1 Answer

In only a few hundred years, potatoes have gone from a little-known South American tuber to a starchy staple for people all over the globe. The one problem with potatoes traditionally has been their storage. Freezing and thawing whole raw potatoes can damage their cell structure until they are useless in typical potato recipes. There are, however, some ways around that.


Things You'll Need
Freezer bags
Aluminum foil
Sheet pan
Cooking spray

1 Peel 2 lbs. of potatoes, and cut them into 1-inch cubes. Cook in simmering, salted water to cover until just tender. Spread in a single layer on a sheet pan sprayed with non-stick cooking spray. Place in the freezer until frozen solid. Transfer the cubes to a heavy-duty plastic freezer bag and keep them in the freezer until needed. Reheat in simmering water and proceed with your recipe. Or thaw completely and use for potato salad.

2 Shred or grate 2 lbs. of potatoes. Keep shredded potatoes in a bowl of iced water until all potatoes are shredded. Spray a sheet pan as in Step 1. Drain the potatoes thoroughly and pile mounds on the sheet pan in the shape of hash brown potato patties. Freeze until solid, then store in a plastic bag in the freezer. Remove the frozen patties and cook as usual.

3 Bake 2 lbs. of potatoes until done. Cut in half and remove the cooked potato from the shells. Mash cooked potato with cream, butter, green onions, cheese, cooked ham or sausage or other desired ingredients. Pile the mashed potatoes back into the shells and top with additional cheese and green onion. Place on a sheet pan and freeze until solid. Wrap tightly in foil and place in bags for storage in your freezer. Bake frozen halves on the sheet pan at 350 degrees for approximately 45 minutes, or until browned on top and heated through.

4 Cut 2 lbs. of potatoes into medium French fry shapes. Cook in simmering, salted water until half cooked. Drain thoroughly and place in a single layer on a sheet pan. Freeze until solid, then transfer to bags as in the previous steps. When you're ready to cook, toss potatoes with 2 tbsp. of oil, place in a single layer on a sheet pan and bake at 425 degrees until nicely browned (about 15 to 20 minutes). Keep an eye on them, turning occasionally. Salt immediately when done, then serve.

5 Make any other favorite potato recipes, including soup. Freeze in containers or on a sheet pan until solid, then store in plastic freezer bags. Reheat according to recipe directions, or thaw and finish cooking.