How To Freeze Potatoes?

Freezing potatoes may make life so much easier and, in certain situations, produce better results (for example, roast potatoes from the freezer!). Learn how to freeze potatoes and have a ready-to-use arsenal of multiple versions at your disposal, ready to go and without any preliminary work.

Potatoes do not freeze well fresh, therefore they must be boiled or partially cooked before freezing. The beautiful thing about them is that you can prepare and freeze them in a variety of ways. Try these techniques with white, sweet, or purple potatoes. Fresh potatoes should always be used. Potatoes stored in the freezer will be at their peak in three months.

In this article, we will walk you through the entire process of freezing potatoes. The winter cold would preserve the potatoes till spring. Don’t be concerned if you’ve never frozen potatoes before. This post will walk you through the entire process of freezing potatoes. What do they do to make your life easier? Prepare to be surprised in the area below.

Should I freeze potatoes?

With a shelf life of up to a year, frozen potatoes are effectively always in season, ensuring consistent quality all year. When you buy fresh potatoes, they will decay after a while. However, if you freeze your potatoes instead of utilizing them fresh, their shelf life will be extended.

So you may always use the frozen potato for your purposes. If you have a large stock of potatoes at home, you can preserve them by freezing; however, you must conduct the process correctly so that the potatoes do not rot.

Potatoes are one of the most adaptable vegetables on the planet. They cannot be made in an infinite number of ways, but many meals seem incomplete without them.

If you are harvesting potatoes and your yield is larger than expected, or if you buy potatoes from a local store, you will be unable to use them quickly enough, thus you will need to find ways to preserve them.

The first preservation method that comes to mind is freezing. However, merely dumping raw buds into your freezer will not work; it is not as simple as that. When frozen potatoes thaw, they have a high possibility of turning black and being unusable. So, let us show you how to freeze potatoes without them turning black.

The best approach to freeze potatoes is determined by the type of potato you’re working with. To freeze whole, mashed, French-fried, or shredded potatoes, follow these steps:

How to freeze whole potatoes?

It’s not difficult to freeze whole or cubed potatoes, but you must follow a few basic steps.

Peel: This step is optional, however, it is beneficial because blanching works best without the skin. If you intend to mash your potatoes after they’ve thawed, now is the time to cube them.

Blanch: Fill a pot halfway with water and season with salt. Bring the water to a boil in a large pot over high heat. When the water is boiling, add the potatoes. Blanching duration varies depending on the size of your potatoes or potato pieces, ranging from three minutes for baby potatoes or little cubes to ten minutes for entire russets. To stop the cooking process, immediately remove the potatoes from the boiling water and place them in an ice bath.

Dry: After the potatoes have completely cooled, place them in a colander to drain. Place them in a single layer on a kitchen towel when they’ve drained. To absorb excess moisture, pat with paper towels.

The flash freezes: Arrange the potatoes in a single layer on a cookie sheet coated with parchment paper. Freeze for at least four hours, preferably overnight.

Freeze: After the potatoes have frozen, place them in freezer-safe storage bags labeled with the date.

How to freeze Boiled Potatoes?

Peel (or not) the potatoes and chop them into the desired size and shape. Place the potatoes in a pot of boiling water and parboil until almost done, soft but still firm; the timing will vary depending on the size of your potatoes (a couple of minutes for small diced potatoes and up to 10 minutes for larger potatoes). Plunge the potatoes into a dish of ice water to stop the cooking process, then drain and set aside to chill.

Arrange the potatoes on a tray so that they do not touch. Place the tray in the freezer and, after six to twelve hours, transfer to a resalable airtight freezer bag, and remove any excess air, label, and place back in the freezer.

How to freeze Mashed Potatoes?

Peel and dice the potatoes, then boil until tender. Drain and mash with butter, milk, and salt to taste until the smooth, season, and set aside to cool fully. (To cool fast, place the mashed potatoes in a deep bowl, then in a big shallow dish filled with ice and cold water.)

We find that servings of two, or perhaps one, work well for the mashed potatoes. Place each part in a resalable, airtight freezer bag, remove any excess air, then spread the mashed potato out as flatly as possible, label, and place in the freezer until solid.

How to Freeze Roasted Potatoes and Fries?

Peel (or not) the potatoes and chop them into the desired size and shape. Place the potato in a pot of boiling water and parboil until it is almost cooked, soft but still firm; the timing will vary depending on the size of your potatoes (a couple of minutes for chips and up to five minutes for larger roast potatoes). Plunge the potatoes into a dish of icy water to stop the cooking process, then drain in a colander while shaking them to fluff them up.

Heat some oil and throw the potato in it to coat. Allow cooling before arranging the potatoes on a tray so that they do not touch. Place the tray in the freezer and, after six to twelve hours, transfer to a resealable, airtight freezer bag, and remove any excess air, label, and place back in the freezer.

frozen crinkle cut potato fries on wooden cutting board on black background

How to freeze Stuffed Potatoes?

For easy weekday meals, twice-baked potatoes, also known as stuffed potatoes, are great to prepare ahead of time and freeze; similar to mashed potatoes, the cheese or sour cream they typically contain helps make them freezer friendly.

Cook the potatoes according to the package directions, then cool them entirely before wrapping them in foil or plastic wrap and freezing for up to 3 months. Twice-baked potatoes can be thawed in the refrigerator or reheated from frozen in the oven or microwave. In the same way as mashed potatoes, baked potatoes can be frozen, but they don’t freeze as well since they lack the richness of the cheese and sour cream.

How to freeze Scalloped Potatoes and Potato Gratin?

Scalloped potatoes and potato gratins freeze well, allowing you to get a head start on dinner. It’s recommended to cook the meal until the potatoes are soft and beginning to brown, but not totally done. Allow cooling completely before wrapping tightly and freezing for up to 2 weeks. Allow thawing in the refrigerator before baking until the potatoes are totally cooked and the dish is thoroughly heated. If you want to sprinkle cheese on top of your potatoes after freezing, do it once the dish is back in the oven and almost done.

Tips on how to freeze potatoes:

Blanching a potato must be done correctly; if done incorrectly, the potatoes would turn to mush. However, if the blanching is stopped too soon, the potatoes’ color may change quickly.
Yukon gold potatoes, for example, freeze far better than red potatoes.
Rather than rushing the procedure, thaw the potatoes to room temperature gradually. This can reduce the likelihood of discoloration. The best method, however, is to only partially defrost before cooking in a very hot oven or oil.
To minimize excessive browning while cooking, choose potatoes with less starch.
Before or during the blanching process, sprinkle the potatoes with vinegar or lemon juice. This will prevent spuds from becoming soft.
It is critical to fully drain the water after blanching. Absorbent towels can be used for this purpose.
After blanching the potatoes, air-drying them might result in crispy French fries with soft centers.
If you freeze potatoes before frying them, you will get nicer French fries than if you fried them immediately after blanching them.
It is preferable to defrost mashed potatoes in the refrigerator for seven to eight hours rather than at room temperature.
The container or bag used for freezing must contain as little air as possible. You can also use a straw to force air out of the bags while sealing them.
If you have potatoes of varying sizes, it is always best to blanch, fry, or freeze those of similar size together and those of different sizes in separate batches.
After blanching the potatoes, immediately immerse them in ice-cold water. This keeps them from becoming soggy.
Do not fill the bags/containers to the full with potatoes. Allow at least a half-inch gap between the top of the potato container.
New potatoes are fine for frying whole or in half, but for fries and other cuts, potatoes that have been stored for at least thirty days are preferable; nevertheless, entire potatoes will stay considerably longer if sliced.

Conclusion on how to freeze potatoes:

We hope this post was useful in assisting you in freezing potatoes for a lengthy period of time. All methods have been thoroughly described. We also gave you some expert advice on how to freeze potatoes without making any blunders. If you have any questions about this issue, please leave them in the comments area. We would be delighted to assist you.

Other Vegetables To Freeze

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How To Freeze Potatoes?

Should I freeze potatoes?