The Incredible Edible Cure for Burns!

I love to cook, but hate the inevitable burns I receive on a regular basis. Not only does it leave me whimpering at the dinner table, it takes at least a week for the resulting blister to heal, and even longer for the discoloration to fade. That is until...I put a potato on it!

About a week ago, I was frying up a delicioso batch of chiles rellenos and somehow the tip of one of my fingers dipped into the incredibly hot oil! Ouch! (Actually, that's not what I said exactly, but you get the picture!) I immediately ran the finger until cold water to remove the hot oil and help reduce the temperature of the burn. I then took a peek to inspect the damage. It already looked white, like an under-cooked french fry, and it hurt like hell. My sweet kids did what all kids would do in this situation, looked it up on the internet. Their unanimous response was to place a potato on it. They said it might help prevent a blister. Honestly, I was desperate for relief, but really doubted a potato could prevent a 375 degree oil blister from forming...or could it?

I cut a small potato in half, scooped out a small indention with a melon baller, and stuck the tip of my finger in it. I felt immediate relief from the pain! Weird! I kept the potato on my finger until it started to hurt again, in which I melon balled another fresh divot for continuous relief. I did this all evening until the pain was completely eliminated, about 2-3 hours. The next morning I was shocked! Not only was the burn from hell not blistered, it wasn't even red, and it didn't hurt at all! Amazing! So, the next time you get burned, you know what to do, put a potato on it!

Special thanks to the Chinese, who appear to be the ones to discover this excellent remedy!

*Tips: Apparently it is the juice from the potato that brings relief. In addition, you can grate a potato and apply to larger areas, if needed. According to WebMD, it is also supposed to be great for sunburns, infections, boils, arthritis, and sore eyes. Who knew?