How to freeze potatoes | Tesco Real Food (2024)

Freezing potatoes

First things first: potatoes should never be frozen raw. They contain a lot of water, which when thawed will give the potato a mushy or grainy texture. Not ideal for making hash browns for weekend brunch!

In this article, we’ll show you how to freeze potatoes when they’re cooked in various ways, including mashed, roasted, baked and boiled. We’ll also explain how you can cook with your frozen spuds, and provide some weeknight meal inspiration with our best potato recipes.

How to freeze whole and cubed potatoes

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.

Step 2: Parboil
Bring a pot of water to a rolling boil, season with a little salt and put your spuds in. Cooking times vary depending on their size: tiny cubes will only need 2-3 mins but whole or halved spuds need up to 10.

Step 3: Blanch
Have a bowl of iced water at the ready. After parboiling, immediately drop the potatoes into the iced water to stop the cooking process. Drain in a colander, leave to cool completely, then pat dry.

Step 4: Flash-freeze
Spread each potato piece out in a single layer on a baking tray so they don’t touch one another, cover and freeze for up to 12hours until solid.

Step 5: Label and store
Tip the potatoes into a resealable bag, then label so you don’t forget what they are (and when they were frozen). Stash them away in your freezer for another time - they’ll last up to3 months.Cubed potatoes can betossed into dishesstraight from frozen. However,frozen whole potatoes are the onlykindthat needs to be thawed before cooking: to do this, use your microwave’s defrost cycle, or bake in the ovenat 175°Cfor 30 minutesor until piping hot throughout.

How to freeze mashed potatoes

Step 1: Make the mash
If you haven’t already got a dish of mash ready to go, make your mashed potato as you like it. If you’re feeling in a root veg mood, whip it up withceleriacorsquash.

Step 2: Cool it down
Once your mash is cooked, it needs to cool down. Put your mash in a deep bowl, then place the bowl into a dish filled with ice-cold water and let the temperature drop to at least room temperature.

Step 3: Freeze away
Divide your mash into handy one-person portions so you’ll have the exact amount you need. Put each portion in a resealable, airtight bag, then push out any excess air and freeze each portion as flat as possible (so it doesn’t take up too much space in your freezer).When you want to eatit, simply put ina pan with a little extra butter or cream, stir,and heat through.

How to freeze roast potatoes (or homemade chips)

Step 1: Peel, size and shape
Peel the potatoes (or don’t, depending on your taste), then chop into your desired size and shape.

Step 2: Blanch
If you’re making roasties, drop into boiling water for 5 mins. Chips are smaller, so only need about 2 mins. Once time is up, plunge the potatoes into iced water, then pat dry.

Step 3: Fry up
Heat some oil or solid fat in a frying pan, then briefly toss your shaped potato in the sizzling fat to coat and add flavour. If you’d prefer, drizzle your potatoes with oil, then bake in the oven for a few minutes.

Step 4: Freeze
Cover then flash-freeze your roasties or chips on a baking tray, flat and not touching, for 6 hrs. When frozen solid they’re ready to be tipped into a freezer bag and kept until you need them.

Pro tip:Freezingimprovesthe texture of roasties and chips, making for a softer, fluffier centre and an extra-crispy coating. But this comes with a crucial caveat: never defrostfrozen roastiesor chips before cooking, as this will make them mushy. Simply drizzle with oil, season,androastfor as long as your recipe requires.

How to freeze baked potatoes

Step 1: Cook and cool
Cook yourbaked potatoesuntil soft on the inside, and the jacket is wrinkled and crispy. Once they’re completely cool, wrap each of them in foil.

Step 2: Freeze
Lay your foil-wrapped potatoes down into a plastic container, which will protect them from other odours and flavours in your freezer. Freeze these for up to 3 months, then when you’re ready to use, put them in the oven in their foil and bake until piping hot throughout.

Cooking with frozen potatoes

The best thing about cooking with frozen potatoes is that you don’t generally need to defrost them before using: spontaneoushome-cooked chips, quick-as-a-flash mash and easy-peasy baked potatoes are all within your reach. Need some inspiration for your frozen spuds? Here are our hottest ideas…

How to use leftover potatoes

Besides freezing your potatoes in a variety of ways, you can use up leftover potatoes immediately by cooking up a big spud dish for your next family meal. If you don’t fancy a good old-fashionedtuna jacket potatoor imprompturoast dinner, think homelyvegan cottage pie,cheesy Spanish croquettesor plain and simplehomemade wedges.

Discover even more creative ways to use your spare spuds by reading ourhandy guide.

Our top potato recipes:

Hasselback potatoes

Best roast potatoes

Herby chicken and potato bake

Cauliflower and potato curry

BBQ baked potatoes

Spanish potato tortilla

Freezing and defrosting guidelines

In order to enjoy optimum flavour and quality, frozen items are best used within 3 months of their freezing date. For more tips on freezing and defrosting food, read our articleLove Your Freezer.