Instead of paying for frozen fries from the freezer section of your local grocery store, you can easily prep and freeze them at home so they're ready to go when you want them.

First, choose fresh potatoes and store them somewhere cool and dark to prevent greening or degradation until you're ready to use them. Then simply cut, blanche, and freeze them.

Blanching is a heat-treating process that helps frozen vegetables maintain their texture, and — in the case of potatoes — prevents them from turning black when they thaw out.

To blanch your potatoes, make a large bowl of ice water and boil a pot of water, keeping them close so you can transfer the potatoes right to the ice bath after cooking.

Cut your potatoes into your preferred fry shape, cook them in the boiling water for only a couple of minutes, and transfer them into the ice bath.

To prevent your fries from freezing together, flash-freeze them by patting them dry and placing them on a parchment paper-lined baking sheet and freezing them for about an hour.

Once the fries are frozen, transfer them to a freezer-safe container or freezer bag and store them in the freezer, where they will last for up to six months.