Baked Potato Holding?

When working in a restaurant, I often wondered the same thing. We did both, in foil and a crispy skin. For quality reasons, if the number cooked were not used they were tossed. When they were gone they were gone.

Maybe the following will help.

Tom

Potatoes may be baked in foil -- that is safe as long as the potatoes are cleaned well before baking and then if held before consumption, done so at 140 degrees or higher. The concern with baking potatoes in foil resulted from the possibility of C. botulism. Some restaurants were baking hundreds of potatoes at one time and holding them for long periods of time before consumption. The problem was that some of the potatoes were not scrubbed before baking, the foil provided an oxygen-free barrier and then they were held for a long period of time below 140 degrees. C. botulism only grows in the absence of air and this combination of no-air and ideal temperature made a perfect growing condition for this bacterium. Since then, the recommendation has been to wash and scrub potatoes, bake (in foil or not) and hold above 140 degrees.

Baked potatoes should be stored in the refrigerator and used within 3-4 days. You may reheat them (to 165 degrees) as many times as you like within that 3-4 day period.

As you will probably find out -- reheating/chilling/reheating etc does not make for a better tasting product. As far as safety, the product is safe -- just not very appetizing. This is why most restaurants, if they do reheat potatoes, reheat them only once -- then any leftovers are pitched.

If you should have questions, please let me know.

Carol C. Schlitt
Extension Educator, Nutrition and Wellness
University of Illinois Extension

Consider alternative uses for them.
Potato salad
Potato skins
etc

quote:

Originally posted by MaxQ:
Consider alternative uses for them.
Potato salad
Potato skins
etc

Yup - You can use for mashed potatoes, stuffed baked potatoes, even some sort of coated and deep fried creation.

Cook them fresh every day, for us reheated baked potatoes just tasted reheated, not fresh. We would take any at the end of the day, put them in the walkin and make Potato Salad with them the next day.