How to Freeze Potatoes: A Step-by-Step Guide (2024)

  • Kitchen Tips
  • Food Storage and Kitchen Organization
  • Freezer

Here’s everything you need to know about freezing whole, cubed, mashed, French-fried, and shredded potatoes.

By

Corey Williams

How to Freeze Potatoes: A Step-by-Step Guide (1)

Corey Williams

Corey Williams is a food writer for MyRecipes and Allrecipes. She has a decade of journalism experience.

Allrecipes' editorial guidelines

Updated on June 1, 2023

Don't toss your excess potatoes! It's much more practical and economical to freeze them for later use. It's easier than you think to perfectly freeze potatoes, but you do need to follow a few simple instructions. Here's what you need to know about freezing potatoes whether they're whole, cubed, mashed, French-fried, or shredded:

How to Freeze Potatoes: A Step-by-Step Guide (2)

Can You Freeze Potatoes?

How to Freeze Potatoes: A Step-by-Step Guide (3)

Yes! You absolutely can freeze potatoes, and you should if you have an excess of spuds. But there's one important thing to remember: You should really only freeze cooked or partially cooked potatoes, as raw potatoes contain a lot of water. This water freezes and, when thawed, makes the potatoes mushy and grainy.

How Long Do Potatoes Last?

It depends on how they're stored. Uncooked potatoes generally last up to two weeks at room temperature (never store raw potatoes in the fridge — this will ruin the texture) and cooked potatoes will last about four days in the refrigerator. Frozen cooked potatoes, however, will stay good for about a year.

Read more: How to Store Potatoes

How to Freeze Potatoes

The best way to freeze potatoes depends on what kind of potato you're working with. Here's how to freeze whole, mashed, French-fried, and shredded potatoes:

Whole or Cubed

How to Freeze Potatoes: A Step-by-Step Guide (4)

It's not hard to freeze whole or cubed potatoes, but you do need to follow a series of simple steps.

  1. Peel. This step isn't required, but it's helpful because blanching works best without the skin. If you think you may mash your potatoes after they're thawed, now would be a good time to cube them.
  2. Blanch. Fill a pot with water and season it with salt. Place the pot over high heat and bring to a boil. Once it's boiling, drop the potatoes into the water. Blanching time depends on how large your potatoes or potato pieces are — it can take anywhere from three minutes for baby potatoes or small cubes to 10 minutes for whole russets. Remove the potatoes from the boiling water and immediately plunge them into an ice bath to stop the cooking process.
  3. Dry. Transfer the potatoes to a colander to drain after they have completely cooled. After they've drained, place them in a single layer on a kitchen towel. Pat with paper towels to absorb excess moisture.
  4. Flash freeze. Arrange the potatoes in a single layer on a lined cookie sheet. Freeze at least four hours or up to overnight.
  5. Freeze. When the potatoes are frozen, you can transfer them to freezer-safe storage bags labeled with the date.

Read more: How to Freeze and Reheat Mashed Potatoes

French Fries or Potato Wedges

How to Freeze Potatoes: A Step-by-Step Guide (5)

If your French fries are uncooked, you'll need to blanch them before freezing (find instructions in the section above). If they're cooked, however, the process is a bit simpler.

  1. First freeze. Arrange cooked (and cooled!) fries on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Freeze at least four hours or up to overnight.
  2. Second freeze. When the fries are frozen, you can transfer them to freezer-safe storage bags labeled with the date.

Hash Browns

How to Freeze Potatoes: A Step-by-Step Guide (6)

Here's another situation that'll depend on the state of your spuds — are they cooked or uncooked? If they're uncooked, shred the potatoes with the large side of a cheese grater before blanching (since the potato is shredded, you'll only need to blanch them for a minute or two). Cooked hash browns are frozen just like French fries.

  1. First freeze. Scoop cooked (and cooled!) hash browns on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Freeze at least four hours or up to overnight.
  2. Second freeze. When the hash browns are frozen, you can transfer them to freezer-safe storage bags labeled with the date.

Mashed

How to Freeze Potatoes: A Step-by-Step Guide (7)

Mashed potatoes tend to freeze better than other types of potatoes, as the fat from butter and cream helps them keep their texture. If you're planning to freeze the potatoes you're about to mash, now is not the time to skimp on the good stuff.

  1. Cool. Make sure the mashed potatoes are totally cool before starting the freezing process.
  2. Scoop. Scoop one cup portions onto a parchment-lined baking sheet.
  3. First freeze. Freeze at least four hours or up to overnight.
  4. Second freeze. When the potatoes are frozen, you can transfer them to freezer-safe storage bags labeled with the date.

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How to Freeze Potatoes: A Step-by-Step Guide (2024)

FAQs

How to Freeze Potatoes: A Step-by-Step Guide? ›

Drain the potatoes in a colander, shaking to remove excess water. Freeze the potatoes on a sheet pan. Place the potatoes on a large baking sheet, spreading them so none touch, and slide into your freezer for 6 to 12 hours, or until each piece is frozen solid. Store the potatoes.

How do you freeze potatoes step by step? ›

Drain the potatoes in a colander, shaking to remove excess water. Freeze the potatoes on a sheet pan. Place the potatoes on a large baking sheet, spreading them so none touch, and slide into your freezer for 6 to 12 hours, or until each piece is frozen solid. Store the potatoes.

Can you freeze potatoes without blanching? ›

Potatoes don't freeze well raw, so they will need to be cooked or partially cooked beforehand. The great thing is that you can choose a variety of different ways to prepare and freeze them. Try these methods with white, sweet or even purple potatoes. Always use potatoes that are fresh.

How do you cut potatoes into fries and freeze them? ›

Here's how you freeze your own fries:
  1. Step 1: Rinse and Cut. I usually skip the peeling part because it's where a lot of the nutrients are, and I actually enjoy eating it. ...
  2. Step 2: Blanch. Drop the cut fries into a pot of boiling water with salt for about three minutes. ...
  3. Step 3: Freezing. ...
  4. Step 4: Baking.

How do you vacuum seal and freeze potatoes? ›

Freezing: If you plan to store the potatoes for an extended period, consider freezing them. After blanching, cool and dry the potatoes, then arrange them in a single layer on a baking sheet and freeze. Once frozen, transfer them to vacuum-sealed bags and return them to the freezer.

How long do you blanch potatoes? ›

Blanch the potatoes for around 12 minutes, or until they're soft on the outside but still hard on the inside. Next, transfer the potatoes to a bowl of ice water and let them sit until they're cool to the touch. Finally, strain the potatoes in a colander and pat them dry with a dish towel.

Do you have to blanch potatoes before freeze drying? ›

Tips for Perfect Freeze Dried Potatoes

They can also lose their flavor or texture. You can avoid these issues if you blanch or cook your potatoes in hot water before freeze-drying. You don't need to cook the potatoes fully; you can just blanch them for a few minutes depending on the size of the potato pieces.

What is the best way to freeze potatoes cooked or raw? ›

You absolutely can freeze potatoes, and you should if you have an excess of spuds. But there's one important thing to remember: You should really only freeze cooked or partially cooked potatoes, as raw potatoes contain a lot of water. This water freezes and, when thawed, makes the potatoes mushy and grainy.

What should not be done when blanching potatoes? ›

Don't overfill the ban with potatoes, because it will low the temperature of the water to delay the cooking process. If you need large quantities of potatoes to be blanched, you should better blanch in portions. Set 3-5 minutes in timer for blanch time, as soon as you start to place the potatoes into the boiling water.

Do you have to blanch potatoes before you can them? ›

Sterilize your canning jars, lids and rings. Keep them warm until they are ready to be packed (Image 2). Bring the pot of cut potatoes to a boil and let it boil for about two minutes. Blanching will release some of the starch in the potatoes, reducing clouding and water loss in the canned produce (Image 3).

How to make frozen potatoes? ›

How to freeze whole and cubed potatoes
  1. Step 1: Chop and peel. Peel your potatoes if you prefer, but skin-on spuds are equally delicious – then chop the potatoes into halves or cubes.
  2. Step 2: Parboil. ...
  3. Step 3: Blanch. ...
  4. Step 4: Flash-freeze. ...
  5. Step 5: Label and store. ...
  6. Step 1: Make the mash. ...
  7. Step 2: Cool it down. ...
  8. Step 3: Freeze away.

Do you thaw frozen potatoes before frying? ›

When frying French fries, do not let them thaw before using. I recommend that frozen French fries be kept completely frozen before using. This guarantees that the surface of the potato is sealed during the frying process, resulting in a crispy, high quality fry.

Why do frozen potatoes fry better than thawed potatoes? ›

The thawing of frozen potato strips caused greater oil absorption, more moisture loss, and therefore resulted in temperature drops during frying (Burr, 1971; FAO/WHO, 2009;Mehta and Swinburn, 2001;O'Connor et al., 2001).

Can you peel potatoes and vacuum seal them? ›

Because contact with the air is what starts the oxidisation of the starch, you can use a barrier method like submerging the potatoes in water, or vacuum sealing them. Simply peel and cut up your potatoes, place them in a plastic bag, and use a vacuum seal to suck out all the air.

What is the best way to preserve potatoes? ›

Ziata recommends open containers (like open paper bags, baskets, and sacks), as these options will prevent excess moisture from accumulating. "Avoid airtight containers and sealed plastic bags, and never wash your potatoes before storing," she says.

How do you make frozen potatoes better? ›

Pimped up Packet Roast Potatoes Recipe, Infused with Rosemary and Garlic. A quick trick to take frozen roast potatoes to the next level by infusing them with rosemary and garlic and a good helping of cracked black pepper.

How do they make frozen potatoes? ›

Potatoes that have been cleaned and peeled are used to make frozen french fries. They are then sliced into slices and blanched in boiling water to slightly soften them. They are then flash-frozen and packed after cooling and drying.

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