How to Freeze Potatoes (7 Easy Steps)

Not sure if freezing potatoes is a good idea? In this guide, you’ll learn how to freeze potatoes perfectly with detailed instructions and answers to commonly asked questions.

Let’s dive in…

Can You Freeze Potatoes?

Quick Answer: Yes, you can definitely freeze potatoes.But using the wrong method can damage them and change the texture.Luckily, there’s a simple way to avoid these problems so you can make the best potato soups and French fries from frozen spuds.

Directions for Freezing Potatoes

Step 1 – Clean and Dice the Potatoes

First, scrub the potatoes clean.Whether you peel them or not us totally up to you, but it’s possible to freeze both peeled and unpeeled potatoes.

If you’re going to cut them up, go ahead and dice, shred, slice or cube them for soups, hash browns, French fries and any of your favorite potato recipes.

You can also leave them whole if you prefer.This is probably easier with smaller potatoes than with larger ones.

Need help cutting? Check out these fry cutters…

Step 2 – Set Up a Blanching Station and an Ice Bath

Have you ever frozen raw potatoes and taken them out of the freezer to cook, only to find that they turned black inside?If you’ve wondered how to prevent this from happening, blanching is the key.

Grab a pot and fill it with water, then put it on the stove and set it to boil.This is going to be your blanching station.

Next, fill a large bowl with ice and water.It should be a good amount with plenty of ice, but you don’t want it to be full all the way to the top because the potatoes will eventually be going into the ice water.

Step 3 – Blanch the Potatoes

With a slotted spoon or utensil of your choice, lower the potatoes into the boiling water on the stove. 

Leave whole potatoes in the water for anywhere from three to eight minutes, depending on size. You want them to be heated all the way through.

For diced or shredded potatoes, you’ll need less blanching time. The smaller the potato, the less time it will take to become tender.

Step 4 – Transfer the Potatoes to the Ice Bath

After blanching, strain the potatoes out of the boiling water and transfer them to the bowl of ice water to stop the cooking process.

Leave the potatoes in the ice bath until they’re cool, which probably won’t take more than a few minutes. Add more ice as needed.

Step 5 – Drain the Potatoes

Drain the cooled potatoes in a colander in the sink. You don’t need to dry them with a paper towel, but you do need to make sure that they’re drained well.

A few minutes in the colander to let all the water run out is typically sufficient for proper draining.

Step 6 – Pre-Freeze the Potatoes

Pre-freezing is going to ensure that the potatoes don’t stick together in the freezer and become impossible to separate when it’s time to thaw.

Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or wax paper and place the potatoes on top, making sure to keep them separated. Then stick the baking sheet in the freezer and wait until the potatoes are frozen.

If you want to skip this step, just portion the potatoes out into individual servings as you think you’ll need them in the future and skip to Step 7.

Step 7 – Pack the Potatoes for the Freezer

Put the potatoes in Ziploc freezer bags and draw out all the air inside before sealing and placing in the freezer.

If you want to use a freezer-safe container instead, you certainly can. Just make sure that you can fill it all the way to the top to get as much air out as possible.

Done!

For cooking tips, recipe hacks and a super easy grocery shopping guide, see our Vegan Grocery List for Beginners.

Bonus Tips

Anyone can slice and dice potatoes, but there are certain ways to make it faster and easier, saving you time and energy.Check out this video to learn more.

Joey Bruno

Hey, I’m Joey. I’ve been cooking since I was a little kid and love everything about it. You can find my writing about food, kitchen appliances (such as blenders) and much more. Thanks for stopping by!