Potatoes with skin vs. Skinless potatoes

How many times have you heard about the U.S. Army private stuck with the task of peeling 100,000 potatoes? Well, maybe not that many, but a whole lot anyway.

Everybody peels potatoes, why not the army? There’s even a special instrument used for it. In the army, it’s called a knife. And with all the warnings about pesticides and other chemicals clinging to the skins of fruits and vegetables, the easiest way to side-step the issue is to peel that potato. Well, apparently, all that army potato-peeling led to a weaker soldier. Not the one peeling the potatoes. The ones eating them.

My father used to warn me, “You’re throwing away the best part.” Ninety-five percent of the time, he was referring to the thin, outer covering of some food. Whatever covered it provided more nutrients than whatever was being covered. Apples, plums, pears. Nearly any type of fruit except the thick-skinned types like bananas, oranges, and melons qualified. As did potatoes, red and green peppers, and tomatoes. Even bread. The crust was the best part.

Naturally, and perhaps more because he would eat foods that I could never stomach (calf’s brains and other sweetbreads), I did not pay much attention to his advice and continued peeling everything before I ate it. Well, it turns out my father was right after all. Apparently, the skin has more good stuff in it than anyone ever thought. LINK.

Unfortunately, the potatoes now have to be thoroughly washed to remove the chemicals, as do all the other fruits and vegetables. With soap? And will plain soap be enough?