Potatoes are rich in starch and minerals. During cooking, some of these nutrients end up in the water – and usually down the drain. However, this is a waste, as the valuable ingredients can be used in a variety of ways. Here are five popular uses of potato water!
#1 Potato water for watering plants
Potato water contains minerals such as iron, magnesium, and phosphorus, which can act as a light fertilizer for plants.
To use potato water on your plants, you will need to boil some potatoes in a pot with enough distilled water so that all the potatoes are submerged completely in it. After boiling let it cool down before using as warm temperatures can damage roots if applied directly onto them without cooling off first. You should then strain out any solid pieces from this liquid before pouring into your plant’s potting mix (or just pour over top). This will ensure only nutrient-rich liquid enters into contact with the plant’s root system – not chunks of cooked vegetable matter! When hot and fresh out of the pot, potato water can be used as a weed killer.
#2 Potato water as a cleaning agent
The starch water can help with cleaning. You can use hot potato water to clean surfaces, as well as dirty and oily pans. Many people also use it as a drain cleaner. In this case, it is best to pour it down a blocked shower drain rather than the kitchen sink.
#3 Potato water as a base for sauces
You can also use potato water directly in cooking, for example as a base for the sauce for your potatoes. The starch in the water helps make sauces creamy. Read more about that in this post. It is important to use only water from peeled potatoes here. The skin of potatoes can not only transfer dirt to the water, but also contain solanine, a substance present in raw potatoes in small amounts that can cause headaches, nausea, and vomiting. While the amounts are usually so small as to pose no danger, it is safer to avoid drinking water from unpeeled potatoes.
#4 Starch water as a hair treatment
It’s a different story if you want to use potato water as a hair treatment. In this case, water from potatoes with the skin is preferred, as it contains particularly high amounts of minerals and starch that are said to nourish the hair. The same applies to water from pasta and rice. Some also swear by starch water as a treatment for skin rashes.
#5 Potato water for heartburn relief
The starch water is also said to help neutralize stomach acid and relieve heartburn. Again, it is important to use only water from peeled potatoes, and the water should not be salted.