The Potato Bag

The hot item these days is the potato bag. What is it? A cloth bag to microwave your potatoes. Why a potato bag? The bag allows the moisture to stay in the potato, so you get fluffy potatoes with no hard spots, no tough skin. It’s also great for sweet potatoes, carrots, corn on the cob, warming tortillas, biscuits, and rolls. And it’s super easy to use.

For best results, use the Warm Tater batting. Here’s what The Warm Company has to say about their new product:

Potato bags are all the rage and The Warm Company has the right batting for all your microwave and kitchen projects! Warm Tater is 100% natural cotton that hasn’t been chemically treated making it ideal for cooking potatoes, corn, rolls and warming tortillas in the microwave. Warm Tater is heavy weight 100% natural cotton that acts as an insulator keeping the moisture inside for fresh, hot steamy potatoes & so much more!

 Warning: Warm Tater is not intended to be microwaved alone. It is not fire retardant or flame proof and The Warm Company (or the authors of this blog!) does not make this claim.

http://www.warmcompany.com/warmtater.html

So, how to make one? There are several ways, all good. Instructions come with the batting. However, this is my personal favorite way.

You will need: 
11” by width of Warm Tater cotton batting (the width is about 23 ½”)

Two pieces of fabric 11” by half the width of fabric (One will be the lining of the bag and the other will be the pretty outside of the bag. It is not necessary to prewash the fabrics or the batting, but ironing the fabric is helpful. I cut 11” across the width of two fabrics and then cut at the fold.)

Cotton thread

***It is very important for everything to be cotton. You will be cooking with it! We don’t want dots of melted synthetic thread!

All the usual sewing/quilting items

This makes a bag for up to 4 potatoes, depending on size of potato.

Instructions:

• Place your fabrics right sides together, one right on top of the other, on top of the batting, lining up the edges neatly.

• Pin across short end to hold in place. One end may need trimming to get all pieces even. Just whack off the extra!

• Sew short ends with a ½” seam allowance (works best with the batting next to the feed dogs.) Trim seams to ¼” and zigzag. Or, for you lucky people that have a serger, serge it! This will make a tube.

• Turn so that the right sides of the fabrics are on the outside and the batting is inside. Press flat.

• Make sure your edges are lined up; pin along edge if it makes you feel better! Now’s your chance to play! Quilt it! Don’t stress about it; think of it as a chance to practice your machine quilting skills!

• With the lining fabric to the outside, fold the top flap down about 3”.
• Fold bottom up about 2" to 2 ½” below the top, overlapping the top flap and bottom about an inch or so. Again, don't overthink this placement; we aren't doing brain surgery!

• Pin sides. Stitch on both sides with a ½” seam allowance. Trim to ¼” and zigzag. I stitched again over the flap area for extra durability.

• Turn bag right side out. Use a point turner for the corners.
• Wash bag in cold water and dry. Press if desired.

Here are the very important instructions for using the potato bag from The Warm Company website:

Simply wash the potatoes and leave moist. DO NOT PIERCE ANY HOLES IN THE POTATO, and place them in the bag. (To keep the bag clean, the potatoes may be wrapped in a paper towel.) LaDonna: Wash the potatoes, pat with a paper towel, use that paper towel to wrap the potatoes. Close the flap and cook on high, 4 to 6 minutes, depending on the number & size of the potatoes, and the power of the microwave. LaDonna: Do not leave unattended. For the first few times, check the potatoes often to see just how your microwave performs. Do not use the “Baked Potato” button. After cooking, simply let the bag air dry. LaDonna: Turn it inside out and let it air dry. Should the bag need washing, it is MACHINE WASHABLE, no fabric softener please. LaDonna: As much as I love the scents of fabric softener, I don’t want to eat potatoes flavored with it!

Another important note from The Warm Company: If your microwave has a turntable, it is important that your potato bag be allowed to freely rotate or scorching may occur that could lead to fire if left unattended.

Be careful removing the bag from the microwave! Steam is very hot! The bottom will be hot and steam will come out of the flap, but the potatoes will turn out fluffy and yummy!

These make great Christmas gifts!

LaDonna