Why cooking has to be
The question is not whether potatoes can be cooked in the freezer. You even have to be! Only if the potatoes are frozen in the boiled state is the thawed result reasonably enjoyable.
- Potato tubers contain a lot of starch
- However, frost converts starch into sugar
- also destroys the cell walls of raw potatoes
- the typical potato taste is lost
- the consistency becomes mushy
also read
- Freeze potatoes - never raw, but cooked!
- Preserving leftovers: Cooked pasta can be frozen
- Raw potatoes don't belong in dogs' bowls
So if potatoes absolutely have to go into the freezer, they should either be already cooked or cook beforehand.
How to Freeze Boiled Potatoes
Boiled potatoes only taste as good as potatoes should taste freshly cooked. You should therefore only cook as many potatoes at once as you can use. If you still want to freeze a few cooked pieces, please note the following points:
- do not cook too soft
- Remove the skin from the cooked potato tubers
- cut into smaller pieces if necessary
- Let cool before freezing
Tips
Cooked and sliced potatoes are particularly useful as an ingredient in gratins when frozen.
Freeze finished potato dishes
The best way to freeze boiled potatoes is to use ready-made dishes. It can be a potato soup, but also mashed potatoes, potato dumplings or fried potatoes.
Even dishes that are not made exclusively from potatoes but only contain a portion of the tuber can be frozen without any problems.
Ready-to-eat meals that can be foreseen not to be eaten immediately should be frozen immediately after cooling.
Thaw appropriately
You should not defrost cooked potatoes at room temperature.
Small frozen pieces can be added to cooking dishes while frozen. Otherwise they have to be thawed slowly and carefully:
- Thaw in the refrigerator
- ideally overnight
- or plan several hours for it
Use of frozen potatoes
Frozen potato pieces can be used as an ingredient in potato soups and casseroles. You can also use them to make a mashed potato. With a little seasoning, the taste that is lost in the freezer can be enhanced.
Frozen potatoes are less suitable as baby food. As babies cannot tolerate spicy foods, the new, sweet taste is fully retained. Many babies cannot get used to it.
Sweet potatoes tolerate frost better
Of course, cooked sweet potatoes can also be frozen. They survive the frost even better than the “normal” potatoes.
Freezing and thawing is the same for both types of potatoes. Whole frozen sweet potatoes can also be baked again in the oven.
durability
Potato pieces that have simply been boiled without spices or other additives can be kept in the freezer for a whole year. Potato dishes, whether wholly or partly made from potatoes, offer the best taste in the first three months. They should therefore not be stored frozen for longer.
Conclusion for quick readers:
- Suitability: Raw potatoes turn out sweet and mushy; freeze only boiled potatoes
- Preparation: Do not cook too soft; peel off; cut into pieces or slices
- Potato dishes: mashed potatoes, fried potatoes, potato soup and dishes with potatoes
- Freezing: Let it cool down; Fill portioned into container and label
- Sweet potatoes: tolerate frost better; Freeze when cooked
- Shelf life: Cooked potato pieces: 12 months; Potato dishes: 3 months
- Thawing: For several hours in the refrigerator; Use frozen when cooking
- Use: For potato soups, casseroles and purees; Enhance taste with spices
- Baby food: less suitable; many babies don't like the altered potato taste
The garden journal freshness-ABC
How can fruit and vegetables be stored correctly so that they stay fresh as long as possible?
The garden journal freshness ABC as a poster:
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- as a free PDF file to print out yourself
