Hints From Heloise

Dear Heloise: I have a few questions regarding potatoes. Is it necessary to prick a potato with a fork before baking in a gas stove, to keep the potato from bursting? Also, when baking potatoes, should you wrap aluminum foil around them? - Deanna Morrison, Kenosha, Wis.

Yummy, baked potatoes are delicious. Since potatoes can be cooked in many ways, we took your question to the experts on this subject, The Potato Board!

It is a good idea to pierce the skin of the potato in several places to help prevent it from bursting open.

As far as wrapping with aluminum foil, it is a matter of taste. If you like a dry, crusty skin, then don’t wrap the potato. Simply bake on a cookie sheet or directly on an oven rack until it is soft.

Wrapping the potato in foil helps to steam, not bake, keeping the skin soft.

The usual baking time for a medium to large potato is 40 to 50 minutes in a 400- to 425-degree oven. The quicker the potato bakes, the more nutrients remain. - Heloise