You can absolutely freeze potatoes that you’ve cooked, but like with any frozen and then thawed food, it will change in texture than if you used it straight away.
If you freeze the potatoes wrong, you can end up with soggy or grainy potatoes, rather than the perfect potatoes you actually wanted.
Freezing cooked potatoes does cut down on the time you’ll spend preparing the actual meal.
It also helps extend the shelf life, which is especially helpful if you’ve got a glut of potatoes (see also Freezing Potato Salad), and you don’t fancy having them for every meal!
Boiling potatoes and then freezing them opens up a whole host of options if you’re normally short on time, or if you can’t be bothered to boil and then make baked potatoes (see also Can You Freeze Baked Potatoes?), fries, or croquettes all in one go.
You can store boiled potatoes in the fridge, where they will keep for about a week, depending on how good your fridge is.
If you freeze boiled potatoes (see also Can You Freeze Roasted Potatoes), they can keep anywhere up to 4 months before they start to lose quality.
It’s worth mentioning that some potato varieties contain more moisture than others, which makes it difficult to freeze some varieties, and some freeze very well.
The waxier the potato variety, the better it will freeze. The lower the moisture content, the less the potatoes will change state when you defrost them.
When you’re looking to freeze potatoes, only use those which are firm and undamaged (see also Can You Freeze Raw Potatoes). Any potatoes with any green colors shouldn’t be frozen.
These potatoes have been exposed to too much light, which creates a toxic compound within the potato itself, and it’s no longer safe to eat.
Any potatoes which have sprouted shoots should also be avoided.
How Do You Freeze Boiled Potatoes?
How to Prepare Potatoes Before Freezing Them
The first thing you’ll need to do, is to rinse the potatoes under running water to remove some of the starch. Remove the skins and any marks.
Cut them to a desired size if you wish. You’ll need a large pan full of boiling water. Boil the potatoes for about 6 minutes maximum, as you’re not fully cooking them.
The aim here is to get them slightly tender, while they remain firm and in their shapes.
You’ll also need an ice bath, and once the potatoes are ready, you’ll want to submerge them to prevent them from cooking anymore. Remove them from the ice bath and pat each one dry.
Now they’re ready to be frozen.
How to Pack and Then Freeze Potatoes
To stop potatoes from clumping together and turning mushy in the freezer, lay them on parchment paper, on a baking sheet. Once the potatoes are fully cold, place the whole thing into the freezer.
You should leave them for a couple of hours, and then you can take them out and separate as necessary. Place them into a suitable container, write the date somewhere clear, and pop them back into the freezer.
How Do You Defrost Potatoes Which Have Been Boiled?
So you’ve frozen them, perfect. How do you thaw them when it comes to wanting to use them?
It depends on the shape of the potatoes. If you froze the boiled potatoes whole, pop the container into the fridge, and let them thaw overnight.
If you diced or chopped the potatoes before you froze them, you can use them straight from the freezer. Because these will be much smaller pieces, you won’t struggle to heat them adequately, and they will thaw quickly.
If you need to thaw the potatoes first, only add them to your dish when you’ve nearly finished it. Don’t forget, you’ve already boiled them. Adding them at a later stage will stop them from reducing into soggy sludge.
Conclusion
As long as you prepare your potatoes correctly beforehand, there is no reason why you can’t freeze them.
Freezing boiled potatoes (see also Can You Freeze Mashed Potatoes) extends their lifespan, as well as halving the eventual cooking time when you come to make the dish you have in mind.
They will change in taste and texture to some extent, but as long as you use them within 4 months, this won’t affect the rest of your dinner.
The trade-off of losing a little texture is more than worth it when you consider the amount of time you’ll actually save when it comes to cooking dinner.
You’ve already done most of the hard work, and it also makes it easier to persuade yourself to make something nice rather than buying it outright. This not only saves you money, but it’s also a much healthier option.
Freezing potatoes (see also Freezing Sweet Potatoes) also prevents a glut of potatoes going to waste, especially if they were on offer.
It also prevents having to resort to cooking potatoes with every meal, which will quickly lose any novelty it had!
