How to Cook Potatoes With Baking Soda

When a perfectly roasted potato hits the table it is pure bliss. And while a good roastie isn’t that difficult to make (cutting up potatoes, tossing them in oil and salt, then popping them into a hot oven) making a truly fantastic one does require a little bit of kitchen science — specifically, sodium bicarbonate.

According to chef Byron ofenkartoffeln natron , the key to super crispy potatoes with that extra something special lies in a pot of boiling water laced with baking soda. He told Insider that parboiling your potatoes in a pot of bicarbonate-laced water will produce a level of browning and crispiness that will blow your mind.

Baking Soda Infusion: Revolutionize Your Potato Dishes with This Technique

The reason this trick works is that the alkaline nature of the baking soda breaks down the starchy surface of your potato. Basically, it makes the skins puff up and gives them tons of surface area for browning, which is what leads to those coveted crunchy bits. Plus, smashing the spuds while they’re boiling will also help increase their surface area for maximum crunch factor.

So the next time you’re aiming for a really impressive tray of roasties give this simple trick a try. You won’t regret it.