My vegetable garden last year produced so many potatoes, I didn’t know what to do with them all. After all the work my husband did, I didn’t want them to go to waste. That would just be a shame. Have you found yourself in the same predicament? Maybe potatoes were on sale and now you have more potatoes than you know what to do with. The question is can you freeze raw potatoes?
Can You Freeze Raw Potatoes?
No, you cannot freeze raw potatoes. They need to be pre-cooked before freezing. Raw potatoes have a lot of water in them. This water will freeze and when thawed will make the potatoes mushy and grainy. Blanching the potatoes also kills the enzymes that cause spoiling as well as prevents the loss of flavor and nutrients.
What Is Blanching?
Blanching is a cooking method where the food is added to a pot of boiling water and cooked for a certain amount of time then quickly removed to a pot or bowl of ice water to stop the cooking process.
You can also run cold water over the food. The vegetable/food needs to stay in the ice water or cold running water for the same amount of time you blanched it.
If you blanched the vegetable for 3 minutes then the vegetable needs to be in the ice water for 3 minutes also.
You start the blanching time once the water comes back to a boil.
Blanching And Freezing Potatoes For French Fries
I washed and peeled my potatoes and then cut them into french fries. I kept them in a big pot of cold water while I waited for my pot of water to come to a boil.
Once my pot of water came to a boil I added my cut french fries and waited for the water to come back to a boil. Once it did I cooked the fries for 3 minutes and then quickly removed them to an ice water bath for 3 minutes.
I then dried them as best as I could then spread them on a large cookie sheet and placed them in the freezer for about 8 hours.
Once they were frozen I removed them from the freezer and placed them into freezer bags and returned them to the freezer. And that is it. Easy right? Well I do have to tell you it was a lot of work but well worth it
One thing I would do differently is that I would blanch the potatoes for 5 minutes instead of the 3 minutes.
If you would rather have sliced potatoes then you would just slice them instead of cutting them into french fries and do the same thing. Blanche, dry, and place in the freezer.
Why put them on a cookie sheet and freeze them first? I find that when you do this, which I call flash freezing, helps to keep them from sticking together. What really helps is making sure that you have dried them well.
And when you put them on the cookie sheet make sure that they are spread out and not touching. If you are doing a large number of potatoes it might be best to do a few at a time.
I wanted to just get it done and had too many on my cookie sheet so when I removed them from the freezer to place in bags, they had stuck together. Oh my did my fingers get cold prying them apart. But you learn from your mishaps and mistakes:)
I used my vacuum sealer to freeze my french fries. I love that gadget! Want to know more about vacuum sealers? Check it out here.
How Long Will They Last In The Freezer
I have found conflicting information in my research. Some say 3 months, others say up to 6 months, and then yet again another says up to 12 months. I have kept mine for 1 year with no problems. I would think that it is up to you entirely. What you are comfortable with. I have no qualms in keeping mine in the freezer for a year. Of course, most will use them up before that time. But then again it all depends on how much you put in the freezer.
Final Thoughts
No, you cannot freeze raw potatoes. They need to be pre-cooked by blanching before placing into your freezer. If you have an abundance of potatoes, whether you bought them on sale or have grown them in your vegetable garden, then freezing them is the way to go.
Yes, it is a lot of work but well worth it in the end. “Waste not, Want not” as the saying goes.
Blanching is a 2 step cooking method. Cooking for a certain amount of time and then placing the cooked food into an ice water bath to stop the cooking method.
Have you ever frozen your own french fries? Please leave me a comment with your thoughts or experiences.
And As Always
Have A Wonderful Day!
Never knew this will have to try.
Hi- This is a great way to use up extra potatoes