FOOD NEWS
The Reason You Shouldn't Soak Grated Potatoes When Making Hash Browns
By Cristine Struble
Crispy, golden hash browns can steal the show during brunch, and the homemade version is even tastier when the cook remembers to avoid soaking grated potatoes.
Starch is important in creating crispy, well-formed hash browns and holding potato pieces together. If you soak your grated potatoes, you risk losing all that starchy goodness.
While the potato starch can help create the crunch, removing excess water is another key to delicious hash browns. However, it requires more than just patting the potatoes dry.
Soaking or rinsing grated hash browns before cooking can increase the potential for excess water to wind up in the pan, which can cause food to splatter while frying.
Repeatedly squeezing and ringing the potatoes is vital to removing water. Once the dry, grated potatoes hit the skillet or pan, they work with the fat to become golden brown.