Did you know that you can make your own frozen hash browns? It’s pretty simple to do, and I think frozen hash browns taste even better than freshly made ones! Crazy, I know.
Whether you have a surplus of potatoes that you need to preserve, you’d like to do a bit of meal prep for the month, or you just want to try out something new in the kitchen, this post is for you! Let’s dive in and see how to make your own frozen hash browns.
As with fresh homemade hash browns, you want to start by shredding your potatoes and putting them in a bowl of cold water. Soaking the potatoes like this helps to remove some of the excess starch. This prevents the raw potatoes from browning too much.
Next you remove the potatoes from the water onto a clean tea towel.
Squeeeeeeze out as much water as you can. Drying out the potatoes helps them to not stick together.
Lay the potatoes out in a thin layer on a baking sheet.
Place in the freezer until completely frozen, about an hour or two. Then transfer the frozen potato shreds to freezer gallon baggies.
Label and store in the freezer for up to 3 months (I would personally still use them after 3 months, but that’s the generally accepted amount of time to store frozen food).
I experimented with freezing shredded potatoes without doing the extra steps of soaking and drying them. They didn’t turn as brown as I thought they would, but they were a royal pain to try to get off the pan once they were frozen. I also tried frying them, and they turned out pretty well except for a slight bitter taste.
So all in all I think the extra step is worth it. But it will work okay if you just shred the potatoes and throw them in a freezer bag.
To use your frozen hash browns, simply cook like you would regular hash browns: Heat a good amount of butter in a large cast iron skillet over medium-high heat. Add the frozen hash browns in a thin layer. The key to crispy hash browns is to not pile them too high in the pan. Cook until dark brown and crispy on the bottom. Flip and cook until the other side is crispy and the potatoes are cooked through.
Now, I find that the frozen hash browns actually get crispier than the fresh ones. Plus it’s super convenient to have a bag of homemade hash browns at the ready for a quick meal. So next time you make hash browns, make a few extra and freeze them!
In summary:
- Shred the amount of potatoes you’d like to freeze.
- Immediately put the potatoes into a large bowl of cold water and let soak for about 5 minutes.
- Remove the potatoes from the water onto a clean tea towel. Squeeze out any excess water.
- Place the shredded potatoes onto cookie sheets in a thin layer.
- Freeze until solid, about 1–2 hours.
- Remove from cookie sheets into freezer bags. Store in freezer up to 3 months.
