Peeling potatoes

[hammerman]

Why do we peel our spuds ? Ive just done a fair few for mash tonight but surely, once cooked, the skins are the best bit ?
We leave the skins on for wedges, jacket spuds, new potatoes and even some chips....so why peel for mash and roasts ?
Just wondering like :-)

[NoK]

well don't peel em then.
it ain't a law

[craft1948]

mashing skins could be difficult.....

[madmaggot]

I am allergic to raw potato so I don't peel them; I get the OH to do it for me!
If I scrape new potatoes I get an asthma like attack but peeling old pots just makes my hands itch.

[funnygirl]

If you mash pots with the skins on, doesn't it look funny??
it won't even mash properly.

I must admit I peel new potatoes, as I don't like the skin on boiled potatoes.

But I love eating the skin of jacket pots.

[ethandron]

i leave the skins on for roasties too. the only thing i peel them for is mash, but in theory you could leave the skins on for mash too, if you whizzed it with an electric hand whizzer instead of a masher. it'd come out smooth but with a few bits of colour in it.
i think people peel them for appearance and to get rid of any eyes or blemishes.

[monty0703]

I mash potatoes with the skin on - it's not a problem. The spud experts recommend not peeling too:
http://www.britishpotatoes.co.uk/healthy-cooki ng-tips/

[Scarlett]

I think maybe it's a throw back to the 50s and 60s where food started to be processed- white bread, white rice- refined food was seen as good, clean, well-prepared. Nowadays rustic, wholemeal, wholegrain, close to nature food is seen as better. So potato wedges with skins on are seen as healthier now. In the 70s it would have been yuck! So i think it is just our habits changing.