Is it possible to freeze peeled potatoes in the freezer?


Can potatoes be frozen?


Can potatoes be frozen in the freezer? The answer is simple, like the question - yes, it is possible. When frozen, potatoes retain their structure and all the beneficial properties that were present when fresh. However, in order to avoid any troubles and unexpected turns in this matter, you need to know how to properly and well prepare a vegetable for freezing.

Advantages and disadvantages

Advantages

The main advantages when harvesting potatoes for the winter can be considered:

  • The vegetable retains all its beneficial properties and does not lose them over time when frozen.
  • The finished frozen product saves a lot of time, because such preparations do not require defrosting - they are immediately sent to the pan or in the microwave.

Flaws

Perhaps the only drawback may be the change in the taste of the vegetable after heating. But it is worth saying that this is only possible when the housewife did not take into account all the subtleties when preparing potatoes for further freezing.

How to choose raw materials?


In order to ultimately get a high-quality dish from frozen potatoes, you should carefully select the variety of vegetable and its tubers. It is recommended to prepare potato varieties with pink skin for the winter . These include:

As for the tubers, they must be mature, firm to the touch and have a smooth skin.

Can you keep potatoes in the refrigerator?

Refrigerators maintain optimal temperatures for the preservation of most common varieties. True, there is not much space in it, but the potato reserves inside can be constantly replenished as they are used. In addition, already peeled raw potatoes can be stored exclusively in the depths; in warm conditions they will quickly darken. Many housewives make preparations from potatoes for the winter, cutting them into slices, processing and freezing them.

How to properly stock up for the winter?

Inventory

  • Freezer bags (kitchen containers will work in a pinch).
  • Deep bowl.
  • Pot.
  • Colander.

Treatment before the procedure

The vegetable tubers are washed well; if necessary, this should be done with a special kitchen brush. After washing the potatoes, peel them and place them in a bowl of cold water for a while. This is necessary so that the vegetable does not turn black over time, and also to get rid of excess starch in the composition.

Carrying out the process at home

For fries


As you know, French fries look like straws . To ensure that the latter is of sufficient length, large potatoes are usually taken.

  1. After cutting the potatoes into strips, they are washed in cold water and allowed to dry a little on a paper towel.
  2. After the straw has gotten rid of excess water, you should arrange a water bath for it by lowering a colander with potatoes over a pan of boiling water for 3-4 minutes.
  3. The potatoes are then allowed to cool slightly, drizzled with sunflower or olive oil to taste and placed in the freezer until they are sufficiently frozen and firm.
  4. Next, the frozen potato straws are placed in special bags or kitchen containers and sent to the freezer.

Whole peeled raw vegetable

Is it possible to freeze whole potatoes?

  1. To freeze whole potatoes, first rinse the peeled potatoes well and place them on a paper towel.
  2. Next, prepare two pans of water in advance: the first with cold water, the second with boiling water. To begin with, the whole vegetable is dipped into boiling water, where it is blanched for about 4-5 minutes, then removed with a slotted spoon and placed in cold water, preferably with ice cubes.
  3. Then remove the potatoes and dry them again on a paper towel.
  4. After the vegetable is completely dry, it should be placed in special bags.

How to make delicious mashed potatoes

Many people think that there is nothing complicated in making mashed potatoes, but if you don’t know a few secrets, the dish will most likely not turn out tasty.

Firstly, the taste of the dish depends entirely on the potatoes. To make the puree tender and tasty, choose ripe potatoes, without damage or foreign odors.

Secondly, the potatoes must be salted directly during cooking so that they are saturated with salt. It is this type of spice that gives the dish a pleasant appetizing taste and aroma. If you do not add salt during cooking, the potatoes will turn out tasteless.

Thirdly, the taste and degree of readiness of potatoes depends on the correct preparation. Do not throw potatoes into the water only when the water has boiled. So it most likely will not be able to cook completely. It is better to pour cold water over the chopped potatoes and place them on the stove so that they heat up at the same time.

Fourthly, in order for the puree to be airy and more tasty, you should add butter and milk to it. But you shouldn’t add them to a dish straight from the refrigerator. While the potatoes are cooking, remove these ingredients to bring them to room temperature. Or you can heat the milk until warm.

And finally, try to mash the boiled potatoes by hand. This way you can monitor the process of potatoes achieving the required thickness. And, if you beat the potatoes with a mixer, you can overdo it and end up with a very unpalatable side dish.

How to defrost?


Whether or not to defrost potatoes depends on how they were frozen.

  • You can defrost ready-made mashed potatoes on the refrigerator shelf or in the microwave using the “Defrost” mode. You can also defrost it in a frying pan with a little water.
  • Frozen French fries or potatoes cut into strips do not need to be thawed, as they can be started frozen if desired.
  • As for fried potatoes, you should do the same as with French fries or strips.

From your own experience, you can be convinced that frozen potatoes do not change their taste and structural qualities, and on the contrary, they are a necessary product in the kitchen of every housewife, significantly saving time when preparing any vegetable dish.

How long do boiled potatoes last?

In the refrigerator in a container with a tightly closed lid (enamel pan or airtight container), the shelf life of potatoes is no more than 2 days.

Storage conditions and periods:

  1. At room temperature +20°C - up to 18 hours.
  2. In the refrigerator up to +5°C - no more than 2 days.
  3. In the refrigerator below +4°C - up to 3 days.

The vegetable retains its taste if it is not exposed to light. For this reason, jacket potatoes remain edible longer.

The shelf life of the puree depends on what additional ingredients are present in the dish:

  1. If raw yolk is added, it cannot be stored.
  2. With sour cream - 24 hours.
  3. With boiled milk and butter - maximum 3 days.

If you leave the dish at room temperature, then no more than 4 hours.

Attention! Boiled potatoes, left in the refrigerator for more than a day, are used to make casseroles, pies and dumplings.

Boiled potatoes with meat or vegetables are suitable for consumption within 48 hours.

Before eating a dish with boiled potatoes, pay attention to the following factors:

  1. Appearance. The vegetable retains its shape and does not fall apart.
  2. Color. Remains natural, white or yellow-white. No darkened parts.
  3. Smell. There is no specific aroma.
  4. Consistency. Soft, juicy, moderately crumbly.

Extend the shelf life of potatoes if stored separately:

  • gravy;
  • greenery;
  • other vegetables.

Mashed potatoes are suitable for eating if:

  1. The mass did not darken.
  2. There are no lumps.
  3. There is no characteristic, sour smell.

Useful video

We invite you to watch a video about the technology of properly freezing potatoes:

If you find an error, please select a piece of text and press Ctrl+Enter.

Making blanks for future use by freezing is an excellent solution. Most housewives prepare vegetables, fruits or herbs for the winter. Not many people know, but potatoes can also be frozen, which will significantly save time for preparing dishes. Frozen peeled product is prepared in various ways: whole, sliced, fried and even boiled. But certain conditions must be observed during the preliminary preparation of the vegetable so that it does not spoil.

How to choose the right potato

For winter storage, choose young potatoes with a low content of starch and sugar. This is explained by the fact that during the freezing process, the starch contained in the tubers is converted into sugar, as a result of which the vegetable will change its taste. The potatoes will have an unpleasant sweet taste.

It is recommended to purchase varieties with pink peel or Sineglazka.

It is important to pay attention to the condition of the vegetables: the density of the surface, the absence of eyes and depressions caused by pests indicate that the vegetable will be perfectly preserved.

Why do potatoes turn dark and is it dangerous?

The change in the color of the tubers after cleaning occurs due to the fact that the starch, which is part of the vegetable, comes into contact with air and oxidizes.

As a result, the product takes on a rather unappetizing appearance. How safe are darkened potatoes for the body? According to experts, eating this vegetable will not cause harm to health. But browning of potatoes can be avoided. To do this, you need to follow several rules that relate to its storage.

How to freeze potatoes?

Taking into account home conditions, you can prepare potatoes for the winter not only whole, but also in finished form, for example, by freezing mashed potatoes. Below are some step-by-step instructions for freezing potatoes.

Entirely

To freeze whole potatoes, purchase small-sized tubers. Larger vegetables are cut in half or into four parts - depending on the size of the vegetable.

  • Washed and peeled raw potatoes are first blanched. To do this, you need to place two pans on the stove, bring water to a boil in one of them, and pour ice into the other.
  • First, the tubers are dipped in boiling water and blanched for 4-5 minutes. Then the vegetables are immediately transferred to a pan with cold liquid and left until completely cooled.
  • Place the cooled potatoes on a towel to dry. Paper towels will help speed up the drying process.

Important! Before putting the tubers in the freezer, they must be completely dried to avoid an ice crust during the freezing process.

  • Cooled and well-dried vegetables are placed in bags and placed in the freezer.

New potatoes and early varieties

Young potatoes of very early varieties begin to be dug up as early as June. The starch-poor tubers with delicate skins are not particularly shelf-stable. If you keep the crop in a cardboard box in the kitchen or pantry (the main thing is not in the light), then it is advisable to eat it within 10–15 days. In a paper bag in the bottom compartment of the refrigerator, these potatoes will remain fresh, tasty and healthy for no longer than three weeks.

The shelf life of early varieties of potatoes dug up after ripening is a maximum of 4–5 months. It is better to use the harvest before December, as then the tubers quickly lose their elasticity and germinate. The only exception is planting material, which is greened in the light immediately after harvesting, then treated with disinfecting compounds so that the tubers for planting last until spring, but such potatoes become unsuitable for food.

Defrosting rules

Tubers stored in the form of cubes, straws, halves or whole are not defrosted. It is enough to take a bag of frozen food out of the freezer and immediately place it in a boiling broth, fry it in a frying pan or place it on a baking sheet and bake it in the oven, after mixing the potatoes with spices, salt and oil.

The only difference between cooking raw potatoes and frozen ones is the cooking time. Products from the freezer require 5-10 minutes more time to be fully cooked.

It is recommended to defrost a tray of mashed potatoes either in the refrigerator or in the microwave using the “Defrost” mode. If there is no microwave oven, the dish can easily be thawed on the stove by adding a small amount of water to the pan.

Using the freezing method, you can prepare a large number of different products for future use, both plant and animal origin. And there is nothing strange in the fact that housewives decide to freeze potatoes. This way you can significantly save time when preparing food every day. But in order for this product to retain its taste and beneficial qualities, it must be properly prepared. Further from the article we will learn how to freeze potatoes for the winter at home.

Under what conditions should potatoes be stored?

Recommendations for storing potatoes are specified in GOST 28372-93 “Fresh food potatoes. Storage Guide."

According to the document, the optimal conditions for storing potatoes are as follows:

  • Tubers can be stored in boxes, bags, on pallets or in bulk.
  • Potatoes breathe, releasing heat and carbon dioxide. Therefore, ventilation should be provided.
  • Vegetables must be placed in a dark place where light does not penetrate.
  • The recommended temperature for storing potatoes is 3–6 °C.
  • Humidity level – 85–95%.

Are potatoes stored in the refrigerator? And no, and yes. First of all, you need a lot of space to store it. There is too little space in household refrigerators, and the appropriate temperature is maintained only in the vegetable compartment. In addition, there is no necessary ventilation inside the chamber. But in large rooms equipped with industrial refrigeration equipment, potatoes are stored perfectly. The warehouses provide the necessary air circulation, ventilation works, and the refrigerator allows you to maintain a stable temperature.

At home, the refrigerator is not the best place to store potatoes.

Preparing for freezing

First, you should fill the tubers with water for a while. Then, when the surface of the potato gets a little wet, you can easily wash it using a brush for this purpose.

Next, you need to peel the tubers and then place them in cold water. This is necessary so that the product does not darken, and also to remove part of the starch that will go into the water.

How long can peeled potatoes be stored?

Tubers without peels, which for some reason cannot be cooked immediately, can be filled with water. This must be done so that they do not darken. The black-gray coating is formed as a result of the oxidation of tyrosine contained in the pulp after contact with oxygen. Water will interfere with this reaction. Peeled potatoes in water can be stored for up to 4 hours, provided they are completely covered with liquid. If you put it in the refrigerator, the storage time will increase significantly. At a temperature of 3-5 degrees, raw vegetables without peels, filled with water, will last 24 hours. During this time, neither the structure of the pulp nor its taste will change. Longer storage will lead to loss of taste and a significant part of the nutrients.

There are several rules for storing peeled potatoes in water that every housewife should know.

  1. You need to cover whole potatoes with water. Slicing is done immediately before preparing the dish. This will preserve most of the useful things in the tubers.
  2. The water in the container with potatoes must be changed periodically, washing the vegetables each time.
  3. When stored in a refrigerator, the temperature in the refrigerator should not exceed 6 degrees.
  4. Bubbles on the surface of the water indicate the beginning of the fermentation process, which means the vegetable has spoiled. It can no longer be eaten.

As useful information, let us remind you that potatoes that were fed with nitrogen fertilizers will become unusable earlier than those grown in your own garden without the use of chemicals.

Methods for freezing potatoes: step-by-step instructions

Today, experienced housewives not only freeze whole potatoes, but also prepare unique semi-finished products, for example, for fries. We offer step-by-step instructions on how to freeze potatoes at home.

Entirely

To freeze whole potatoes, it is better to select small-sized tubers. If you only have large ones on hand, you can cut them.

  1. First of all, you need to blanch the washed and peeled tubers. To do this, you should prepare two pans. One should be put on fire, and the second should be filled with as cold water as possible, to which, if possible, you can add pieces of ice.
  2. Place the potatoes in boiling water and blanch for no more than 5 minutes. Then remove and immediately plunge into chilled water.
  3. After the product has cooled, place it on a towel and dry. You can blot the tubers with paper napkins or a towel. It is very important that the potatoes are dry, otherwise after freezing the product will become covered with a crust of ice.
  4. Thoroughly dried tubers can be placed in bags and placed in the freezer.

For fries

To prepare a semi-finished product that can later be used for deep-frying, you need to perform a number of steps:

  1. The purified product must be cut into cubes. To do this, you can use a special slicing knife with rectangular holes, a grater, or a regular knife.
  2. Next, the sliced ​​​​product needs to be salted, which will help prevent the product from blanching in the freezer.
  3. Now you need to pour wheat flour into a separate bowl and put the potatoes there. Flour will help ensure that fried French fries have a golden crust. You need to mix the ingredients thoroughly so that each slice is coated with flour. The process must be carried out quickly, otherwise the flour will get wet and begin to stick together, resulting in the formation of a large flour lump.
  4. Now you need to place the semi-finished product on a tray in one layer and send it to the freezer for freezing. After the product is completely frozen, you need to collect it, put it in containers and put it back in the freezer for storage.

Particularly creative housewives are interested in whether it is possible to freeze mashed potatoes. It is worth answering that it is possible, since many are already actively using this method.

  1. You need to peel and cook the potatoes until tender, as usual.
  2. Then grind the product into puree. If desired, you can add butter or milk to it.
  3. After this, you need to let the potatoes cool completely, pack them in a bag and place them in the freezer.

Roasted

Fried potatoes can also be frozen:

  1. First you need to peel the product and cut it into pieces.
  2. Then the potatoes are fried in a frying pan as usual. You can add salt and your favorite spices during the process.
  3. After the potatoes are completely cooked, you need to cool them.
  4. Next, use a paper towel to remove excess fat from the product.
  5. All that remains is to pack the fried potatoes into portioned bags and put them in the freezer.

Frozen potatoes: basic rules for freezing at home, how to cook correctly

Freezing potatoes is a great way to save some money and prepare potato dishes during the cold winter. There are several ways to preserve potatoes at subzero temperatures, and this article will discuss each of them in detail.

Basic rules for freezing potatoes

At first glance, it may seem that there is nothing easier than storing potatoes in the freezer. The storage process itself will not require any effort from you, but the vegetable needs to be properly packaged, choose the optimal freezer and configure it to the desired parameters.

Sealed packaging is an important rule for long-term storage. For these purposes, it is best to select dense, airtight plastic bags that will not tear when dragged around the freezer. However, in this case, you need to take into account: before storing the potatoes, you need to release all the air from the bag.

Excess oxygen will significantly reduce the shelf life of root vegetables, and can also spoil its taste and visual characteristics. Foil is also a great option for wrapping potatoes. But it should be thick, since baking foil is thin and breaks without much effort.

Another important rule for preserving at low temperatures: repeated freezing is highly undesirable. It is better to cook and eat the defrosted product immediately. Experts recommend storing potatoes at a temperature no higher than -18°C. In addition, it is important to ensure that there are no temperature changes.

For these purposes, it is recommended to purchase an uninterruptible power supply along with the freezer.

What kitchen equipment is needed

Each individual case of freezing may require different equipment, but we are talking about items that are probably in every kitchen.

In general, when preparing potatoes you will need:

  • pot;
  • pan;
  • Bowl;
  • colander;
  • tray;
  • knife;
  • containers for storing vegetables.

Selection and preparation of potatoes for freezing

For storage at subzero temperatures, it is necessary to choose potato varieties with low starch and glucose content. The fact is that starch, during prolonged exposure to negative temperatures, breaks down from a polysaccharide into disaccharides and monosaccharides (in fact, into ordinary sugar - sucrose and fructose).

As a result, when eaten, such potatoes will seem overly sweet to you.

For these purposes, it is better to select potato varieties with pink (not red) skin, such as Sineglazka, Vesna, Vesnyanka, Zhukovsky early. Low level of starch content in tubers of such varieties as Leader, Pogarsky, Red Scarlet, Temp.

Important! To freeze for a long time, potatoes in their entire raw form must have an even structure, dense and without obvious signs of damage to the skin. If the peel is damaged, such a vegetable will quickly deteriorate during long-term storage and lose its taste.

When preparing tubers, you must first soak them in water for some time. After 1-2 hours, rinse them thoroughly and peel them, then soak them again in cold water. By soaking peeled potatoes, you remove excess starch from them and prevent further darkening of the vegetables.

Methods for freezing potatoes at home

In the modern world, where every minute of free time is valued, people have begun to look for instant food products. That is why there has been a fashion for freezing French fries, boiled and even fried tubers.

For fries

A great way to have an instant snack at home. You only need to spend a little time once in order to save it in the future. Here are step-by-step instructions for preparing French fries for freezing:

  1. Peel the tubers and cut them into strips. For these purposes, you need to select medium-length potatoes so that the straws have a natural appearance.
  2. Rinse the cut straws in several waters. This procedure will help remove excess starch from it.
  3. Set up a steam bath for the potatoes: boil water in a large saucepan, pour the straws into a colander, place it over the water (so that the bottom of the colander does not come into contact with the water) and cover everything with a lid.
  4. After 3-4 minutes, take out the straw and sprinkle it with sunflower oil.
  5. Place the prepared potatoes on a special tray and place in the freezer. After 30–40 minutes, take it out, package it in bags and put it in long-term storage at low temperature.

This product will come in very handy when you need a quick snack, but don’t have anything suitable at hand.

Fried

You can prepare delicious fried potatoes in large batches and enjoy this dish on busy days without spending long hours in the kitchen. The first step in preparation will be cleaning the tubers. After this, they must be thoroughly washed and cut into small pieces. Fry in your usual manner with the addition of salt, pepper, onion and other spices.

After frying, the potatoes should cool to room temperature. It is important to remove excess fat from it, which is not needed in the freezer - it is best to use a paper towel for this. Then you can put the fried dry potatoes into bags and store them at sub-zero temperatures.

Boiled

Boiled potatoes can be frozen either with or without their skins. To begin with, the tubers need to be thoroughly washed and boiled with the addition of salt and other spices (optional).

Next, the root vegetables should dry out and completely get rid of excess steam. It is recommended to wipe wet potatoes with a paper towel.

After drying, boiled root vegetables are packaged in secure bags or trays and sent to the freezer.

Storage periods and features

There are some subtleties of storing root vegetables at subzero temperatures, knowing which you can extend their shelf life:

  • if you do not remove excess starch from potatoes, then during storage they will acquire a blackish tint;
  • if raw potatoes are not soaked in several waters, they will have some looseness;
  • To prevent potatoes from sticking together, you need to use the rule of stage-by-stage freezing (first freeze a portion, and then pack it and send it to a permanent storage place), and also store the product in portions;
  • Frozen tubers are a product with specific taste characteristics that not everyone will like. Therefore, first you should prepare a small portion of potatoes and decide for yourself whether this product is suitable for you or not.

Root vegetables must be kept at a temperature no higher than -18°C, otherwise their shelf life will be significantly reduced. Raw prepared potatoes can be stored for about 5 months, boiled or fried - up to 6 months.

How to properly defrost and cook potatoes after freezing

The process for cooking frozen potatoes will depend on how you prepared and stored them:

  • Whole root vegetables that have been stored raw do not require thawing. They must be immediately placed in broth or in a frying pan with oil and cooked;
  • French fries must be removed from the storage chamber and immediately placed in hot oil;
  • Fried potatoes and mashed potatoes can be heated in the microwave for a few minutes and eaten immediately.

As you can see, freezing everyone's favorite vegetable is simple, without much hassle, but can save a lot of time. It’s always nice to take ready-made potatoes out of the freezer, quickly heat them up and use them right away.

Source: https://fermer.blog/bok/ogorod/kartofel/hranenie-kartofelya/2463-osobennosti-zamorozki-kartofelya.html

Shelf life

There is no need to defrost the potatoes before cooking. You should immediately put it in a frying pan or lower it into the broth. The product can be stored in this form for quite a long time. Fried potatoes and mashed potatoes will retain their quality for several weeks, and tubers frozen whole can be stored for about 2.5-3 months.

As you can see, this procedure for preparing products does not take much time. At the same time, it helps to significantly save it in the future, when you need to quickly prepare a delicious dish.

  • Author: Maria Sukhorukikh
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Is it possible to freeze fried potatoes?

Freezing potatoes is a great way to save some money and prepare potato dishes during the cold winter. There are several ways to preserve potatoes at subzero temperatures, and this article will discuss each of them in detail.

Basic rules for freezing potatoes

At first glance, it may seem that there is nothing easier than storing potatoes in the freezer. The storage process itself will not require any effort from you, but the vegetable needs to be properly packaged, choose the optimal freezer and configure it to the desired parameters.

Sealed packaging is an important rule for long-term storage. For these purposes, it is best to select dense, airtight plastic bags that will not tear when dragged around the freezer. However, in this case, you need to take into account: before storing the potatoes, you need to release all the air from the bag.

Another important rule for preserving at low temperatures: repeated freezing is highly undesirable. It is better to cook and eat the defrosted product immediately. Experts recommend storing potatoes at a temperature no higher than -18°C. In addition, it is important to ensure that there are no temperature changes.

For these purposes, it is recommended to purchase an uninterruptible power supply along with the freezer.

What kitchen equipment is needed

Each individual case of freezing may require different equipment, but we are talking about items that are probably in every kitchen.

In general, when preparing potatoes you will need:

  • pot;
  • pan;
  • Bowl;
  • colander;
  • tray;
  • knife;
  • containers for storing vegetables.

Boiled

Whole cooked vegetables are frozen according to the same procedure.

  1. Select small tubers, wash and peel.
  2. Boil in salted water, then let cool completely.
  3. Pack the cold potatoes into bags and store them in the freezer.

How and for how long is it stored?

Potatoes from the refrigerator do not require defrosting; you must immediately heat treat them (fry or boil). Shelf life varies depending on the freezing method. For example, mashed and fried potatoes retain their taste for 10-15 days. As for vegetables frozen whole, their shelf life reaches 3-6 months.

How to properly defrost and cook potatoes after freezing

The process for cooking frozen potatoes will depend on how you prepared and stored them:

  • Whole root vegetables that have been stored raw do not require thawing. They must be immediately placed in broth or in a frying pan with oil and cooked;
  • French fries must be removed from the storage chamber and immediately placed in hot oil;
  • Fried potatoes and mashed potatoes can be heated in the microwave for a few minutes and eaten immediately.

We invite you to familiarize yourself with the benefits of goat meat

As you can see, freezing everyone's favorite vegetable is simple, without much hassle, but can save a lot of time. It’s always nice to take ready-made potatoes out of the freezer, quickly heat them up and use them right away.

Is it possible to freeze potatoes and how to do it at home?

Any housewife has at least once thought about the question “How to freeze potatoes for the winter at home?” And this is not surprising, since freezing potatoes saves a lot of time and at the same time preserves all the beneficial properties of this vegetable. So what subtleties do you need to know when freezing potatoes, and how to choose them correctly?

Roasted

Roasted potatoes also keep well frozen.

  1. The peeled product must be cut into several parts.
  2. Fry the potatoes in a frying pan using oil, salt and spices.
  3. The dish must be cooled, then, using paper napkins, remove excess fat.
  4. Place into containers and place in the freezer.

Features of freezing and further preparation of potatoes

Freezing potatoes is a great way to save some money and prepare potato dishes during the cold winter. There are several ways to preserve potatoes at subzero temperatures, and this article will discuss each of them in detail.

Recipe 1

For a long time I was interested in how frozen potatoes are made for frying. I scoured the entire Internet and almost everywhere it was written that it is impossible to freeze potatoes at home. But it’s very convenient - throw it in a frying pan or deep fryer and the side dish is ready. Therefore, I make this semi-finished product in advance, when I have free time and as much as the freezer allows.

As I already wrote, they write on the Internet that it is impossible to prepare this at home. Indeed, the starch contained in potatoes migrates into sugar at low temperatures. Why do potatoes become sweet? But through trial and error, I got potatoes that were no worse than store-bought frozen potatoes and much cheaper.

So we need:

Potato

Sunflower oil (refined, odorless)

The choice of potatoes is very important. For this recipe, you should only use potatoes with pinkish skins (red potatoes). White potatoes contain a lot of starch and are more suitable for making mashed potatoes or baked potatoes.

Place the potatoes in a bowl of cold water and let stand. Then, using a brush, we clean it from the soil. Peel the potatoes and remove the “eyes”. Next, cut it into strips.

It is advisable to do this on a grater so that the straws are the same size. And leave in cold water for 15 minutes. After 15 minutes, drain the water, rinse and leave for another 15 minutes.

In total, the procedure must be repeated 3 times.

Next, put the potatoes in a double boiler for about 5-6 minutes, but you have to look, there are a lot of factors that influence this. The potatoes should gain transparency, but not cook completely, about a third of the time from being fully cooked. Halfway through the process, the potatoes should be carefully mixed. This steam treatment procedure prevents starch from turning into sugar when frozen.

We suggest you read How to make a hedge trimmer with your own hands

If you don't have a steamer, you can build a homemade steamer. Simply place a colander over a pan of boiling water and cover with a lid. The colander should fit tightly in the pan.

When the potatoes have simmered and become a little transparent, sprinkle them with sunflower oil. Place on a baking sheet in one layer to prevent the straws from sticking together. And we put it all in the freezer. If your freezer has a temperature control, the temperature should be as low as possible at this point.

When the potatoes have set well on the outside, take out the baking sheet and if there are sticks stuck together, separate them. Then you can pour it into a plastic bag, tie it and store it in the freezer just like store-bought frying potatoes. It is very convenient to use bags for freezing food instead of a regular plastic bag.

Potatoes can be stored in this form for quite a long time. I had a maximum of about 3 months and the potatoes were no worse than when cooked early.

When you need to quickly prepare a side dish, simply take the potatoes out of the freezer and, without defrosting, fry them in a heated frying pan with oil or in a deep fryer. I like to add dill. I add a lot of dill, either fresh or dried. Dinner is served!

Recipe 2

To freeze potatoes you will need:

  • Potato tubers.
  • Grater.
  • Bowl, pan, colander.
  • Plastic containers with lids or bags.

Straws

Potatoes prepared in this way speed up the process of preparing various dishes.

  1. Clean and peeled tubers are crushed into strips with a knife or using a special grater.
  2. To prevent browning and also get rid of excess starch, sliced ​​​​potatoes must be placed in cold water. Afterwards, rinse using a colander, and then place again in clean, chilled water.
  3. The next step is blanching. Since the potatoes are cut into strips, it is more convenient to use a colander for blanching. In it, chopped vegetables need to be dipped into boiling water, then into ice water.
  4. The straws are laid out on a towel until completely dry. After this, it is put into bags and sent to the freezer.

Attention! To prevent the sliced ​​potatoes from sticking together, you must first place the dried straws in a tray, cover with film and place in the freezer for 1.5-2 hours. When the potatoes freeze, put them in bags.

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