How to Freeze Potatoes So They Never Turn Mushy

Learn how to freeze potatoes in all forms! Whether they’re blanched, mashed, or turned into hash browns, you’ll never end up with soggy frozen potatoes again.

Freezing potatoes is not as complicated as it sounds. Once you learned the best ways to freeze potatoes, you can enjoy ready-to-cook spuds for months to come.

Even better, you can freeze whole, cubed, mashed, and shredded potatoes!

So, from busy weekday breakfasts to elaborate holiday dinners, you can have potatoes ready for your favorite dishes.

What Are the Best Potatoes to Freeze?

Can I freeze potatoes? Definitely!

You can even freeze any potato as long as it’s fresh and has not sprouted yet.

Waxy potatoes, such as Yukon Gold, hold their shape well for recipes like scalloped potatoes.

You can also freeze starchy potatoes, like Russet potatoes. In fact, if freezing mashed potatoes, you want to use starchy potatoes as they don’t easily turn mealy.

Because the added fat helps them keep their creamy consistency, mashed potatoes are one of the easiest potato recipes that freeze well!

How Long Do You Blanch Potatoes Before Freezing?

When learning how to freeze potatoes at home, you’ll realize that blanching is a crucial step to help them maintain their quality.

After washing and scrubbing, blanch large potatoes for 8 to 10 minutes and smaller ones for 4 to 6 minutes.

Once they’re partially cooked, transfer them to an ice bath to stop the cooking process. Drain, pat dry, and you’re ready to freeze your potatoes!

How to Freeze Potatoes (Whole or Cubed)

1. You can peel and cube your potatoes, or simply clean and freeze them whole.
2. Blanch the potatoes according to their size.
3. Plunge the potatoes into an ice bath.
4. Drain the potatoes thoroughly and pat them dry.
5. Arrange them in a single layer on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Freeze for at least 4 hours to prevent them from sticking together.
6. Transfer the frozen potatoes to your freezer-safe containers and label with the date.

How to freeze mashed potatoes

Do mashed potatoes freeze well? Yes! Here’s how to store them:

1. Peel and dice the potatoes.
2. Boil until fork-tender.
3. Drain completely and mash with butter. Slowly add in warm milk until creamy.
4. Season and cool completely.
5. Portion the mashed potatoes onto a parchment-lined baking sheet and freeze until solid.
6. Transfer to your freezer-safe bags, removing any excess air.
7. Spread the mashed potato out as flat as possible.
8. Label with the date and freeze.

How to freeze roasted potatoes

1. When freezing roasted potatoes, parboil the cubed potatoes until they’re tender but still firm.
2. Plunge them into an ice bath and drain using a colander.
3. Toss the potatoes in a bowl with some heated oil until coated.
4. Once cool, arrange them on a tray without touching each other. Freeze until solid.
5. Transfer to your freezer-safe bags, removing any excess air.
6. Label with the date and freeze.
7. You can roast the potatoes from frozen, adding 10 minutes more to the recipe’s cooking time.

How to freeze potato fries

1. If uncooked, blanch the fries and prepare them like you would prepare raw cubed potatoes.
2. For cooked fries, allow them to cool and freeze until solid on a parchment-lined baking sheet.
3. Once frozen, transfer the French fries to your freezer bags, removing any excess air.
4. Label with the date and freeze.

How to freeze potatoes for hash browns

1. If freezing potatoes for hash browns without cooking, shred the potatoes and blanch them for 1 to 2 minutes.
2. Rinse in a bowl of ice water, then drain and dry the shredded potatoes thoroughly.
3. Freeze in a single layer on a parchment-lined baking sheet.
4. Once solid, transfer the frozen potato shreds to your freezer-safe containers.
5. If your frozen hash brown potatoes are cooked, allow them to cool, then freeze until solid on a parchment-lined baking sheet.
6. Once frozen, transfer the hash browns to your freezer-safe storage bags, removing any excess air.
7. Label with the date and freeze.

Can You Freeze Baked Potatoes?

Yes, you can freeze twice-baked potatoes. Because of the fat in the filling, baked potatoes will stay creamy inside.

1. Prepare the potatoes according to the recipe, but do not bake them the second time.
2. Once cooled, wrap the baked potatoes individually in foil. You can also wrap them in plastic wrap first if you want to bake them straight from the freezer.
3. Transfer the wrapped baked potatoes to your freezer-safe containers.
4. To serve, thaw in the fridge overnight and bake for 15 minutes.

What Is the Best Way to Cook Frozen Potatoes?

Besides knowing how to keep potatoes fresh, note the best ways to cook frozen potatoes!

You can use your frozen diced potatoes straight into your skillet meals since they’re already par-cooked.

You can also stir frozen diced potatoes into your stews and soups or add frozen shredded potatoes to your egg casseroles without needing to thaw them.

What Are Common Mistakes When Freezing Potatoes?

How to freeze fresh potatoes so you don’t end up with a soggy mess?

Always blanch them before freezing! You also want to flash-freeze them first so they don’t stick together into a single block.

FAQ About Freezing Potatoes

Conclusion

Now that you learned how to freeze potatoes, making potato dishes is easier than ever!

After cleaning them (and peeling or cutting if you prefer), they just need a quick par-cook.

This step helps preserve their texture and flavor. Once that’s done, they’re ready to be frozen and used later.

Avoid freezing raw potatoes, or you’ll end up with mushy, grainy, and unappetizing spuds.

Now that you know how to freeze potatoes, here are other helpful reads related to frozen food and food storage:

• How to Freeze Dry Peaches
• How to Freeze Corn
• How to Freeze Zucchini
• How to Freeze Bananas
• How to Freeze Green Beans

PIN FOR LATER!