Have you ever looked at a basket of potatoes and realized you need to do something with them right now?
That's exactly what happened to me this week.
I had a little over 5 pounds of russet potatoes that were definitely starting to look a little sad. They weren't something I wanted to leave sitting around much longer, but they were still perfectly usable once I peeled and trimmed them.
Rather than letting them go to waste, I decided to turn them into something I know we'll use: chopped potatoes ready for the freezer.
This is one of those simple things I do in my kitchen that accomplishes several things at once. It prevents food waste, saves money, and gives me something in the freezer that will make breakfast easier another day.
And after I mentioned freezing potatoes in one of my recent YouTube videos, one of my viewers asked me to show exactly how I do it.
So that's what we're doing today!
Why I Freeze Chopped Potatoes
I like having foods in my freezer that aren't necessarily complete freezer meals.
A pan of lasagna or a casserole is wonderful to have tucked away, but individual ingredients can be just as useful.
These potatoes are a good example.
Instead of peeling and chopping potatoes on a busy morning, I can reach into the freezer and take out what I need for breakfast potatoes. Most of the work has already been done.
And if you find a good price on a larger bag of potatoes-or simply realize the potatoes you already have need to be used-freezing them can keep that food from ending up in the trash.
That's common sense cooking to me: use what you have and make life a little easier for yourself later.
What You'll Need
- Russet potatoes
- Large pot of boiling water
- Large bowl of ice water
- Clean kitchen towels
- Parchment paper
- Baking sheets
- Freezer bags or freezer-safe containers
I started with a little over 5 pounds of russet potatoes and ended up with four quart-size freezer bags, each containing a little over a pound of prepared potatoes.
Step 1: Peel, Rinse and Chop the Potatoes
I started by peeling the potatoes and trimming away anything I didn't want to keep.
After rinsing them, I sliced the potatoes and then chopped them into pieces that would work well for breakfast potatoes.
As I worked, I kept the chopped potatoes submerged in a bowl of water.
For this batch, I used my Mueller Food Chopper to make quick work of chopping them into fairly even pieces.
Mueller Food Chopper:
https://amzn.to/4c0O4sO
This is an Amazon affiliate link. If you purchase through my link, I may earn a small commission at no additional cost to you.
Step 2: Blanch the Potatoes
Once everything was chopped, I brought a large pot of water to a boil.
I had enough potatoes that I needed to work in two batches.
I placed each batch of chopped potatoes into the boiling water and blanched them for 3 minutes.
Blanching is an important step before freezing many vegetables because it helps slow the enzyme activity that can affect quality during freezer storage.
Step 3: Move Them Immediately to an Ice Bath
After 3 minutes, I removed the potatoes from the boiling water and transferred them immediately into a large bowl of ice water.
This stops the cooking process.
Once they were completely cooled, I drained them well.
Step 4: Get the Potatoes as Dry as Possible
This part is worth taking a little extra time.
I spread the potatoes over clean kitchen towels and patted them dry. Then I let them sit for approximately 10 minutes.
The goal is to remove as much surface moisture as possible before freezing.
Step 5: Flash Freeze
Next, I lined baking sheets with parchment paper and spread the chopped potatoes over them.
Try to keep the pieces separated rather than piling them on top of one another.
I placed the baking sheets in my freezer for approximately 3 hours.
Flash freezing the pieces first keeps them from freezing into one enormous block. Later, I can open a bag and take out just the amount I need.
Step 6: Package for the Freezer
Once the potato pieces were frozen, I transferred them into quart-size zipper freezer bags.
I ended up with four bags containing a little over one pound each.
I like using a bag holder when I'm filling freezer bags because it keeps the bag upright and leaves both of my hands free.
Baggy Holder Rack:
https://amzn.to/4wM3f0A
This is an Amazon affiliate link. If you purchase through my link, I may earn a small commission at no additional cost to you.
Remove as much air as practical, label your bags and return them to the freezer.
Watch Me Freeze the Potatoes
If you'd like to see the entire process, I filmed everything from that original basket of not-so-pretty potatoes all the way to the four finished freezer bags.
Sometimes seeing the process makes it much easier than simply reading the directions.
A Little Work Today Makes Another Day Easier
This is why I love having a well-stocked freezer.
It doesn't always have to mean spending an entire Saturday making 20 freezer meals.
Sometimes it's simply saving a basket of potatoes.
A little over 5 pounds of potatoes that needed my attention became four bags of food ready for future meals. Nothing fancy. Nothing complicated.
And next time I want breakfast potatoes, much of the work is already done.
That's a win in my book.
Need Help With Meal Planning?
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