Subject: Advice needed for baking many potatoes
Newsgroups: rec.food.cooking

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From: bj_serink at hotmail.com
Date: Sun, 17 Jun 2007 04:45:50 GMT
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I would like some advice on baking a somewhat large quantity of potatoes. I'm trying to bake 33 large russets in my oven, and it has to be all at once because I don't have time for multiple batches. Normally, for one or two potatoes, I bake at 400 for an hour. I'm wondering how the increased quantity is going to affect this. Should I bake at a higher temperature, or for longer time, or both?

Another consideration is that I only want them to be about 80 - 90% done, as I will be re-heating them on a BBQ about 6 hours later.

Any suggestions for cook time & temperature?

Thanks,
Bj

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From: "Michael \"Dog3\" Lonergan" (dog3 at foodiecharter.net)
Date: Sun, 17 Jun 2007 14:16:48 GMT
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Depending on the size of the potato I usually bake them at 450 for maybe an hour or until a fork jabs into them easily. I don't wrap the potatoes in foil before baking. 33 is quite a large number of bakers to put in and only partially cooked. I've never done this but I might coat the potatoes in vegetable oil and sprinkle on some Kosher salt. Wrap them in foil and bake at 450 for maybe 45 minutes. To finish on the grill I'd unwrap them, put them on a medium temp grill to crisp up the skin and turn once or twice checking for doneness with the "fork test". Having never done it that would be my first instinct which is usually wrong ;(

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From: hahabogus (invalid at null.null)
Date: Sun, 17 Jun 2007 14:28:57 GMT
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When cooking many spuds I like to wash them, dry them, rub them with oil, fork several holes in them and nuke them for say 5 minutes while the oven comes to temp say 425 to 450F. I cook them maybe a hour in the oven...they're done when the skins make a russeling noise when handled. Never use foil. And put them directly on the oven racks.

I like crisp chewy tater skins on my baked spuds

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From: James Silverton (not.jim.silverton at verizon.not)
Date: Sun, 17 Jun 2007 16:18:59 GMT
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The various suggestions are all pretty good but, unlike a microwave, if you can get the potatoes into the oven and probably not quite touching each other the time should be unaffected.