How to Save and Use Potato Water (And Why You Should)

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Potato water.

Sounds kind of yucky almost. But potato water is actually pretty awesome! You might be surprised to learn that potato water is incredibly useful and versatile.

You can use potato water as a substitute thickener, add it to all sorts of dishes for extra flavor and even use it in the garden to add nutrients to your soil. Read on to learn about all the ways you can use potato water, and how to make it in the first place!

Potato water. Sounds kind of yucky almost. But potato water is actually pretty awesome! You might be surprised to learn that potato water is incredibly useful and versatile. You can use potato water as a substitute thickener, add it to all sorts of dishes for extra flavor and even use it in the garden to add nutrients to your soil. Read on to learn about all the ways you can use potato water, and how to make it in the first place!

What is Potato Water?

Potato water is quite simply the water that’s leftover in the pot after you boil potatoes. It’s starchy and thicker than plain water and has little bits of potato floating around in it.

So why on earth would you save potato water? Why not just strain the potatoes and dump the water down the drain like you would with pasta? Well, because then you’d be missing out!

Potato starch mixed with water has a similar consistency to milk or water mixed with flour. It acts as a thickening agent, adds nutrients to other dishes and improves the taste and texture of bread and doughs. You can even buy dried potato starch to have on hand if you don’t regularly boil potatoes.

There are many things you can use potato water for, so next time think twice before pouring it down the drain!

Even Ma Ingalls knew about this little kitchen secret and used her potato water to make her home-cooked food extra delicious!

While Ma made the gravy Laura mashed the potatoes. There was no milk but Ma said, “Leave a very little of the boiling water in, and after you mash them beat them extra hard with a big spoon.” The potatoes turned out white and fluffy….”

– The Long Winter

Washing Potatoes

How to Use Potato Water

Potato water is quite versatile and can be used for many different things. Here are a few that come to mind:

  • Use it as a gluten-free thickener. For those allergic to corn or wheat or for anyone following a gluten-free lifestyle, potato water provides a suitable substitute for a flour or cornstarch thickener. We use it quite often in our All Purpose Gluten Free Flour since it’s fairly inexpensive.
  • You can also use it to add to breads or soups in place of regular water. In the case of soups, it will thicken the broth and it also adds in vitamins from the potatoes. It’s kind of like getting a freebie vegetable supplement in with whatever you are making!
  • You can add potato water to breads to give them a nice texture and some added flavor (versus just adding plain water).
  • You can also use potato water to make a basic gravy without having to add any thickeners. Just pour the hot potato water into another saucepan, add some drippings or broth from whatever meat you’re cooking, sprinkle in a bit of salt and pepper and heat on the stove until thickened. You can always add a little more dried potato starch or cornstarch if you want it even thicker.

Harvesting Potato

  • Use potato water as a frugal, simple fertilizer for your plants. If I don’t plan on using it in a recipe, I will usually let it cool down and pour it out on my garden plants as a little bit of plant food to help promote my plant’s growth. (Do not add salted potato water to plants, though!) You can use on houseplants as well as your outdoor garden.
  • You can also give potato water to your animals. Add it to your chicken scrap pail or pig slop pail, or even pour it over your dog or cat’s food to give it some extra nutrients.

Potatoes

How to Save and Store Potato Water

Making and saving potato water is pretty easy. Just save the water that you strain out from your pot of boiled potatoes! But when if you don’t plan on using it right away, you’ll need to know how to store it.

One option is to freeze it for later use. It will last quite a long time in the freezer with no problem.

If you only want to store it for the short term, however, you can keep it in a glass jar in the fridge until you need it but it will only store for up to a week.

Canned Chopped Potatoes

More Questions About Potato Water

Is it ok to drink potato water?

Absolutely! You can utilize all of the vitamins and minerals in potato water when you drink it directly or add it in to your food. Just be sure that the water is from peeled, clean potatoes (preferably organic) with nothing else added.

What does adding vinegar to potato water do?

Vinegar helps to prevent potatoes from becoming too mushy when you are cooking them by boiling in water. Note that if you add vinegar to your potato water, it likely won’t be able to be used for the things above.

What houseplants like potato water?

Just as the starchy pasta water can help add microorganisms to the soil to boost plant growth, so can potato water. Potato water adds potassium, nitrogen, and phosphorus, calcium, and magnesium to the soil so most houseplants will benefit from an occasional drink. (Do not give houseplants potato water with salt or any other ingredients and give regular clean water in between potato waterings.)

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There are so many products we use every day that we tend to just toss out with the compost (or even the garbage!) But more often than not, in my experience, those products can be reused and turned into something new and pretty awesome.

Banana Peels

How to Reuse Other Everyday Items

Did you find this blog post helpful? Be sure and share with your friends on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, Instagram, and through Email using the sharing buttons.

Have you ever saved your potato water before? What do you use it for? Let me know in the comments!


Me and KadyMerissa has been blogging about and living the simple life since 2009 and has internationally published 2 books on the topic. You can read about Merissa’s journey from penniless to freedom on the About Page. You can send her a message any time from the Contact Page.


 

This blog post about How to Save and Use Potato Water was originally published on Little House Living in January 2012. It has been updated as of September 2023.

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158 Comments

    1. Many years ago my mom had me save potatoe water to pour on her hair after radiation treatments. My momma did not loose her hair while going through her treatments.

  1. What a great idea! I already knew that it was good to save green vegetable water to water plants, but never considered potato water.

    1. After I’ve cooked a pot of greens I taste the cooking water and make the adjustments to it to make bean soup. Dried beans, celery, carrots, onions, a bay leaf, some garlic, a good squirt of catsup and let it cook. It’s always wonderful. I make a pan of cornbread to go with it. Enjoy!

  2. I just (not 10 minutes ago) cooked 5 pounds of potatoes and dumped all the water down the drain. I had no idea that it could be useful!

    1. I also put some of the potato water in the gravy. It adds to the flavor of the gravy. My mom always said
      “don’t throw the ‘tator water out”. 🙂

  3. My mom has used the potato water to make gravy or sauces. I’ve used it to thicken soups. We let the water cool a bit, put it into canning jars and refrigerate it.

  4. I was told that during the depression they would drink potato water for the vitamins it had in it (b/c they surely couldn’t afford to buy vitamins) this family was very poor & survived the depression this way. A potato has all the vitamins & nutrients you need.

    1. We all need to take lessons from those who did go thru the depression. They wasted NOTHING! I know of a lady who had a mason jar in the fridge, from Monday thru Thursay each week she’d dump the remaining vegetables from each meal..no matter how little was left…into this jar. Friday was Vegetable Soup day. She made her broth/stock and added all the veggies leftover from Mon-Thurs. Waste Not…Want Not. The potato broth would be great to add to that soup for sure.

  5. Huh, the only thing I have ever done with it is let it cool and water some outdoor plants with it.

    1. I have some plants and was wondering if I could use the potato water to water them. Thanks for the tip! The plants will get water and some nutrients- killing two birds with one stone.

      1. Kerrylynn, I use any water I would dump out to water plants. Mostly left over cold tea or humidifier water. I think if it isn’t too salty (like from canned good) or too much sugar (like left over juice) you could use it to water plants.

  6. I use it for the water in whole wheat bread recipes or for water used to make soup. The yeast feeds off the sugars from the potatoes and you will have a lighter, tender bread 🙂

  7. Another great use is to freeze it in 0.5-1c portions and use in bread-making. My go-to site for info, recipes,and ingredients is King Arthur Flour. The additional of instant potato flakes makes the finished product (rolls or bread) far more tender. They suggested using potato water if one doesn’t have instant potato flakes or their own product. I tried it last week, thawing and using the equivalent volume as the water required and omitting the instant potatoes. Worked great, and less water/waste products in the environment.

    1. I grew up in the 60’s.
      Nothing got wasted. Always used potatie water in breads, buns , soups, gravy , Still do.
      I use potatoes in my biscuits as well.
      Good binding agent for anyone with IBS.

  8. Rice water helps a child with diarrea . Cook plain rice add a little salt or flavor , drai the water let cool gie to ouur child . Usualy a save the rice to make a chicken soup .

    1. This makes sense because I use the BRAT diet for my kids when they have diarrhea = Bananas, Rice, Apples & Toast. These foods help the digestive track recover, so the Rice water would do the same. Good tip!

      1. B.R.A.T.T … bananas, rice, applesauce, tea (without sugar, honey, any type of sweetner) & toast .. is what my pediatrician told me years ago. He was an extremely intelligent kindly gentleman who also happened to be my Dr as a child. It’s one of the best methods for diarrhea for young and old.

    2. To the comment about giving rice water to your children, there are traces of arsenic in rice. Please read up on it. Not trying to criticize. Just wanted to be helpful.

    3. amazing ideas here, thank you, will be looking at the arsenic warning too and buy organic instead, there’s always something wrong with the food or soil, but rice water and potato water and brats sound very helpful for good health

  9. I usuallly drain most, but leave some to use as the liquid(usually people use milk) for mashed potatoes. We are dairy free and gluten free, so instead of using rice milk, I just leave some of the water that I cooked them in and mash. Saves on using rice milk and I like the taste better.

    1. I am a vegan and don’t use any dairy products. So I always have used the potato water for mashed potatoes. I also use it for soups.

  10. When I peel potatoes, I drop the peelings into water, that I later drain and use to water my house plants. It makes them very beautiful. I have not tried it with cooked potato water.

    1. Thanks! I’m going to use this tip!!!! My Mom was a real estate agent and always fed her plants her left over coffee as she was rushing out the door and the plants thrived better than all the rest.

      1. yes heard that too, gloria jeans and some other cafes used to sell bags of ground coffee to buy for the garden, as you buy your morning coffee

  11. I use my potato water, but for something else… We rescued an Olde/English Bulldog 2 1/2 years ago. She hardly had any hair, staph infection, plus she is deaf. 🙁 We have come to learn thru much trial, error & vet visits… she is allergic to processed dog food. Corn, wheat and so on. We make her food now. Salmon or Mackerel, Potatoes and now green beans. I pressure cook 5lbs of potatoes with the skin, save 1/2 for later. In blender I add 1 can of Salmon or Mackerel, 1 can of no salt green beans drained, potatoes & potato water to thinned consistency. 2 cups am 2 cups pm. From all the constant steroids prior. She had packed the lbs on. 93.5!!! 6 months later, 58 lbs. Everyone thinks she’s a different dog.

    1. how beautiful, im sure shes so thank full for her loving humans. this is worth of copy, if that ok, i have green pet friendly fruend who are looking for alternative health for their animals. One who is ready to pass about now. Ill send this to her, thank you 😃💝

    1. Yes, you can freeze it. I’m guessing you could can it too but you’d need to pressure can it but I’m not sure if that would destroy the nutrients or not.

    2. im also wondering about canning it- have been blanching and dehydrating potatoes and the water is syrup thick when im done- and i dont have freezer space so any more info on times for canning?

  12. My husband’s Ukrainian grandmother taught me to save potato water to use in making pyrohy (pierogies) dough. It makes the dough nice and tender, never rubbery like it used to turn out before I learned that tip!

  13. My father use to give us a glass of potato water with salt and pepper before he mashed the potatoes. I enjoy it! It has all the vitamins that would normally be thrown down the drain.

  14. My hair has become very thin in the last five or 6 years (getting old sucks) and
    my hair falls out a lot. I was told to use the potatoe water on my hair as it stops your hair from falling out and helps it become thicker. You pour it on your hair and then rub it into your scalp leave it on for several hours or over night then wash your hair as usual. I have done it twice now and will continue to use it often, which means I will be eating a lot more potatoes.

    I will let you know how it works for me.

  15. my grandmother taught me to make gravy with potato water instead of using milk- it makes the best gravy!!

  16. This hint would be for peeled potatoes. A use not mentioned, is starching. In the days before my time, when commercial starch was not available, a starch water solution was made. If the water is clear enough, dipping your clothing into the starchy potato water would work. If you make latke’s, you usually grate the potato into cold water. The starch will settle on the bottom of the bowl. In the story of Mrs. Tiggywinkle, by Beatrix Potter, the washerwomen hedgehog character was taken from an old Scottish washerwomen that she knew. The character in the story prided herself in being an excellent clear starcher, so I am assuming that the “real” washer women did as well. Another recipe for starch is to boil one teaspoon of rice in a quart of water and remove the rice.

    1. This technic is used when making German potatoe dumplings the recipe uses half cooked potatoes and half raw potatoes. The raw potatoes you put in a cheese cloth and press any fluid out through the cloth into a bowl let it sit for a while. Gently dump the water out, at the bottom you are left with a white paste when you mix the cooked and pressed raw potatoes they turn a little grey due to the air exposure. Add the white paste back in to the mixture and the are white again. No grey potatoe dumplings.

  17. I have always just tossed the water down the drain. However, after reading all the wonderful ideas and advice, I most definitely will be putting my potato water to better use. Thank you everyone.

  18. I dated a vegetarian for over 3 years, & I always saved the potato water & the liquid from my canned French green beans, for his vegetarian stew.

  19. I had some potato water today. I thought I should freeze this. It must be good for something. Thank you for the post.

  20. I boil the potatoes with fresh garlic and use the water as stand alone broth (with a little celtic salt, parsley and cilantro or use as a thickener for soups and bean dishes. Another great thickener is kobucha or blue hubbard squash. Also, rice water with pineapple in the blender makes an outstanding drink.

  21. I save all vegetable water and pour into ice cube trays and once frozen I label and put in a glad bag to use for soups.

  22. My mother often used potato water to make gravy. I have used it on occasion in my gravy, also, now wondering if adding it to bean soup would thicken it some. Sure going to give it a try.

  23. I always used it when making gravy for a pot roast dinner. I would use some of the drippings from the roast and all of the potato water (depending on the amount of gravy I was needing) added a thicker then a little of the Bouquet to help color the gravy brown. My granddaughter commented one time to me that I never throw anything away –

  24. Not surprisingly …. I just used the potato water in addition to the turkey dripping to make gravy! I also use them to thicken soup. I cook the potatoes with the soup, and often times “mash” or “blend them” near the end of the cooking cycle and then return them to the soup. No one is the wiser about potatoes being included — and since I am actually allergic to corn – it’s really, truly a great substitution.

  25. I don’t understand – wouldn’t the heat from boiling the potatoes ruin any vitamins, etc that are in the water ??

    1. The heat from cooking doesn’t destroy all of the nutrient value in the potatoes, and I suspect that the potato juice that seeps into the cooking water takes some from the potatoes and adds it to the water. If cooking heat destroyed nutrients, why would we be cooking instead of eating raw? I’ve read that cooking carrots makes them more nutritious, (maybe more easily digested?) but don’t know if that was fact or opinion. If I was a gambler, I’d bet no one has ever died of malnutrition from eating cooked food. ;^)

  26. Loved this post and all the ideas submitted. It brought back memories of my mother using potato water to make gravy. Thank you all.

  27. Homesteaders make yeast from scratch with potato water, a little salt and sugar I think that’s all and let it ferments.

  28. I freeze potato water to use in soup, after I use some of it for mashing, if I’m mashing. I also freeze all peels of veggies and apples, bones and bits of meat left over, stems from drying herbs, and suchlike… in the “broth zippie” in the freezer. When it’s full, it goes in the pot with water (or potato water) and cooks down to broth. Strain out all the solids, freeze or use. I’ve done this for decades, and never buy commercially made broth. Tip: do this the day before trash pickup, so you can send the smelly bits away right off. Not so important in winter, when the garage barrel will be very cold, but useful other times! I wouldn’t leave the solids in the kitchen trash… icky! And I don’t put meat items on my compost, because Pepe Le Pew (the skunk) likes them too much.

  29. When I was growing up we always saved the potato water to make Blinna (or Balina) a crepe-like large German sourdough pancake.

  30. Several people said it makes bread more moist. I also use potatoe water in my sourdough bread. It seems to last longer.

  31. The nutrients leach out into the water when boiling. Meaning whatever vegetable you are cooking in boiling water, like a potato, will be lower in nutrients, but the water will still have most of the added nutrients from the cooked vegetable. Great ideas, too. I can’t believe I never knew to save the potato water.

  32. I just have to say, your site has quickly become one of my absolute favorites. I have learn so much here. THANK YOU for sharing and encourage and for following your desire to help us all grow and learn!!!!

  33. Got this recipe from my former MIL back in the ’60’s….made it many times.
    She got it from a book about a Wilderness Wife.
    Imitation Maple Syrup
    6 medium potatoes, peeled
    2 c. water
    1 c. white sugar
    1 c. brown sugar
    Peel the potatoes & boil uncovered in the 2 cups of water, until 1 cup remains.
    Remove potatoes, stir the liquid back to the boiling point.
    Slowly add the sugars.
    Dissolve thoroughly & then remove pan from heat & allow to cool slowly.
    Bottle & let age in a dark cupboard for at least 2 days. It will also thicken.
    I usually just use potato water when boiling them for other meals, & then reduce the water & add adjusted amounts of sugars….
    This recipe tastes like prime syrup, not the pancake syrup from the grocery stores..

  34. My grandmother drank potato water to help her severe psoriasis. She also wasted nothing and put all kinds of leftovers in the soup.

  35. I don’t remember my Mom using it, but my husband’s family always did, and they are no means the cooking from scratch kind of family, but they always used potato water for making gravy on Thanksgiving and Christmas. My hubby has gravy duty now, and we save the potato water, and he makes delicious turkey gravy…really, the best gravy I’ve tasted, and my Mom was a wonderful cook!! It makes delicious gravy!!

  36. When i was a little girl my grandmother taught me to use the water from the potato for gravy. When friends come over i always ask them have you ever had tater water gravy. taste very good also.

  37. I save the potato water, add any leftover mashed potatoes (if not too much), whip it good to blend, add chopped onion, boil again to cook the onion, add milk if desired, salt and pepper and any other seasoning – for delicious creamy potato soup.

  38. I also like to drink hot potato water especially if I’m having digestive issues. My fave seasoning is celery salt and black pepper. A sprinkle of powdered bouillon is a nice touch too, even a little milk and a dab of butter! I only do this with peeled potatoes. I don’t want to consume the fertilizers and pesticides on the skin.

  39. I liked what I read and everything, I was wanting to know some tips thank you.

    But I just want to inform you that you really shouldn’t put potato water on your dogs food if the potatoes are a a green sprouted or green skin potatoes.

    POTATO: Cooked and mashed potatoes are good for dogs. However, poisonous alkaloids (Solanum) are present in green sprouts and green potato skins..

    http://www.heathershomemadedogtreats.com/toxic.html

    (:

    1. I was wondering that too. I don’t use green potatoes for myself even. I thought I heard about the green potatoes being poisonous, too.
      Thanks for sharing.

  40. We keep a bucket in our kitchen during the time our rain barrels are not in use. We put all or final rinse water from washing and cooking, cat water bowl changes. We use that to water plants. A little bit of soap is Ok, it helps get rid of those pesky flies that seem to live in the soil of indoor plants.

    But I will start using the potato water for other things!

  41. Potato water does help thicken thinning hair but add a little honey for conditioner and softness , let set several hours and wash hair

  42. This is amazing. I’m going to try potato water next time I make gravy! Love this idea. #BrilliantBlogPosts

  43. Thanks for the info.on potatoe water ,some great tips in there.Here is a great tip for Hubbard Squash peel’s. When you peel a Hubbard squash, peel it so that you leave a layer of about 5mm of the orange flesh on the peel.Take the peel rinse it and cut into finer cubes, add some chopped onion and finely diced potatoe and just a little water to it,but not too much.Add salt and pepper to taste and cook until tender. Add a dollop of butter and mash it all up.Serve as an extra veggie on a plate with your sunday lunch.It is dilicious and add’s some nice colour to your plate as well.

  44. Brilliant post, my mother has used the Potato Water to make her gravy for years, I’ve never thought of using it in Mashed Potato instead of the milk. #BrilliantBlogPosts

    1. I read your comments on making a gravy with the potato water. May I ask all of you what your best recipe is for making gravy say for a chicken friend steak would be? I use the packets from the store but would like to learn how to make a good gravy.
      Thank you to all

  45. I didn’t realize how many nutrients potato water actually had! I love the example of Ma Ingalls… Well, I will definitely look at my potato water much differently from now on. Thank you for sharing at Inspire Me Wednesday. Featuring you in this week’s issue.

  46. I keep a container in the freezer to add any vegetable juices, potato water, spaghetti water. This makes excellent soup starter complete with flavoring so. I label the container “soup starter”. Any small leftover veggies , meat, sauces, etc. are added until the container is full. I always rinse my cans, jars, or cooking and serving dishes with just enough water to capture the favors then add to my soup starter. You never have to start with plain water then try to flavor it up. I get rave reviews on my soups….no two are ever the same!

    1. Great idea! I dislike wasting anything… I save the water from my tuna cans for my Husky who sheds terribly and is now 10 yrs old so eating wet mixed with dry food helps him to eat better.

  47. I use potatoes for a lot of dishes, even if I don’t plan on serving mashed potatoes. When making biscuits and gravy (SOS), I will dice up a couple potatoes, season the water with salt and butter and boil till done. While the potatoes are boiling, I cook up my sausage, or what ever meat mixture you want, with just a just a touch of liquid so it starts to steam a little while I crumble it up with a fork. I like small, crumbly mixture which blends easier. Keep watching and crumbling until the meat is done.

    When the potatoes are done, I use a slotted spoon to spoon the cooked potatoes (no liquid yet) into the skillet with the meat and mix in . I usually don’t have much grease to pour off the meat, but if you do, drain it off. Then back on the stove and make a well in the middle of the meat, add a little flour (start with about a 1/8 c and add more if your making a large batch) and mix in any dry seasons that you may want, into the well. Now mix well throughout the meat and it will coat the meat and not get lumpy.

    Start adding some of your hot seasoned potato water. Keep stirring as it starts to thicken and keep adding potato water until its almost as thick as you want. It will thicken more as it cools. You can also add a splash of milk for color or when reheating left overs, if there is any. Serve over biscuits, bread or whatever you want. ENJOY!

  48. I’ve been wondering about this! I’m living in Vietnam at the moment and pre-made vegetable stock, etc., is hard to come by. I boiled potatoes last night and thought to save the water for tonight’s soup. Your post confirms it. I’m a genius! haha

  49. Since I developed my favorite biscuit recipe in the late 90s, I’ve been substituting 1/2 the liquid for baked products with potato water to extend its shelf life. I got the idea from a local newspaper column from 1906, in Southern New Mexico (town had long since died). The biscuits stay edibly soft for up to 5 days, stored in a bread loaf bag in the cupboard. We’ve always eaten them up before the 6th day. hahaha

  50. I’m going to have to start saving my potato water! I can’t wait to try it in the garden. thanks for the tip!

  51. what a great idea, i’ve never thought of saving potato water! i’ll try one of these ideas the next time i boil potatoes! thanks for sharing! 🙂

  52. What an awesome frugal tip! Potato water is one thing we haven’t consciously been saving and using all that much. I do sometimes keep it to use in soups if I happen to be prepping a soup a day ahead, but I’m not good at going out of my way to keep the potato water for cooking. I do like the idea of freezing it, though!

    I think saving the potato water is going to be part of my challenge to be even more frugal this summer.

  53. Oh, my goodness!! I am so glad I saw this post! I didn’t know that potato water had so many uses. This is great!! I pinned and shared it.

  54. Potatoes are rich in vitamins especially vitamin C. It’s in the peel. Stab raw potatoes 3 to 4 times each side. Simmer, w/skins on, in seasoned water. I like salt pepper, turmeric, sage, and, always, a dash of chili powder to catalyze. Be creative. Don’t overcook(poke with a toothpick to check). Use the water (about 50/50) in soups, pasta, etc.
    Thus cooked, potatoes are great grilled, fried (in olive oil), salads, mashed (in the potato water w/yogurt or goat milk, etc), and will keep in the fridge.

  55. Unless u eat the potato raw, vit C is destroyed by heating or freezing. Hence, its added to frozen oj concentrate, which should be loaded with it without the added C as its a concentrate, eh?

  56. I recently read about washing the potato, still will skin in, slice thinly and leave in filtered water overnight. Drink on an empty stomach first thing in the morning. Can’t remember what it was good for but sounds in line with all the other good things.
    Regards
    Frances from Sunny South Africa

  57. For the first time cooking potatoes I noticed the water was quite thick. I’m glad my search for what to do with it led me to this site.

  58. Potatoes contain solanines, which are water soluble and unfortunately toxic. I would be very careful with using the water of boiled potatoes as stock for soups. You are ingesting a high concentration of solanines. Depending on quantity, potato variety, and preservation post harvest, adults won’t notice the toxicity but it can be too much for children. This counts especially for water used to boil unpeeled potatoes. Most of the solanines are in the peel. Always peel potatoes. It is a myth that the peel contains vitamins.

  59. Do you have any tips and tricks/ uses for leftover orange or lemon peels? Fruit skins or the normals parts of an avocado that get discarded?

  60. can you boil the potato let the wayer cool down and drink it for health benefits? I hear it’s good for different functions of the body.

  61. Hiya potato water or rice water is great for your hair growth, to add shine make hair thicker and retain length. It’s not a quick fix but it works wonders.. give it a try!! Hope this works for any who try it

  62. I used potato water in my gravy today after reading this. It did not thicken. I had to use corn starch. Not sure what went wrong.

  63. Quick fix gravy, I always use gravy granules and mix with boiling water. Quick and nasty I know.
    I always boil a pot of potatoes and put a steamer pot on top with the carrots, sprouts, and sometimes fresh beetroot if I have it. The beetroots turn the potato water purple so this would suggest a lot of goodness from the veg in the steamer boosts the goodness of the potato water. I now add this boosted potato water to the gravy granules and it improves the taste 1000% and saves money on boiling a kettle.
    I can make proper gravy but at times when I am short of time I use granules like Bisto so don’t troll me please.

  64. I love all you have to share!
    I appreciate the love and care you put into living life at it’s best. If at all possible,can I get a subscription to all your articles etc.
    Thank you Sarah Meredith’

  65. Well, well, well…here I was looking to make potatos & used too much water, so googled ‘can hot potato water be used for boiling pasta’ & I found your lovely site. I believe I’m gonna enjoy this, thank you!

  66. Would this be a good idea for someone with diabetes who has to limit starches in their diet? I still eat potatoes, but in limited amounts. Things that are starchy and/or convert to sugar tend to raise blood glucose levels…

    1. I’m not sure as I’m not a doctor and am not qualified to give medical advice. This would be pretty starchy so I would talk to your doctor first before trying.

  67. I know this is an old article but you seem to be the only person referencing the subject.

    Does the same info on potatoes apply for sweet potatoes?

    Thank you for your time.

  68. I have learned so much from this article and the comments! What a great find. Things I never would have thought of before. Thank you to all who contributed.
    I’m going to use this as the basis of my own newsletter article, with proper attributions, of course.

  69. I soak my grated raw potatoes in water before making hashbrowns. Was wondering if I could reused the water, I think this version of the water might actually be thicker than the boiled potato water.

  70. When I do mashed potatoes I always save the potato water put it in a quart jar let it cool a bit and then freeze it for later and when I’m ready to make my homemade chicken stock I add the potato water it really adds to the flavor

  71. Hello.. Merissa…
    Love to read your site..

    My mother has always saved veggie water
    It is even BETTER
    When saving from a PRESTO.. pot..loads of vitamins..
    Put into sauces and soups
    Kept in freezer and just add frozen to a already hot pot of water takes no time to melt ..!

  72. Hi lov this …I add cinn, cloves &nutmeg to my syrup. Yes, lemon juice keeps it from thickening…I sometimes add strawberry tops with the apples to add flavor ( when I make strawberry chips in the dehydrator.

  73. Our lives and where we live do not promote frugality. However, my mom was the queen of frugality so I learned a lot from her. I do not feel that I have been overly frugal this week. I have cooked every night – and will tonight – which is big b/c I hate to cook on a Friday night. Pizzas assembled at home but with store-bought GF and regular dough. I have not mastered dough making since I have been GF (9 years). Going to try sourdough made with Einkorn soon. I did place an order with Azure Standard for some things that are more reasonably priced and healthier than what I can get here in the Raleigh, NC area. Alas, they were out of purple sweet potatoes. I did get Einkorn berries – now to find a reasonably priced grain mill. Also, I am trying to use up the food/meat in our freezer. Only have a few main dish items left. I have been buying local beef roasts, stew meat or local sausage each week.

  74. Hi I have your little house living and I can’t find your recipe on canning apple pie. I found cobbler but nothing canning apple pie where would I find this recipe?.

  75. I recently kept the potato water in the pot when making vegetable beef soup and it made the soup very slimy. Why do you suppose that is? I would never want to make soup that slimy again. I also drained & rinsed in a sieve the ground meat I used. So I know the soup wasn’t slimy from grease. I also flavored & thickened the soup with beef bullion and cornstarch. Do you think the 2 starches (potato water & cornstarch) I also kept were just too much and combined to make the soup slimy? I also kept the vegetable boil water, do you think I just went overboard keeping all the waters and resulted in making slimy soup?

    1. Yes, I think that was a large amount of starch so the soup became slimy instead of thick. It’s happened to me before when I used too much thickener in a recipe.