Can I freeze mashed potatoes?
Mashed potatoes freeze fairly well. A lot of vegetables come out of the freezer mushy unless you use special quick-freezing techniques, but mashed potatoes are already mushy. They do, however, tend to come out a bit mushy and grainy, as the water freezes separately from the potato mass. A few things help fix that: • Extra butter and cream helps hold everything together. The potato starch emulsifies the fat and the seeping water together. • Better than microwaving is to defrost in the refrigerator, then bake them in the oven. That drives off some of the extra water that seeps out, and gives you a nice brown crust. Stir a couple of times during reheating • They may be better used as a part of another recipe (say, potato croquettes, or as a topping for shepherd’s pie) rather than eaten on their own, because the textural problems are more obvious there. • Freeze them in the units you’ll use them. Trying to separate out portions once frozen is a hassle.
Ive read through a number of web pages and there is mixed information – many folks believe that the mashed potatoes have a somewhat different taste, even watery, from the fresh ones. A number of others who put in extra ingredients like butter, sour cream, and seasonings before freezing seem to find them more palatable. Here is one such recipe: Rich Mashed Potatoes SUBMITTED BY: Taste of Home’s Fast Family Favorites PHOTO BY: Sumchelle “These nicely seasoned potatoes are so fresh-tasting and creamy that there’s no need for extra butter or gravy. Freeze them in individual and family servings for added convenience.”
In fact, freezing them mashed is the best way to go. Freeze them in serving size portions and when reheating, don’t use the microwave. You can heat them on top of the stove adding a bit more butter and milk or you can reheat them in the oven. You can also take those mashed potatoes and make potato patties. Shape and freeze in baggies. Then you can defrost and fry up later. Another good idea is to make twice baked stuffed potatoes. Bake them once and stuff. Wrap in Saran wrap and put in baggies or another type of storage container. When you want to use them let them thaw and give the second bake in a greased dish uncovered at 400 degrees for about 30 minutes.
