Frozen Home Fries

[disco]

I try and avoid smoking non smoking posts. Just a personal thing.

However, more of my fall potato crop are starting to sprout and I need to preserve them. I have tried parboiling them in the past, but they are too soft when I go to fry them. I needed something different.

I have been making Bacon Wrapped Stuffed Potatoes and freezing them. The texture seemed fine. Maybe, baking the potatoes for home fries would be better. It worked out so well I felt I needed to let people know.

I preheated my oven to 400 F (204 C). I brushed some potatoes with vegetable oil. Since my first effort, I used bacon fat and it is better, but vegetable oil works fine.

I put then on a rack over a baking tray and put them in the oven. Start checking at 1/2 hour to see if they’re done. A fork should go in with just a little resistance.

Small potatoes were done at 30 minutes, medium at 45 minutes and large at 60 minutes. Take the smaller potatoes out of the oven as they are done.

Let the potatoes cool to room temperature. Cut them into one-half-inch cubes. Put them in a sealable bag or a vacuum bag so they mainly lie flat and freeze them.

If you freeze them mostly flat, you can take them right out of the freezer and fry them in butter, oil or bacon rendering for great home fries.

The Verdict

Baking the potatoes gives a much better texture than parboiling in my opinion. I will be using this to preserve a lot of my potato crop in the freezer and will have a lot of great home fries over the winter!

Disco

 

[Steve H]

Very true Disco! That's how I've been doing them. Works great this way.

 

[MJB05615]

That's a great idea Disco. We don't have our own crops, but we do go through 5-10 lbs of potatoes every week. I'm gonna try this with several and check it out. Once again you've given us new ideas. Thanks for sharing your wisdom.

 

[disco]

Very true Disco! That's how I've been doing them. Works great this way.

Har! Why didn't you tell me before?

That's a great idea Disco. We don't have our own crops, but we do go through 5-10 lbs of potatoes every week. I'm gonna try this with several and check it out. Once again you've given us new ideas. Thanks for sharing your wisdom.

Thanks but, I am still looking for some wisdom!

 

[chopsaw]

That's a great way to do it . I was wondering how they would freeze . I do the same , but leave them whole and smash them down when cooled . Crisp the whole thing up in a pan .
Good to hear they freeze well .
Thanks .

 

[Murray]

Each year our neighbour at the lake gives us 40-50 pounds of potatoes to bring back home with us. Usually I transport and store in boxes, this year I put them in sandbags for transport and just set them on the basement floor like I do every year. Your post got me to thinking I’d better check them for sprouts, the one bag that is opened no sprouts, I opened the other three bags to check and not a single sprout and no evidence of the potatoes even starting to sprout. Previous years I would have had sprouts by now. These are red potatoes that were harvested late August and early September not washed just spread out on a tarp to allow the dirt to dry in the shade. I don’t know if the lack of sprouts are a function of the breed or the sandbags.

 

[Steve H]

I don’t know if the lack of sprouts are a function of the breed or the sandbags.

You know? I never gave that a thought. I've bought 50 pound bags in burlap before. And never had sprouts either. I wonder if that is the case.

 

[chopsaw]

That is a good thought . I've started storing things the way I find them in the store .
Been taking the potatoes out of the bags .

 

[SmokinEdge]

I’ve raised a bunch of Pontiac and Viking varieties in my day ( both reds) in storage the key was always, keep them cool and as dark as possible. Those two factors seemed to drive sprouts more than anything else.

 

[disco]

That's a great way to do it . I was wondering how they would freeze . I do the same , but leave them whole and smash them down when cooled . Crisp the whole thing up in a pan .
Good to hear they freeze well .
Thanks .

Sounds good!

Each year our neighbour at the lake gives us 40-50 pounds of potatoes to bring back home with us. Usually I transport and store in boxes, this year I put them in sandbags for transport and just set them on the basement floor like I do every year. Your post got me to thinking I’d better check them for sprouts, the one bag that is opened no sprouts, I opened the other three bags to check and not a single sprout and no evidence of the potatoes even starting to sprout. Previous years I would have had sprouts by now. These are red potatoes that were harvested late August and early September not washed just spread out on a tarp to allow the dirt to dry in the shade. I don’t know if the lack of sprouts are a function of the breed or the sandbags.

I grow mostly early and mid season potatoes (living in the mountains I have a shorter growing season). My early Warba and fingerling potatoes always start to sprout about now and nothing I have tried stops them. Ergo, I make frozen stuffed potatoes, mashed potato casseroles and now home fries.

My mid season Norlands get me another month and my Kennebecs go even longer.

I suspect your potatoes are late season Pontiacs or similar.

You know? I never gave that a thought. I've bought 50 pound bags in burlap before. And never had sprouts either. I wonder if that is the case.

Some store bought potatoes are treated and they are usually long season storage potatoes. I store my potatoes in racks in a dark cold room. It gives me some months (the Warba and fingerling potatoes are harvested in July even here in the mountains) but the early ones will sprout whatever I try.

 

[disco]

That is a good thought . I've started storing things the way I find them in the store .
Been taking the potatoes out of the bags .

There is a reason that you don't see fingerling and Warba in the stores, they don't store. The russet, yukon gold, etc last longer.

I’ve raised a bunch of Pontiac and Viking varieties in my day ( both reds) in storage the key was always, keep them cool and as dark as possible. Those two factors seemed to drive sprouts more than anything else.

Truth. I get the same with my Kennebecs.

 

[Bearcarver]

Great Idea, Disco!!
Thanks for Spreading this around!!
Like.

Bear

 

[disco]

Great Idea, Disco!!
Thanks for Spreading this around!!
Like.

Bear

Thanks, Bear! It is way better than what I usually spread around!