Wednesday, May 30, 2012

Fill Your Freezer: Potatoes


I LOVE MY NEW KITCHEN SINK!!  I could never have washed and diced 10 lbs of potatoes on my old countertop.  I am so blessed to have a handy dad (and father-in-law) to help out!

Today's menu includes diced potatoes & twice-baked potatoes:


Most families would probably prefer homemade french fries, but we could eat homemade home fries 7 nights a week!  Sometimes I fry them in infused oil to add some favors, other times I just fry them plain.

Most of my freezer cooking is done to make meal prep easier and faster.  This method, however, probably takes longer than just making the fries normally.  That brings up another great benefit of freezer cooking:  You can cook large amounts of cheap food that would have spoiled otherwise!  I can buy 10 lbs of potatoes at a really good price and I don't have to worry about where I will keep them (cool, dark place) or how long it will take to use them up!

Freezing potatoes raw can sometimes turn them funny colors.  To stop that from happening, I cut the potatoes (in whatever shape you like, french fries, home fries, curly fries, wedges, etc.) and toss them in boiling water for 10 minutes (or until tender).


Then, rinse them with cold water to stop them from cooking.  Space the potatoes out on baking sheets and pop them in the freezer to flash freeze.  Once frozen, transfer the potatoes to freezer bags in portions that work for your family.


While my husband would love it if I made 10 lbs of diced potatoes, I decided to use the other 5 lbs to make twice-baked potatoes.  I loved these as a kid -- butter-flavored only!!  They are the very first thing I learned to make-ahead and freeze.


According to the Better Homes and Gardens Cook Book (everyone should own this), you can bake four potatoes by microwaving them for 10-15 minutes.  I nuke four potatoes at-a-time and let them cool down.  Then I scoop the insides into my KitchenAid and I add a ton of butter.  I baked 12 potatoes today and used almost a whole stick of butter (but I could have used more!! Yummmmm...).  I mix it on a low speed for a minute or two, then slowly add milk until it's mashed-potato-consistency.  Scoop that into your empty shells, cram them on another baking sheet, and flash freeze!  Again, once frozen, transfer to freezer bag or individually wrap.


I have to admit that my family is a little disappointed that there isn't room in the freezer for ice cream right now!  I'm sure they'll be thankful in a week or two when the baby is screaming, we're all exhausted, and we still have yummy home-cooked food to eat for dinner!!


If you're interested in how I will use my {almost} fully stocked freezer during my postpartum weeks, make sure you subscribe!

Disclaimer:  This post contains affiliate links.


Linked at:
amothersheritage.com Beautiful Thursdays Consider the Lilies http://www.yourthrivingfamily.com/ Laura Williams' Musings  
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19 comments:

  1. How cool! I never would have thought to freeze potatoes! Thanks for the post! I will definitely remember this! Stoppin by via the link up :) http://simplyhelpinghim.blogspot.com/

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  2. Great idea to freeze your already cubed potatoes. Can't wait to try doing it myself. Good luck with your delivery!popping over from Proverbs31Thursdays

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  3. I would never have guessed, but when I really think about it I buy frozen potato chips all the time.. Thanks, that was excellent information:)Just dropped by via a link.

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  4. It makes it easier for DH to cook when there isn't much prep involved! Thanks :)

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  5. The only frozen potato I still buy is tatertots... mm can't get enough of those!!

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  6. You can freeze almost anything!! :) Thanks for stopping by :)

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  7. When you pull out the frozen Twice Baked Potatoes, how do you reheat them properly?

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  8. Good question! There are two different ways I heat them. If I'm baking something as the main dish and making these as sides (which I usually am) I pop them in the oven and watch for the tips of the mashed potatoes to get crispy. If I'm snacking, I use the microwave and just cook until heated through (depends on if I thaw them first or not).

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  9. Thanks for the invite! I joined :)

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  10. Thank you! Hope to see you next week! Great post btw. I forgot to tell you that earlier.

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  11. What a great post. I have tried freezing potatoes in the past but they (like you mentioned) got icky. Gonna have to try this next time. Thanks for sharing this great tip at Thrifty Thursday!

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  12. Thanks for sharing this nifty recipe at The Becoming Kitchen!

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  13. Hi, Just letting you know that this post was among the top 3 most visited posts from last week's link up. You will be featured in tomorrow's Beautiful Thursdays Link up...feel free to come visit and grab your featured button! :-)http://passionateandcreativehomemaking.blogspot.com/

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  14. Thank you so much for sharing your knowledge about freezing potatoes! It sounds so easy--something I should try when fall rolls around and we have lots of potatoes. Your post will be featured at Thrifty Thursday this week! Thanks for linking up :)

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  15. Thanks! I found local potatoes for $1.99 for 10 lbs a few months ago so I'm hoping to find a sale like that again soon to stock back up!

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  16. Thanks so much for sharing! I have been wondering about freezing potatoes and now I know! Thanks for linking up! Looking forward to reading more of your posts soon! :)

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  17. [...] I’m doing my best to stock up on some produce before winter hits.  I’ve frozen onions (post coming soon.. I even tried a video!!).  I plan to make some applesauce when local apples go on sale.  And, we’ve finally depleted my stash of potatoes. [...]

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