Peeling fruit and veg?

[galina]

Gave MIL a bag of rhubarb.  She was under the weather, so I said I would get them ready for the freezer for her.  I set to work enjoying the sunshine in the conservatory.  After a while MIL came to see what was taking so long ...............  and said 'Oh. do you peel your rhubarb?'  I always do, but apparently she never has done.  All the goodness is in the red peel on the outside apparently.

Now I don't peel most squashes (only the really hard rinded ones like Hubbards).  Buttercups, Uchiki Kuri and homegrown butternuts don't need it, apart from trimming the hard bits.  If the knife goes in without resistance, the squash does not need peeling.  But I learned from others that they always peel squash, except courgettes.   

Many people don't peel potatoes, just wash and scrape to keep more of the nutrients.  Definitely nicer for new potatoes and for making potato wedges to leave the skin on.

I see many people peeling apples.  Is this really necessary for bought apples.  Is the load of sprays and waxes on commercial apples a serious health concern?

I wonder what you peel or don't peel and why?

[galina]

[goodlife]

I don't peel rhubarb as I find the outer layer just as soft as the inside...though my mother does and as a girl I used to find it fun to help her.
Squashes...yes, I do...my mouth is funny 'thing' and the skin just don't appeal for it..
courgettes no
Potatoes I only peel if there is some major blemishes or if I make mash where skin would look unsightly. If I peel spuds, I feel like I remove the most beneficial part of the tuber....and my mouth agree..
I peel carrots...again...mouth thing...why?...it is not happy if I don't and there is something about the hairy roots too..
...and then the mouth don't mind hairy skin of the peaches...my mouth and I agree on this one, 'just get it down...it is all lovely'
Apples I always eat with skin unless I make sauce...and same goes for shop bought apples, though I do try to scrub hell out of it, to satisfy my mind that I've cleared any chemicals that are 'floating about'(I doubt they can be washed out once they are in)
Oranges I'm not too picky when peeling, just getting the orange part with majority of the white 'pith' will do....but with mandarins and such a fruit, I pick and pick and pick  ..I have to remove every single 'thread' and I spend aged getting rid of the white bits...
Bananas....again...no dangling 'threads' or it really puts me off..or that brown 'nib' on the end..for some reason it looks like blob of snot...
Sometimes I even chew some pea pods after podding them.. chewing pea 'juices' out when the pods are really nice  is quite refreshing too:icon_cheers:

Me and my head, mouth and tummy, we all have different opinions what are edible what not...

[artichoke]

I never peel winter squashes as it is such hard work. When they are roasted it is easy to get rid of the rind if you want to - but I actually like it, and it always softens while roasting. Slicing it into pieces to roast is another matter - really difficult.

Never peel rhubarb - always peel carrots - only peel apples if making sauce. (Have an exciting mechanical apple peeler, and sometimes make jelly out of the peelings. All my own apples - I rarely buy them, so no chemicals).

[Obelixx]

Don't eat many spuds but only ever peel if I'm making mash.  Otherwise roast or steamed or baked with skin on.   Always peel sweet potatoes.

I scrub parsnips and carrots and turnips and beetroot with a very effective wire wool type pan scrub and only peel if grating raw for salads as it looks prettier.   

Never peel rhubarb or apples.    I tend to slice pumpkins for roasting in big chunks and then scrape off the flesh for soups but for other pumpkin dishes I do peel first then cut in chunks according to the recipe I'm doing - small for risotto, larger for roasting with garlic and herbs or spices and medium for tagines and so on.   Don't peel courgettes or cucumbers.

[galina]

Thank you all for revealing your preferences.  With rhubarb I seem  to be in a minority given our little sample.  Next time I will leave the skin on and go by 'mouth feel' in future.  OH said, I have grown up with skins on I don't mind either way

I forgot about carrots.  My own usually get scrubbed and also with wirewool type of pan scrubber(not brillo pad with soap inside) but bought ones I peel because they have been around for longer and the skin has set.

I have seen those apple peeler things, they look cool.  Same here I peel for apple sauce.  Interesting to make jelly out of the peels.  I have heard that some make their own vinegar with apple peels.  They have what's called a vinegar mother and convert their fruit waste into something useful that way.

Squash once mentioned that she peels her butternut squash with a potato peeler.  Mine isn't up to that job and with a knife it is a lot more work and in the end my laziness won. 

I don't mind a bit of stringiness on mandarins etc at all.  But on runnerbeans that have got a bit older it doesn't feel nice.  Therefore I pare off the sides rather than just pulling the strings if the beans are a bit older or if it has been hot and dry and the beans aren't so soft anymore.

This was very interesting, thank you all.   

[pumkinlover]

I never heard of peeling rhubarb!
OH peels plums, I find it tedious but they are nice, much sweeter.

[goodlife]

I never heard of peeling rhubarb!
OH peels plums, I find it tedious but they are nice, much sweeter.

Oh I used to love helping mum to peel rhubarb...one would take hold of the most outer layer of the 'skin' from end of stick with knife and peel loooooooong 'hairs' off....it was fun. But when I moved over to UK..I saw that nobody did that here. I figured out that is was waste of effort and because of not doing that anymore....I get to eat PINK ,cooked rhubarb I think I might have changed my mum's life time habit of peeling it too
Only time I'm tempted to peel plums is if they come from shop...the skin is always so sharp tasting!?
The plums from my own trees never has that 'problem' ...perhaps because they get to ripen on the tree...?!

[Digeroo]

I never peel rhubarb the outside has all the pink. Goes soft when cooked.

Peel winter squash as it is very hard.  Don't peel potatoes if they are not nice enough I do not buy them. 

Use core/peeler for apples but then eat the peelings.