How to freeze potatoes

How to freeze potatoes

Many, having only heard about frozen potatoes, immediately recall those disgusting type of tubers, which are obtained after the frozen potatoes sold on the market are thawed in heat.

But frozen potatoes, according to the rules, have nothing to do with that sold in the winter on the market.

Potatoes are perfectly frozen, not only raw, well, or almost raw, but also fried.

But to get a high-quality semi-finished product, you need to choose the right potatoes. After all, the result depends on which variety is selected for freezing.

Potatoes with less starch and sugar are suitable for freezing. Feels very good in the freezer a seven-eye or pink-skinned potatoes.

Potatoes should be dense, even, without eyes and various recesses (from pests or mechanical impact).

How to prepare potatoes for freezing

Tubers wash well. For this they are poured with cold water and kept in it for some time. After that, all the dirt is very easy to wash, armed with a brush.

Then the potatoes are peeled and immediately placed in cold water. If this is not done, the potatoes turn black. And also, thanks to soaking, part of the starch passes into the water.

How to freeze whole potatoes

To freeze the whole potato is better to take small tubers.

Before freezing, prepared tubers are blanched.

Prepare two pots of water in advance. Ice-cold water is poured into one saucepan, and the second is set on fire. Pure potato tubers are dipped in boiling water and blanched for about five minutes. Then they are removed with a slotted spoon and immediately placed in cold water, in which it is desirable to put pieces of ice.

Put cooled potatoes on a towel and dry well. Potatoes can be blotted with a paper towel. If the potatoes freeze wet, then it will be covered with an ice crust.

Dried potatoes are placed in freezer bags or plastic bags with a zip-fastener, deflate the air and close. Sachets put in the freezer.

If the potato is large, then it is cut into several pieces or diced and frozen in a similar way.

To prevent potatoes from sticking to one big lump during freezing, it can be frozen in two stages. First, the potatoes are laid out in a single layer on a tray, placed in a freezer and wait until the potatoes freeze. And then packaged in packages.

Potatoes before cooking do not defrost, but immediately put in broth or in a pan with butter. You can also put such potatoes on a baking sheet, flavor with different spices, sprinkle with oil and bake in the oven until light brown crust.

How to freeze potato straws

Peeled and washed potatoes are cut into strips or rubbed on a special grater.

So that the potatoes do not darken, it is immediately immersed in a bowl of cold water. Potatoes are washed, spread in a colander, and then again immersed in clean, cold water. This is done in order to wash out the potato starch portion. Then put the potato straw in a colander and right in it immersed in boiling water for three minutes. After blanching, the same potatoes are immersed in cold water and cooled.

Spread chopped potatoes on a dry clean towel and dried.

Potatoes prepared in this way are spread on a tray covered with film and put into the freezer for a while so that the slices are frozen.

Then the potatoes in small portions laid out in bags, remove as much as possible from them the air and sealed or tied.

How to freeze french fries

To make the straw long, take a large potato - the length of the proposed straw.

Peeled and washed potatoes are cut into large sticks or straws and poured with cold water. Thoroughly wash off the released starch and transfer it to a new clean water. It is advisable to change the water two or three times.

Then water is poured into a saucepan, brought to a boil and a colander is placed on it so that the bottom of the colander does not come into contact with the surface of the water.

They sprinkle some potato straw, cover the colander and leave the straw in this kind of steamer for three to four minutes. During this time, the potatoes should start a little.

After that, sprinkle the potatoes with sunflower oil and mix. Spread straws in one layer on the tray and put in the freezer. When the potatoes freeze and become tough, it is poured into portion bags, well closed, after removing the air, and cleaned in the freezer. For cooking french fries, the frozen straw is taken out of the freezer and, without defrosting, dipped in hot boiling oil.

You can freeze and ready fries. To do this, spread it on paper napkins to drain excess fat, and then pack it in a freezer bag and put it in the freezer. Such potatoes are also not defrosted, but heated in a microwave or oven.

Many people ask whether it is possible to freeze potatoes without prior blanching. Here opinions differ. Some say that the potato after such a freeze is impossible to eat, since it turns black and becomes sweet.

Others on their experience were convinced that the potato practically does not change either the color or the structure. If, of course, potatoes are immediately cut, washed in several waters, washed off starch, quickly dried with a towel and just as quickly placed in a freezer for primary freezing, laid out in one layer on a tray.

Apparently, the result depends on the potato variety, and on the power of the freezer, and on the hostess's agility. If the hostess doubts the effectiveness of this method, you can freeze a small batch of the selected potato, and then check in practice how it will behave after defrosting.

Frozen potatoes are stored in a freezer for 8-10 months at -18 °.

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