Although potatoes can last up to a month when kept in a cool, dark corner of the house, you might not be getting through that 4kg bag you bought at the supermarket. Luckily, there’s a way to make potatoes last much longer. When frozen, they’ll be usable for many months. It’s a great way to cut costs and have white or sweet potatoes ready for your favorite meals. To make your potatoes last, there are a few things you need to consider when freezing potatoes. So how do you boil and freeze potatoes?
Learning how to freeze potatoes isn’t a difficult thing to do. The key to getting it right is to cook them first – at least partially. Raw potatoes can turn grainy when frozen. That’s because their water content is so high. By part-boiling, frying, or baking your potatoes, they’ll be much quicker to use in recipes when you take them back out of the freezer. Pre-boiled potatoes are much faster to bake than fresh ones.
How you wish to prepare your potatoes before freezing depends on what you plan on doing with them afterward. But in general, you will need the following:
- Fresh potatoes.
- Chopping board.
- Cooking or baking utensils.
- Freezer bags or airtight containers.
One of the easiest ways to freeze potatoes is when you plan on roasting them afterward.
- Wash, dry, and peel the potatoes. Some people prefer their roast potatoes with the skin on, which is completely fine.
- Cut them into halves, chunks, or wedges.
- Blanch them in boiling water until they are tender. Try to avoid overcooking them.
- Drain the potatoes and allow them to cool fully.
- Spread the pieces out on a board and freeze them overnight.
- Transfer them to a freezer bag or suitable container.
- When you’re ready to roast them, you can just place the frozen chunks onto a baking tray and add your preferred seasoning.
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The steps to freezing french fries is similar to that for roast potatoes. The main difference is that you’ll be cutting your potatoes into thin or thick strips before you blanch them.
- Allow the cooked strips to cool fully, then add them to a bag with some vegetable oil.
- Shake the bag to distribute the oil evenly among the fries.
- Spread out the fries on a tray and freeze overnight.
- Transfer the frozen fries to a freezer bag or freezer container the next day.
Storing mash in the freezer is just as simple, but you’ll need a few more ingredients such as cream or butter.
- After peeling, cook and mash your potatoes.
- Add cream, cream cheese, or butter and season to taste.
- Allow the mash to cool down fully before transferring it to an airtight freezer bag.
- You can even divide the mash into portions so it’s easier to microwave the right amount when you’re ready to eat.
You can also freeze potatoes of many other variants including stuffed or scalloped potatoes, hash browns and potato gratins.
Find out how to freeze many other types of food from cheese to carrots to butter in our dedicated guides. Get more great tips and promotions by signing up to our newsletter.