How To Freeze Your Homemade French Fries
Whether made with russet potatoes or sweet potatoes, french fries can be a perfect pairing for anything from burgers and other sandwiches to a perfectly prepared steak. And who doesn't love a big bowl of poutine all on its own? But the time it takes to get them sliced and fried can put a damper on indulging in them on a busy weeknight. However, instead of shelling out the cash for frozen fries from the freezer section, you can easily prep and freeze them at home so they're ready to go when you want them.
It only takes a few steps to prepare fries for freezing. First, you'll want to choose the freshest potatoes you can find at your grocery store or farmers' market and store them in a place that is both cool and dark to prevent greening or degradation until you're ready to use them. Then, all you'll need to do is slice, blanch, and freeze.
Blanching — what it is and how to do it
Blanching is the process of heat-treating that's often used prior to freezing vegetables. For potatoes, it's important for a couple of reasons. First, because of their high moisture content, potatoes have a tendency to change texture and become soggy and grainy after freezing if not blanched first. Additionally, when frozen raw, potatoes can turn black when thawed.
In order to prepare for blanching potatoes, create an ice bath by filling a large bowl with water and ice. Then, bring a pot of water to a boil. It's helpful to keep the ice bath near the water so you can easily transfer the partially cooked potatoes to it.
While the water is coming to a boil, slice potatoes to the size and shape you prefer for your fries. Peeling before slicing is optional. When the water is ready, drop the potatoes into the pot and cook for just a couple of minutes. Use a slotted spoon to transfer the potatoes from the boiling water to the ice bath.
Freezing partially cooked fries
In order to avoid having the french fries freeze together once stored, you'll want to flash-freeze them first. To prepare for this step, line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone mat. Then, remove the potatoes from the ice bath and pat them dry with a clean dish towel or paper towels. Place the potatoes on the lined baking sheet, and avoid overlapping so that they do not stick together once frozen. Put the baking sheet into the freezer and allow the potatoes to remain there until they are fully frozen (at least an hour).
Once the fries are frozen on the sheet, they're ready for the final part of the freezing process. Transfer the fries to a freezer-safe container or freezer bag and keep them frozen for up to six months. Whether you're frying, baking, or air frying them, you can cook the fries straight from the freezer.