Easy Ways to Freeze Potatoes to Make Them Last for Months

Freezing potatoes helps increase their shelf life, which can be handy if you have a lot of extra potatoes on hand. Whether they’re whole, mashed, or in some other form, we’ll guide you through the right ways to prep your potatoes so they stay as fresh and delicious as possible. When you’re ready to use them, we’ll even walk you through the proper way to thaw and reheat your potatoes as part of a tasty meal.

Can you freeze potatoes?

Yes, you can freeze potatoes, but cook them first to improve the taste and texture. Simply clean and boil whole or cut potatoes for 4 to 10 minutes, then put them in an ice bath. Drain the potatoes and store them in freezer-safe bags for up to 3 months.

Section 1 of 5:

Freezing Whole or Cut Potatoes

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Clean the potatoes. Give your potatoes a good rinse and peel off the skin (or keep the skins on, if you prefer).^{[1]
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- Optional: To keep your potatoes from getting discolored in the freezer, place them in a bowl filled with 1 US gal (3.8 L) of water mixed with 1 tsp (3,000 mg) of ascorbic acid.^{[2]
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Boil small potatoes for 4 to 6 minutes and large ones for 8 to 10. This short boiling process is known as blanching, and helps prep your spuds before they go in the freezer.^{[3]
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Go to source} After boiling, soak the potatoes in an ice-water bath right away to keep them from cooking further.^{[4]
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- A “small” potato qualifies as one that’s 1 ¹⁄₂ in (3.8 cm) thick or smaller.^{[5]
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- While you don’t have to boil your potatoes beforehand, the process helps prevent them from discoloring further down the line.^{[6]
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  Go to source} Boiling the potatoes ahead of time also helps improve their texture and taste.
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Drain the potatoes and transfer them to freezer-safe storage bags. Drain the potatoes from their ice-water bath and leave them whole or cut them into smaller chunks, if you so desire. Transfer the potatoes to freezer-safe bags (with ¹⁄₃ in (0.85 cm) headspace leftover) and pop them in the freezer.^{[7]
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- Pro tip: If you’re cutting the potatoes into smaller pieces, freeze the chunks on a baking sheet first. Then, transfer the frozen chunks to a storage bag so they don’t stick together while in the freezer.

Section 2 of 5:

Freezing Mashed Potatoes

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Form your leftover mashed potatoes into cakes. Shape your mashed potatoes so they resemble burger patties that are about a ¹⁄₂ in (1.3 cm) thick.^{[8]
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- For tastier mashed potatoes, choose a recipe with fatty ingredients like butter, sour cream, and the like.
Transfer the patties to a baking sheet and stick them in the freezer until they’re solid.^{[9]
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Transfer the frozen mashed potato cakes to a freezer-safe bag. Now that the individual patties are frozen solid, place them all in the same bag and put the bag in the freezer.^{[10]
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- To be safe, place sheets of freezer paper between the mashed potatoes as you store them.

Section 3 of 5:

Freezing French Fries, Hash Browns, Scalloped Potatoes & Baked Potatoes

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French fries Slice and fry your french fries for 5 minutes, drain them of any leftover oil, and spread the fries out in a flat layer on a baking tray. Freeze the fries until they’re completely solid; then, transfer the frozen fries to a freezer-safe container or bag.^{[11]
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- This works best for fries that are around ³⁄₈ in (0.95 cm) thick.
Make your hash browns using your preferred method, browning them a little bit but not completely. Cool your hash browns down, freeze them on a baking sheet, then transfer them to a freezer-safe bag and put them back in the freezer.^{[12]
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Bake your scalloped potatoes until they're a light brown color but not completely cooked. Stick the potatoes in the fridge to cool them down quickly, and then wrap the top of the baking dish with parchment paper and a layer of foil. Transfer the covered baking dish to your freezer until you’re ready to eat the potatoes.^{[13]
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Bake and prepare your potatoes as you normally would, and then immediately put the potatoes in your fridge. Once they're cool, wrap your baked potatoes tightly with parchment paper, transfer them to a freezer-proof bag, and stick them in the freezer.^{[14]
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Section 4 of 5:

How to Thaw and Cook Frozen Potatoes

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Transfer the frozen potatoes to a pot of boiling water for around 15 minutes, or until they’re soft.^{[15]
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Mashed potatoes Professional chef Ollie George Cigliano suggests “heating [the mashed potatoes] in the microwave at half-power for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, and adding additional time as needed. Once hot, stir in additional cream and butter, as desired."
- This process helps to both thaw the potatoes and prepare them for serving.
- Alternative: Place a light coating of melted fat (like butter) on top of each mashed potato patty. Then, broil them for a couple of minutes to thaw and cook the patties.^{[16]
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French fries Set your oven to 475°F (246°C) and stick your french fries in for a few minutes until they’re completely browned.^{[17]
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- This helps to thaw and cook your fries so they’re ready to be served. The exact time will depend on how crispy you like them, so check on your fries every couple of minutes to see how browned and cooked they are.
Cook your frozen hash browns for a few minutes on the stove until they’re completely thawed out and browned.^{[18]
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Stick the baking tray in the oven at 400 °F (204 °C) and cook them until the potatoes are thawed out, warm, and ready to eat.^{[19]
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Set your oven to 350 °F (177 °C), unwrap the potatoes, and let them bake until they’re completely thawed out and reheated.^{[20]
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Section 5 of 5:

How long do frozen potatoes last?

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Frozen Potato Shelf Life
Type of Potatoes	Shelf Life
Whole potatoes	3 months
Cut potatoes	3 months
Mashed potatoes	2 to 4 weeks
French fries	2 months
Hash browns	1 to 2 months
Scalloped potatoes	2 to 4 weeks
Baked stuffed potatoes	1 month

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How do you freeze diced potatoes?

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Freeze diced potatoes much like you would larger chunks, blanch them, dry them off well and then freeze in a plastic bag. However, blanching will happen much faster because the potatoes are in small pieces. For diced potatoes, 30 seconds or so is about all the time you need.

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Can you freeze raw potatoes without blanching?

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Freezing potatoes raw is generally a bad idea because it will affect their texture negatively.

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Can you cook potatoes and freeze them?

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Yes, cooking potatoes or blanching before freezing is highly recommended to preserve the flavor and texture of the potatoes.

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Due to the physical process that occurs when potatoes freeze, they'll likely be a bit more watery when you heat them up again.^{[21]
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When the soup you are making calls for diced potatoes, drain and rinse one or more cans of diced potatoes to add to the soup. The soup will freeze well and the potatoes will keep their taste and texture.

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