My Mom didn't make many fancy potato dishes. And for the holidays, we had baked potatoes, both sweet and whites. It seemed my parents could always find the biggest potatoes ever. Mom knew how to make a baked potato, right?
Today, many people (including me) buy microwave potatoes because they're already wrapped and ready to cook. It's a convenience thing. But did you know you can do it without paying a higher price? More on that later.
So how did Mom bake hers?
Well, today's foodies would say she did it all wrong because Mom used tin foil, which steamed the potatoes and kept the skins softer.
First, she would wash them very well and pat them dry.
Then she would puncture them through with either a knife slit or, when she was feeling Hitchcock: The old ice pick!
Next, she lubed them up with liquid oil and then wrapped them in foil, twisting the ends upward to prevent leakage into the oven.
The time varied, of course, but in general it was 400 degrees for 1 hour.
Now, if you want the skin crispy, I recommend taking them out of the oven, removing the foil, salting the outside with kosher salt, and popping them back into the oven for another 10 minutes, or until the skin is crispy.
There are, of course, other ways to bake a potato, but I'll stick with Mom's Method!
Now, suppose you would rather pay .50 for a potato instead of $1.50 for one wrapped in plastic to use in the microwave?
Take your potatoes, one at a time, and wash them very well.
Pierce each through with a knife.
Take a double fold of paper towels and wet them, damp, not soaking.
Wrap each potato in this double fold.
Place in the microwave, starting at 7 minutes on high, until they're soft when you push them, adding time if needed.
You may need to wet the paper towels, but if you cover each potato as you cook it (with a microwave-safe dish or cover), you shouldn't have to rewet them.