The Right Way to Freeze Potatoes (shredded hash browns)

Do you have a bunch of fresh potatoes that will go bad before you have a chance to use them all? Why not freeze them to use weeks or months later?
In this video we go through the basic steps to freeze potatoes. To avoid ending up with yucky brown or grey potatoes, it's important to blanch them after shredding, cubing, or slicing. Then flash-freezing helps to keep it all from freezing together into one big chunk.
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Equipment/materials I used in this video:
FoodSaver FM2000 Vacuum Sealer Machine
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Nutri-Lock Vacuum Sealer Bags
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Stainless Steel Strainer Pot
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[@janaphelps4814]

I found I wasn’t liking the towel method for drying my potatoes so much, so I started putting them in my salad spinner and spinning them dry. It proved to be a little less mess and the potatoes seemed to be a lot less wet….

[@MiddleEastMilli]

Thanks Jana! You just saved me a towel scavenger hunt at my home! :)

[@robertd.719]

Next time try a quick rinse before blanch. A good deal of starch comes off and I think it helps

[@MiddleEastMilli]

GLC: Thanks so much for this practical video! Someone just gave me 10 pounds of potatoes and I was not sure what to do with all of them. I do have a really delicious recipe for a breakfast casserole that uses the hash browns so now I will be saving about $3 per bag and should be able to make a lot of the casseroles for friends! :) Through your helpful videos, you continue to spread your sunshine all over the Mitten! I love your legacy!!! :) Thanks again!

[@GreatLakesPrepping]

Thank you Milli. I'm happy that my videos continue to be useful to you, and I very much appreciate your compliment.

[@spankymagee]

Pretty cool when you search a a specific topic and the best one that comes up is a channel you've already been subbed to a long time. Doing this now! And I also have that same shredded. Win!

[@GreatLakesPrepping]

Ha, that works out nicely! Thanks Chris.

[@kesakary]

Easiest explanation I have found. Thank you

[@Serenityi413]

Thanks, we have tons of potatoes, maded mashed, pierogies, now shredded to freeze.

[@GreatLakesPrepping]

Delicious!

[@wileymarm0t]

Great explanation, thanks!

[@NoraS-K]

Awesome video! I have about 10lbs of potatoes that are about to go bad. I need to freeze them into prep foods but wanted to know how.

[@rockygraziano2339]

Been wanting to make my own French Fries. Looks like this process will work. You can save a ton of money by making your own.

[@thefrankperspective4247]

And if you use an apple corer, you can make quick wedges to blanche and freeze

[@judielin]

Wonderful video - thanks so much!

[@johnvasquez4442]

Have you tried a potato ricer to squeeze out water. Works great!

[@m.b.g.2235]

Thank you for sharing. When you are ready to eat, how do you cook? Frozen, thawed, in oven, skillet with grease. About how long. Sorry for such simple questions but I have never done this before. I found your channel when you interviewed Alaska Prepper. After glancing at some of your videos, I have subscribed.

[@christinebolstad8595]

Yes, this info would be quite helpful. How do you prepare them?

[@paulanichols5630]

This is super helpful. Thanks for sharing

[@GreatLakesPrepping]

You're welcome Paula!

[@chadlipscomb736]

I am going to try this 👍

[@cocinandoymasconcecialliso5677]

Thank you for teaching us, GOD BLESS you, you have my subscription and my like.

[@GreatLakesPrepping]

Thank you!

[@fritzj6803]

Does the blanching still apply if I decide to make a hash brown casserole?

[@scottc.real_2legit_4u55]

I never knew this! Amazing! >>>>> SHARED

[@dizziechef9502]

I’m thinking of forming some in flat Pattie’s and freezing them with onion and green pepper in the patty. I’m going to fry these Pattie’s in a skillet and see how that works. Flat Pattie’s. Hash brown s

[@superioradventures]

If your going to make patties you’ll need a binder (like an egg, Al it’ll will go a long way) for the potatoes. If not, they might fall apart when you cook them.

[@katyaks8770]

How long can these last?I literally got 140 lbs of them while dumpster diving.vid to come.

[@GreatLakesPrepping]

They can last as long as any other frozen veg in the freezer. Quite awhile!

[@UnitBeerMonsta]

Thats black 🤣🤣

[@1954evelyn]

Would have liked to see how you thaw and fry so you let them thaw first?

[@GreatLakesPrepping]

If they're not totally stuck together, you can start frying them from frozen (like the frozen hash browns from the store). But if they're all stuck together in a big lump, yea you have to thaw them for awhile first.

[@1954evelyn]

@@GreatLakesPrepping thank you I am back watching again I have watched probably more than 20 videos yours is the best!! I like the way you used the pasta strainer I have 2 of them and I think both will fit in my huge roaster at the same time. That will be so much easier rinsing them too. Thanks for replying to my post so quickly most people don't. subscribed.

[@matthewsamuel8804]

Great method. How can I get the type of your electric grater? Thanks

[@GreatLakesPrepping]

Hello, it's just a Cuisinart food processor, similar to this one: amzn.to/2PHKVqh But really any food processor that comes with a shredding blade will work.

[@matthewsamuel8804]

Okay. Thanks

[@teedoff35]

If you have a kitchen aid it has an attachment that will do the job

[@M4R1N4]

When you want to dry something out before you freeze or flash-freeze it, you can put it in the fridge (exposed to the air) and it will help dry it out. If you have time for that of course. I try to get things as absolutely dry as I can before I freeze them, somehow the freezer-burn monster wants to get at everything in my freezer!!

[@dag118]

National Center for food preservation says 2 minutes for cubed. I am thinking 5 minutes for shreds is too long. Will experiment….

[@WOODR52]

this is far too much trouble considering how cheap commercially frozen potatoes are. Still a good video! thanks-

[@GreatLakesPrepping]

Thanks Richard. It comes in particularly handy for people who grow their own potatoes and want to preserve them for the year.

[@jamesp6110]

Who are you looking at? Not the camera.

[@GreatLakesPrepping]

Well I'm looking at you, of course.

[@brucewilliams1458]

Don't ever make in front of idaho's potatoes

[@dtec30]

wonder if a salad spiner would help drying them out?

[@GreatLakesPrepping]

It's funny you mention that. I actually started using one in the time since making this video, for that very purpose. It doesn't work 100%, and I still use a towel, but it definitely helps.

[@dtec30]

@@GreatLakesPrepping ok got me thinking 5 mins in the spin cycle of the washer lol or one of those mini spiners for washing clothes

[@fkarmadi]

@aft mini spinners is what we use in my house to extract water from veggies when making Indian samosa

[@citylotgardening6171]

Great video thanks for sharing

[@TheCreativeChica]

Thanks! This exactly what I wanted to do!

[@ambercrombie789]

I stored 10# of red and russet potatoes in a bucket with straw. We had a record cold winter here in TX. They froze and then thawed. They are water-logged. I have them in the oven at 170 F to desiccate them. Your thoughts? My freezer is tiny.

[@GreatLakesPrepping]

I don't have any experience with that exact thing. If they haven't become moldy or rotted, they're probably safe to eat after you dry them, but you'll probably want to completely dehydrate them at this point. I do wonder if the texture is going to be strange after freezing, thawing, water-logging, drying, and eventually re-hydrating though. If it was me, I'd probably make a lot of mashed potatoes and then dehydrate them to make potato flakes.

[@dgarnett4220]

Not bad lol

[@christine1962ful]

Is it just me or did thay sealer also vacuum pack the potatoes?

[@rebeccag8697]

I'm going to do this tomorrow! Thanks for your video

[@millimill32]

Very good video👍

[@mrsoxford8217]

How long can they stay in the freezer before they go bad

[@GreatLakesPrepping]

In theory, they could last indefinitely. But my rule of thumb is 1 year for frozen food like this. They won't technically ever go "bad" as long as they always stay frozen, but their texture and taste can become less enjoyable over time.

[@kayxperience]

The ones we get from supermarkets are they done this way...and how long can potatoes last in freezer preserving ?

[@GreatLakesPrepping]

They can last a long time. My general rule of thumb for freezer stuff is 1 year, but that's as much for organization purposes as anything. If kept frozen 100% of the time, most foods will be safe even after years, though texture/taste can be affected.

[@kayxperience]

@@GreatLakesPrepping what kind of potatoes are used for fries

[@GreatLakesPrepping]

@@kayxperience Generally high-starch potatoes like Idaho/russet are used for fries.

[@kayxperience]

@@GreatLakesPrepping sweet potatoes too?

[@eyeonart6865]

I use russets for fries! Yum sweet potatoes too!

[@brucewilliams1458]

Is yukon gold potatoes suck have no flavor😮