Tips for slicing raw potatoes

toots99

Can someone tell me if there's an easy tip to slicing raw sweet potatoes? I would like to make my own potato chips, but slicing is so hard! And I don't really have the money to spend on a potato slicer (and I actually JUST found out a minute ago that they even existed! :laugh: )

Edited to correct it to be raw SWEET potatoes...

sassylilmama

My cheese grater has a slicer on it (long thin strip) works great for potatoes.

cmriverside

okay. It takes all of 30 seconds to slice a large potato into chips with a knife. You don't want to eat more than one potato anyway.

anubis609

I was about to say, "with a knife" ... but then I saw your dilemma. Lol. I've never actually tried, but it sounds logical to me that if you soak them in water first, they should be a bit softer for thinner slices... Time to experiment?

ChefJenn

you can do it with a good knife skill but if your not comfy with doing it that way then get yourself a mandoline slicer.
you can also use it for other raw veggies and it is easy to use and clean up

nelliemagee

Use a vegetable peeler if you want them wafer thin.

kayemme

do you have one of those cheese slicers that looks sort of like a big arrow with a slit in the middle? like this kind:



you can try using that to get super thin slices.

or the box grater has the same concept...

toots99

okay. It takes all of 30 seconds to slice a large potato into chips with a knife. You don't want to eat more than one potato anyway.

Okay, well any time I've tried to make sweet potato fries, cutting the potato was like trying to cut a brick. I didn't realize that ALL raw potatoes weren't as hard to cut. :ohwell:

kmm7309

okay. It takes all of 30 seconds to slice a large potato into chips with a knife. You don't want to eat more than one potato anyway.

Okay, well any time I've tried to make sweet potato fries, cutting the potato was like trying to cut a brick. I didn't realize that ALL raw potatoes weren't as hard to cut. :ohwell:

I know how you feel! I made sweet potato fries for the first time last week and they were impossible to cut into a fry shape. I ended up with sweet potato chunks! :grumble:

toots99

okay. It takes all of 30 seconds to slice a large potato into chips with a knife. You don't want to eat more than one potato anyway.

Okay, well any time I've tried to make sweet potato fries, cutting the potato was like trying to cut a brick. I didn't realize that ALL raw potatoes weren't as hard to cut. :ohwell:

I know how you feel! I made sweet potato fries for the first time last week and they were impossible to cut into a fry shape. I ended up with sweet potato chunks! :grumble:

Thank you for not making me feel like a moron.

Does anyone have tips on cutting sweet potatoes without a slicer?

tsgaddy

you can do it with a good knife skill but if your not comfy with doing it that way then get yourself a mandoline slicer.
you can also use it for other raw veggies and it is easy to use and clean up

That's what I would suggest. It's much faster than other methods and depending on the one that you get, you can have other blades to make ridges. Mine is by OXO

heathergatica

A Mandolin Slicer!!! Works good for slicing all kinds of veggies and cheese!! Good luck!!!=)

PS...perfect for yummy homemade scalloped potatoes!

ChefJenn

you can put the potato in the freezer for a while to make it harder. a sweet potato is hard to turn into a home fry. in the restaurant we have a huge cutter that slams then so fast it cuts them into fries but we cant get those at home really.
you can cut into larger dice size and know they do not take as long to cook as reg. white pots


~chef jenn~

dreamc08

I think my hubby only paid about $10-15 for my mandolin slicer, and it works great. Without a slicer though, I'd suggest using a big, very sharp knife. Maybe bake or boil the potatoes for a few minutes to soften, let them cool, then slice away.

Good luck!

Jbhudson

If you're looking for sweet potato chips, you have to get a mandolin slicer. It will cut them consistently VERY thin, like no other method you can use. They are inexpensive at Bed Bath and Beyond and very easy to clean. Just be very careful to keep your fingers away from the blade. You can't boil them first or you're going to end up with a mushy chip after they are fried and because a sweet potato is so hard, you can't slice them evenly with a knife.

Good luck.

kelhun1

I haven't tried this, but would a regular veggie peeler work? The reason I ask is because the last time I had my son peel the potatoes, I came back and half the potato was in the sink. He just kept going and going... They looked like thin enough slices to cook as chips.

LiftAllThePizzas

okay. It takes all of 30 seconds to slice a large potato into chips with a knife. You don't want to eat more than one potato anyway.

This.