Baked Potato Bag Instructions

Baking your potatoes in a cloth bag will ensure that your potatoes come out perfect. Oftentimes baking a potato in the microwave solely on its own can cause it to come out burnt or too dry. Using a baked potato bag will put an end to all badly cooked potatoes forever. Potato bags are also easy to take care of. They are machine washable, but do not use fabric softener since fabric softener does contain strong chemicals. Allow your potato bag to air dry.

A baked potato bag is a cloth bag, usually 100 percent cotton, with a flap that closes up at the end. The bag's purpose is to retain the potatoes own moisture, allowing it to cook clear through without leaving it too hard or too dry. And because the bag is sealed, trapping the moisture inside, the potato cooks in less time than if the potato was placed directly into the microwave.

Potato bags come in different sizes, but most are only made for no more than four medium size potatoes. After washing the potatoes, immediately place them inside the bag without poking holes in them (you can also wrap them in paper towels in an effort to keep the potato bag clean for a longer period of time). Place the bag inside the microwave, with the flap side down so that the moisture stays inside the bag better. Cook for 5 to 7 minutes on high. Push down on the potatoes to check for the firmness. If the potatoes seem too hard still, cook them for another 2 minutes. You can also use a toothpick, knife or fork to check to see if the potato is cooked clear through, though doing it this way will require you to take a potato out of the bag. Remember, potatoes will be very hot when they first come out of the microwave.

After the potatoes are cooked, remove them from the potato bag. Be careful when opening the flap--hot steam will pour out. Unwrap the potatoes from the paper towels and place potatoes directly onto a serving platter or dinner plates. Slice open each potato with a cut down the center. Squeeze each end to force the potato open, revealing hot fluffy potato filling. Garnish with your favorite toppings, such as sour cream, butter, cheese, chili and chives.