Welcome to the EGGhead Forum - a great place to visit and packed with tips and EGGspert advice! You can also join the conversation and get more information and amazing kamado recipes by following Big Green Egg to Experience our World of Flavor™ at:
Facebook  |  Twitter  |  Instagram  |  Pinterest  |  Youtube  |  Vimeo
Share your photos by tagging us and using the hashtag #BigGreenEgg.

Want to see how the EGG is made? Click to Watch

why is this happening to potatoes

Not sure if any of you have had this happen or would know why it happens. Here's the scenario, doing baked potatoes, so I wash them and scrub them and then I take a fork and stab holes into the spud in a few places. Onto the egg they go, usually at 400* and bake until done. When I cut the spud open to do either twice baked or just a regular baked potato, I can see the stab holes from the fork. They show up as a black line into meat of the potatoes. Have had this happen a couple of times. I am wondering if it is the type of potatoe. This time I am using a Russett potato. We had company a while back and SWMBO noticed this and today it showed up again.
Any ideas out there, as to why this happens. 
Large, small, and a mini

Comments

  • theyolksonyou
    theyolksonyou Posts: 18,458
    Strange seems like it would turn a hasslewhoever potato black if it was smoke lines. :-?
  • smokesniffer
    smokesniffer Posts: 2,016
    Ya it is weird, it only has happen two times. It is more a visual thing, but can't figure why the fork would leave this type of mark on the meat of the spud.
    Large, small, and a mini
  • henapple
    henapple Posts: 16,025
    Maybe smoke infiltration?
    Green egg, dead animal and alcohol. The "Boro".. TN 
  • smokesniffer
    smokesniffer Posts: 2,016
    @henapple. Hmm you may have a good point there. It doesn't show up all the time though. But I like they way your thinking.
    Large, small, and a mini
  • bud812
    bud812 Posts: 1,869
    Thank god you didn't post a pic of a dirty fork!!

    Not to get technical, but according to chemistry alcohol is a solution...

    Large & Small BGE

    Stockton Ca.

  • Jeepster47
    Jeepster47 Posts: 3,827
    Do you only poke the holes on the top of the potato ... top when it's on the grill I mean.  I use the tip of a sharp knife and only poke it four or five times.  Haven't seen any black marks yet.

    Washington, IL  >  Queen Creek, AZ ... Two large eggs and an adopted Mini Max

  • smokesniffer
    smokesniffer Posts: 2,016
    @Jeepster47 I generally poke holes all around the potato. I do this before I put them on the grill. I to only stab the spud about 3-4 times.
    Large, small, and a mini
  • smokesniffer
    smokesniffer Posts: 2,016
    Also what is interesting, is I rotate the spuds on the grate. And not all the areas where I poked them show up as the darker marks. Did 8 spuds today and only about 3 spuds had those marks, and there was only a couple of these marks on them. You'd think that there should be 4 lines as that is the number of tines on the fork.
    Large, small, and a mini
  • grege345
    grege345 Posts: 3,515
    Only potatoes I poke are the ones I put in microwave. Am I suppose to be forkin my potatoes?
    LBGE& SBGE———————————————•———————– Pennsylvania / poconos

  • gpsegg
    gpsegg Posts: 427
    Silly question but curious..why are you poking holes in the taters? I just rub with EVOO and Kosher Salt and cook 400-425 degrees for about an hour until internal temperature hits 210 degrees. Always turn out good! Again, just curious. Thanks.
    George
    Palm Beach Gardens, Fl and Blairsville, Ga.
  • pgprescott
    pgprescott Posts: 14,544
    I've had this happen also. Never really cared why. Now I'm interested as to why.
  • Durangler
    Durangler Posts: 1,122
    Fork marks show up occasionally when I microwave them also. It is ugly, but doesn't seem to affect the taset.
    Theory is to poke to prevent skin breaking from moisture build up, I believe. 
    Good question about the hasselbak knife marks, Yolk brotha. 
    XL BGE, 22" Weber Red Head, Fiesta Gasser .... Peoria,AZ
  • smokesniffer
    smokesniffer Posts: 2,016
    Not sure why I poke holes in em.. maybe it was the MWO thing. Maybe I should quit forking em.
    Large, small, and a mini
  • smokesniffer
    smokesniffer Posts: 2,016
    @Durangler. Our hassle back turn out great and NO marks at all.
    Large, small, and a mini
  • smokesniffer
    smokesniffer Posts: 2,016
    @gpsegg. I use EVO, S&P and a light dusting of garlic salt..and I love eating the skin of the potato.
    Large, small, and a mini
  • Botch
    Botch Posts: 15,428
    Was it a clean fork?  
    _____________

    "I mean, I don't just kill guys, I'm notorious for doing in houseplants."  - Maggie, Northern Exposure


  • jcaspary
    jcaspary Posts: 1,479
    The only think I could think of is that the potatoes are going on too early when there is a lot of whiter smoke.  Could this be the case?  
    XL BGE, LG BGE, and a hunger to grill everything in sight!!!
    Joe- Strongsville, OH
  • Tjcoley
    Tjcoley Posts: 3,551
    How long from poking with fork and baking? Could it be the potato oxidizing from being exposed to air?
    __________________________________________
    It's not a science, it's an art. And it's flawed.
    - Camp Hill, PA
  • Durangler
    Durangler Posts: 1,122
    @Durangler. Our hassle back turn out great and NO marks at all.
    I'm doing 3 tomorrow & am anticipating no knife marks. 
    Maybe sharpie dots from precise measurements of slices though. :-j
    XL BGE, 22" Weber Red Head, Fiesta Gasser .... Peoria,AZ
  • AUCE
    AUCE Posts: 890
    Are you putting anything on the pots prior to poking. .maybe.....

    I would much rather be able to say I was glad I did than wished I had........

    XL owner and purveyor of pallette perfection...

    Homosassa....Mecca of Florida

  • Little Steven
    Little Steven Posts: 28,817
    I don't poke. Never had one 'splode

    Steve 

    Caledon, ON

     

  • smokesniffer
    smokesniffer Posts: 2,016
    jcaspary said:
    The only think I could think of is that the potatoes are going on too early when there is a lot of whiter smoke.  Could this be the case?  
    No, the egg had been settled in a good 40 min. 


    Tjcoley said:
    How long from poking with fork and baking? Could it be the potato oxidizing from being exposed to air?
     I poked them about 4 hours before. We all ate the potatoes up, the company loved the flavour and probably didn't see the few marks due to cheese, bacon, and onions on the spuds. I think will stop stabbing them with a fork and do like some of the others here and just cook em without the holes.
    Large, small, and a mini
  • Tjcoley
    Tjcoley Posts: 3,551
    edited January 2015
    @smokesniffer There's your problem.  In the four hours from the time you poked them until you cooked, the potato holes oxidized.  Just like when peeling potatoes, or making fries.  If you don't get them in water, they will turn black in short time (Leave a slice of raw potato on the counter for a couple hours and see what color is ends up)  No reason to poke them, but if you do, do it right before cooking.
    __________________________________________
    It's not a science, it's an art. And it's flawed.
    - Camp Hill, PA
  • Tjcoley
    Tjcoley Posts: 3,551
    Same thing happens to a peeled apple.
    __________________________________________
    It's not a science, it's an art. And it's flawed.
    - Camp Hill, PA
  • fishlessman
    fishlessman Posts: 32,665
    only thing ive had explode on the egg was a full load of chestnuts, poke chestnuts, not potatoes
    :D
    fukahwee maine

    you can lead a fish to water but you can not make him drink it
  • TN_Egger
    TN_Egger Posts: 1,120
    I always fork my potatoes.  More than once I've had 'sploded spud on the oven walls.
    Signal Mountain, TN
  • bettysnephew
    bettysnephew Posts: 1,188
    Just out of curiosity, stainless fork or silver? This has never shown up on mine, but all of our day to day flatware and cooking tools are stainless.
    A poor widows son.
    See der Rabbits, Iowa
  • Skiddymarker
    Skiddymarker Posts: 8,522
    Only read part of the posts, but egged taters do not need to be forked, IMO. Nuked ones need the steam escape holes, but for a baked tater, no steam vents and never had one explode. 

    When I nuke a tater I use a poultry pin, it is very small in diameter, drive it in three or four times a side. We use Russets for baking or twice bakers. 
    Delta B.C. - Whiskey and steak, because no good story ever started with someone having a salad!