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Farm Kitchen:  freezing potatoes?  |
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LuckyMommyof5
True Blue Farmgirl
500 Posts
Suzanne
OH
USA
500 Posts |
 Posted - Jul 25 2011 : 08:32:52 AM
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I was wondering if anybody knows if you can freeze raw, cut potatoes? And, if so, do they work well and taste ok after you unfreeze them and cook them? I know there are frozen, processed potatoes you can buy at the store, but I wasn't sure if they use some preservatives to keep them "fresh" while frozen, so to speak.
Thanks for any advice anyone can give me on this!
Farmgirl Sister #3243
"The real things haven't changed. It is still best to be honest and truthful; to make the most of what we have; to be happy with simple pleasures; and have courage when things go wrong." - Laura Ingalls Wilder |
Edited by - LuckyMommyof5 on Jul 25 2011 08:34:30 AM |
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FebruaryViolet
True Blue Farmgirl
4810 Posts
Jonni
Elsmere
Kentucky
USA
4810 Posts |
Posted - Jul 25 2011 : 08:38:26 AM
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I've only ever frozen homemade mashed potatoes (which freeze crazy well, I might add). Potatoes have a lot of water in them, both raw and cooked, and they turn mealy and mushy when frozen.
Musings from our family in the Bluegrass http://sweetvioletmae.blogspot.com/ |
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LuckyMommyof5
True Blue Farmgirl
500 Posts
Suzanne
OH
USA
500 Posts |
Posted - Jul 25 2011 : 08:50:38 AM
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Thanks, Jonni. I was afraid of trying it because of that. I wonder how they do all those frozen potatoes at the grocery store? Lots of preservatives, or do they cook them first? I wonder if you can boil potatoes, then freeze them?
Farmgirl Sister #3243
"The real things haven't changed. It is still best to be honest and truthful; to make the most of what we have; to be happy with simple pleasures; and have courage when things go wrong." - Laura Ingalls Wilder |
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Okie Farm Girl
True Blue Farmgirl
1674 Posts
Mary Beth
McLoud
Oklahoma
USA
1674 Posts |
Posted - Jul 25 2011 : 09:10:41 AM
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Suzanne, I freeze quite a few of our potatoes. I love to freeze gallons and gallons of hashbrowns and then make those for breakfast on winter mornings or make a hashbrown casserole that we love. There's trick to freezing cut up potoatoes and it is in washing them. I explain it at my blog at http://www.oklahomapastrycloth.com/blog/?p=2951 You can also soak them in lemon water after washing. I never seem to have to, though. Washing them keeps them from turning brown. I also freeze whole new potatoes by blanching them in boiling water and then dropping in ice water, drying and then freezing. In all cases, with any type of potato, I spread them out on cookie sheets to freeze and then put into bags after frozen. This keeps them from sticking together in one clump. I use these frozen whole potatoes to add to green beans, soups or for my dilled potato recipe at http://www.oklahomapastrycloth.com/blog/?p=62 You can also boil these potatoes for mashed potatoes. I can some too for the same purposes. Hope that helps.
Mary Beth
www.OklahomaPastryCloth.com
www.Oklahomapastrycloth.com/blog
The Sovereign Lord is my strength - Habakkuk 3:19 |
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LuckyMommyof5
True Blue Farmgirl
500 Posts
Suzanne
OH
USA
500 Posts |
Posted - Jul 25 2011 : 6:29:53 PM
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Thanks, Mary Beth! I'll check out the blog. We love hash browns, too. I've just been getting some good deals lately on organic potatoes near us and there are only so many you can use at one time. I was trying to brain storm on a way I could keep them for the future longer than just the regular "cool, dry place."
Farmgirl Sister #3243
"The real things haven't changed. It is still best to be honest and truthful; to make the most of what we have; to be happy with simple pleasures; and have courage when things go wrong." - Laura Ingalls Wilder |
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Okie Farm Girl
True Blue Farmgirl
1674 Posts
Mary Beth
McLoud
Oklahoma
USA
1674 Posts |
Posted - Jul 25 2011 : 7:12:14 PM
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Oh! I forgot to mention dehydrating them. Duh. I dehydrate a boatload of potatoes too as sliced or diced. I use the sliced for au gratin potatoes and the diced for soups and such. There is a post on that too. Just go to the Alphabetical index of posts and I believe it is the first of the dehydrating series. Good luck! :-)
Mary Beth
www.OklahomaPastryCloth.com
www.Oklahomapastrycloth.com/blog
The Sovereign Lord is my strength - Habakkuk 3:19 |
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natesgirl
True Blue Farmgirl
1735 Posts
angela
martinsville
indiana
USA
1735 Posts |
Posted - Jul 25 2011 : 10:53:06 PM
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I have cut them into wedges and froze to use for roastin and throwin in the crockpot near the end of it's cookin time. Both work out nicely.
I have also froze diced for homefries with diced onion already in it. These must be thawed in a strainer to release the excess moisture and then added to very hot oil to fry propperly. A little bit of work, but it works out nicely.
My aunt freezes baked potatoes wrapped tightly in plastic wrap. She throws them in the sink to thaw and then just pops them in the microwave for a few minutes or puts them in the oven after switchin the plastic to saran wrap for 15 minutes when she's bakin something.
I've done the frozen baked ones when I needed to save storage potatoes that were tryin to turn on me. I wound up needin them for extra mashed potatoes when we had to house and feed a family that got burned out of their home. We were called upon in the middle of makin dinner to take them for the night. So I threw the frozen taters in the microwave and thawed them, them tossed them in with the boiled ones, skin and all. It turned out great.
I love potatoes! They are so forgiving and easy!
Farmgirl Sister #1438
God - Gardening - Family - Is anything else important? |
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Julimac
Farmgirl in Training
17 Posts
Julie
Omaha
NE
USA
17 Posts |
Posted - Jul 27 2011 : 08:48:27 AM
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I will definitely try the frozen hash browns! I love them but am not always coherent enough to make them in the a.m. I think they would taste better than the freshly grated ones I make due to the fact you've washed the starch away that can make them gummy sometimes. Thanks!
Also..... your stove and pots are very clean : ) How do you do that ?
"sometimes it's easy to be myself....sometimes it's better to be somebody else...." |
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caitlinsmom
True Blue Farmgirl
86 Posts
Kim
St.A
Idaho
USA
86 Posts |
Posted - Jul 27 2011 : 09:00:38 AM
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I was wondering this same thing. Thank you MaryBeth for the hashbrown post! My hasbrowns always turn grey and I couldn't figure out what to do to stop it. Now we can eat hashbrowns again. ;)
www.imnaturallysimple.com
"Live slowly and simply, so that you have the time and space to love deeply and well. Hold your children close, as often as possible. Look deeply into their eyes, speak words of life, love and acceptance into and over them." |
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Nana Farmgirl
Farmgirl in Training
28 Posts
Linda
Camden
Missouri
USA
28 Posts |
Posted - Aug 01 2011 : 9:31:06 PM
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I will also try the hash browns. Mine turned gray also, and gummy. I'm excited.
Linda
Make God Laugh, Tell HIM Your Plan. |
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Candy C.
True Blue Farmgirl
823 Posts
Candy
Mescal
AZ
USA
823 Posts |
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Farm Kitchen: freezing potatoes? |
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freezing potatoes?
