling-potatoes-in-the-army/974155/14 "2022-11-01T17:14:22Z")
> [@themapleleaf](#): > > If kitchen detail peeling piles of potatos is/was a common military chore or punishment, does that mean that the soldiers had to eat an excess of potatos? Military rations even today are long on starch. It’s cheap & keeps well. Same reason a lot of commercial buffet or family-style restaurants have lots of varieties of starches on offer. ---
**Author:** ![Seanette](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/seanette/32/9139_2.png) [@Seanette](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Seanette)\ **Post date:** [November 1, 2022, 5:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/peeling-potatoes-in-the-army/974155/15 "2022-11-01T17:16:55Z")
Amusing that Wikipedia allowed the snark about “an approximation of mashed potatoes”. Personally, I don’t find instant all that objectionable. ---
**Author:** ![Q.Q.Switcheroo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/q.q.switcheroo/32/5713_2.png) [@Q.Q.Switcheroo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Q.Q.Switcheroo)\ **Post date:** [November 1, 2022, 5:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/peeling-potatoes-in-the-army/974155/16 "2022-11-01T17:17:27Z")
> [@themapleleaf](#): > > If kitchen detail peeling piles of potatos is/was a common military chore or punishment, does that mean that the soldiers had to eat an excess of potatos? Obligatory SD link: > **[Could I survive on nothing but potatoes and milk?](https://www.straightdope.com/21343924/could-i-survive-on-nothing-but-potatoes-and-milk)** ---
**Author:** ![dudeQuixote](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dudequixote/32/12473_2.png) [@dudeQuixote](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dudeQuixote)\ **Post date:** [November 1, 2022, 5:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/peeling-potatoes-in-the-army/974155/17 "2022-11-01T17:22:13Z")
> [@scudsucker](#): > > But my understanding is that the [best way](https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/foods/potatoes#nutrition) to prepare potatoes is with the skin on. Depends on the variety IMHO. A lot of russets have a thick, rough peel that I’m not personally fond of. ---
**Author:** ![puzzlegal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/puzzlegal/32/3827_2.png) [@puzzlegal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/puzzlegal)\ **Post date:** [November 1, 2022, 5:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/peeling-potatoes-in-the-army/974155/18 "2022-11-01T17:22:18Z")
> [@scudsucker](#): > > Why peel them at all, though? It’s a thing that was done, and probably still is done. I worked with a guy who spent some time in the Soviet army, and he described how he peeled potatoes (six slices quickly made it a peel-free parallelogram solid, and he didn’t care if that was wasteful). > [@themapleleaf](#): > > does that mean that the soldiers had to eat an excess of potatos? My husband spent some time in West Point (visiting, not serving) and he said they served potatoes at every single meal. So yes. ---
**Author:** ![Horatius](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/horatius/32/3572_2.png) [@Horatius](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Horatius)\ **Post date:** [November 1, 2022, 5:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/peeling-potatoes-in-the-army/974155/19 "2022-11-01T17:30:23Z")
> [@themapleleaf](#): > > If kitchen detail peeling piles of potatos is/was a common military chore or punishment, does that mean that the soldiers had to eat an excess of potatos? Not so much an _excess_ as just a lot of potatoes. A couple of hundred guys eat a lot of potatoes. And with potatoes, if you don’t have an automatic peeling machine, they have to be individually peeled by hand, so there’s a lot of labor needed to prepare a few hundred potatoes. As for peeling vs. not, my mom used to peel every potato except those she planned to bake, for what it’s worth. These days, I tend to keep the skin on, so that’s one change. ---
**Author:** ![kitap](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/b9e5f3/32.png) [@kitap](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kitap)\ **Post date:** [November 1, 2022, 5:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/peeling-potatoes-in-the-army/974155/20 "2022-11-01T17:33:15Z")
Dad remembers having to peel potatoes when he was in the Army in the 1950s. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/peeling-potatoes-in-the-army/974155.md?page=2)