I have a question: I see some of your recipes have potatoes in them. I’ve heard that they can turn black when you cook them after being frozen. Is this true? Have you had this happen? Any tips?
Certain questions come up over and over again in my blog comments and emails so I’m going to attempt to answer all of them in detail on my blog.
How to freeze fresh potatoes in slow cooker freezer meals is one of them.
I had an experience years ago where the potatoes in my freezer bag of beef stew turned black while cooking and ruined the entire dish. After that, I avoided freezing fresh potatoes, but then I tried this Potato Chowder from the freezer cooking authority Once a Month Meals and had a change of heart.
Here’s how I freeze fresh potatoes without turning them black:
- I always use fresh potatoes.
- I add everything else to my freezer bags FIRST, and then chop and add the potatoes so they aren’t exposed to air for very long.
- I thaw my freezer bags with fresh potatoes in water in the morning (instead of in the refrigerator overnight). I’m not sure why this helps, but I think it makes a difference.
Sometimes the potatoes in my freezer meals get a little bit darker while cooking, but it doesn’t bother us and they still taste good.
Here are some other tips for freezing raw potatoes that I found online:
- Rinse them in a combo of water and a little bit of white vinegar.
- Blanch in boiling water for 2-3 minutes before freezing (source). <- This takes more time, but seems to be the best way to prevent your potatoes from turning black.
Oh, and here are some awesome slow cooker freezer recipes with potatoes:
- Zuppa Toscana with Sweet Potatoes
- The Ham and Potato Soup and Hamburger Vegetable Soup in this budget-friendly freezer meal prep session
- The Classic Pot Roast and Potato Corn Chowder in my freezer eCookbooks
Other frequently asked questions about freezer cooking:
- How to substitute dried beans for canned
- How to adapt my recipes for only 1-2 people
- What is the best crockpot?
[…] New Leaf Wellness: How to freeze raw […]
Hi Kelly, I’ve found your recipes recently and they are like a treasure for me! I was planning to use my over-30-years old slow cooker (belonged to my grandmother!) and I was wondering what to cook! I’m living in Iran and I’m not familiar with the names of all the ingredient of the recipes, beside I don’t have access to many of cans or jars or prepared sauces which you can buy from the stores. It takes me a long time to understand the recipe and find things I can replace instead. I’m sorry beforehand for my upcoming simple (and… Read more »
Happy to help however I can, Delara.
[…] I’ve run into are fresh potatoes and broccoli. Potatoes can turn brown in the freezer (these tips can help prevent that) and broccoli oxidizes and tastes gross (so I use frozen broccoli florets from the grocery store in […]
I realize that this post of low carb soups is dated but I’d like to comment on of right ways to freeze your fresh veggies. Just blanching a little does not secure you maintain the vitamins that can be lost thru direct freezing. First you must clean and cut veggies to the size preferred then you put them a pot bring to a low boil for about 2-3 min. and quickly run very cold water preferably with ice over the veggies then dry them as best you can with paper towel or cloth and put directly into the freezer. If… Read more »
[…] • How to Freeze Raw Potatoes […]
How do i freeze potatoes that will last a yr.
I froze potatoes whole and peeled. They did not turn black but they taste worse than vinegar. What happened? They did stay white.
That is so strange. Maybe they oxidized? You could try canned whole new potatoes next time.