Potatoes are loved for their versatility but roasties and chips are arguably two of the most popular ways to eat them.
Renowned for their crunchy texture, these styles of spuds are among the hardest to store after being cooked.
Not only do they tend to lose their crisp outer skin, but refrigerated roast potatoes are notorious for becoming somewhat tasteless and stale after just a day or two.
However, experts at Tesco Real Food claim that reducing the temperature even further is an effective way to prolong the shelf life of cooked spuds and in some cases, make them taste even better.
They said: “Like other leftovers, you can safely store cooked potatoes in the freezer, stashing them away for a future dinner. It’s far better for your wallet (and the planet) than throwing leftovers away, and you’ll save time in future by not having to prep spuds from scratch.”
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Whether it’s leftover roast potatoes or chunky homemade chips, the supermarket food professionals claimed that their simple method is ideal for second-helpings that taste better than the first.
The Tesco Real Food bloggers claimed: “Freezing improves the texture of roasties and chips, making for a softer, fluffier centre and an extra-crispy coating.
“But this comes with a crucial caveat: never defrost frozen roasties or chips before cooking, as this will make them mushy. Simply drizzle with oil, season, and roast for as long as your recipe requires.”
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When it comes to storing leftover roasties or chips, the best method is flash freezing.
This rapid approach ensures that no ice crystals form, which are notorious for dampening the flavour of the food.
They can also cause food items to have a drier texture which is unproductive when trying to improve the consistency of cooked potatoes.
Storing the spuds is as simple as laying them flat on a baking tray which is large enough to hold the chips or roast potatoes without them touching.
The tray should then be placed in the freezer for six hours. This allows each one to quickly reduce in temperature before they are ready to be tipped into a freezer bag and stored until they’re ready to be eaten.
While raw potatoes may seem harmless to freeze, the Real Food experts warned that their high water content makes the unsuitable for freezing. In most cases, they will turn mushy or grainy when thawed rather than soft and fluffy.
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