Whether you buy potatoes in bulk, live far from a local grocery store, or like to be in charge of long-term meal prepping, making your own bag of frozen hash browns is a great way to use up and preserve extra potatoes. Plus, they are quite simple to make. Prepping frozen hash browns is essentially the same as making fresh hash browns. You start by shredding them; whether you leave the skin on or peel it off is your personal preference. You can use this Spring Chef Professional Cheese Grater to shred the potatoes, but if you have a food processor with a grater attachment, it will save you a lot of elbow grease and time.
As soon as you grate the potatoes, they begin to oxidize and turn brown. To avoid oxidation, add potato shreds immediately to a bowl with cold water to soak for around five minutes. Not only will the water bath keep them from discoloring, but it’ll also help rid them of excess starch so that they don’t stick together when freezing or cooking. When finished grating, remove the shreds from the water, rinse them off, and then set them on a dishcloth or cheesecloth to help squeeze out as much water and moisture as possible. Once you have effectively dried out the potato shreds, spread them evenly over a baking sheet and put them into the freezer. It will take about two hours for them to freeze solid. Then, transfer them to freezer-safe bags and use accordingly.
Tips for cooking frozen hash browns
Frozen hash browns will last months in the freezer, supplying you with countless dishes from breakfast casseroles like this cheesy hash brown casserole to the best base for a rich and creamy potato soup. You can pull them out of the freezer to fry up in a matter of minutes since the grunt work has already been done. While you can add frozen hash browns to a skillet directly, par-cooking them is will produce even crispier results.
You can boil them for a minute or two, but throwing them in the microwave covered with a paper towel is easier and just as effective. Skillet frying hash browns is one of the most common ways to get crispy spuds, and just a light drizzle of oil is all it takes. However, not considering a waffle iron is one common hash brown mistake to avoid. Spreading frozen, par-cooked hash browns in an even layer over the waffle iron will create the same crisp exterior and fluffy interior as with regular waffle batter.
You can elevate your frozen hash browns by adding grated onions before frying them up. The earthiness of the potatoes and aromatic, sweet, and spicy onions are a match made in heaven. For that matter, you can blend frozen hash browns with shredded carrots, zucchini, and onions, bind with an egg, and fry into vegetable fritters to serve with a dollop of sour cream.
