Keeping cooked potatoes

[rotuts]

Im wondering how and how long in a very cold refig one might keep cooked potatoes. Then use them for things like potato salad, homefries etc.

this might seem like an odd thing to ask about, but Ive been unable to keep russets for very long as they sprout. Ill still eat them after I de-sprout them, but well ...

in my area they have some pretty small russets on sale for 1 USD for 3 lbs. Im a fan of the skin and never peel them. so this is for me. more skin!

I thought Id boil some until tender, cool, and dry and then try to keep them in the refig for a while and see: potato salad, home fries etc. I bet the key is the drying.

just an odd-ball sort of project. Soooooooooo much Skiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiin!

[SylviaLovegren]

My experience is that cold cooked potatoes keep not long at all. They get nasty fast. I think you'd have better luck figuring out a better way to store the uncooked ones -- being in the dark should keep them from sprouting, then make sure there's good air circulation so they don't rot.

[rod rock]

You are right for the uncooked potatos that should keep in dark place and also without moisture. But cooked potato can stay long, maybe day or two.

[rotuts]

Ive done everything i can, and they sprout!

I bet they freeze after cooking ... but my freezer is full of SV!

i discoverd the freezer part when Trader Joe's was demo-ing frozen mashed potatoes with their box turkey gravy: delicious!

[pep.]

I would not freeze cooked potatoes. I did that once with potato salad and the results were pretty nasty (completely pasty-mealy).

[Charcuterer]

Here's an idea that might be worth an experiment. In MCatH and from Heston Blumenthal they talk about retrograding the startches. What if you try that, 158* for 35 minutes then put them on a cookie sheet to cool and then freeze them. Then you have them ready to thaw and use as needed. Maybe that would help to prevent the pasty-mealy texture. (However, with a full freezer that probably doesn't help.)

[ElsieD]

Here's an idea that might be worth an experiment. In MCatH and from Heston Blumenthal they talk about retrograding the startches. What if you try that, 158* for 35 minutes then put them on a cookie sheet to cool and then freeze them. Then you have them ready to thaw and use as needed. Maybe that would help to prevent the pasty-mealy texture. (However, with a full freezer that probably doesn't help.)

I tried to find this in MC@H and couldn't. Can you tell me where it is? Thanks.

[pacman1978]

What about making a pomme puree out of them? That would surely keep a few days longer than just boiled potatoes and simple to reheat with a splash of milk to loosen if needed?

Edited November 8, 2012 by pacman1978 (log)

[rod rock]

Pomme purree is great idea too, i didn't remember that one

[Charcuterer]

@ElsieD it's on page 100. The first step of Potato Puree.

[rotuts]

completed mashed potatoes would work, unless the Trader puts extra "stuff" in them and freeze but my freezer is full!

[radtek]

I don't think it is possible to actually retrograde starches once they've broken down. At least not easily. Maybe it is possible in a lab. A cooled baked potato wrapped in cling-wrap lasts much longer in the fridge than a couple days. Par-cooked potatoes seem to keep well in the freezer depending on type. Fully cooked get mealy as mentioned.

It just isn't a dark place for raw potatoes- it needs to be cool as well. I keep mine in the guest bathroom which is the coolest place in the house. One might ask-why not the fridge then? Well, the starches start to convert to sugars almost immediately and the texture and taste changes. Also, unless they are kept under perfect conditions potatoes are best consumed quickly- so I buy just enough to last a couple meals so that they aren't around for more than a week. If stored on the counter and the potatoes just start to turn green then it's a sign to use them right away. My understanding is they are turning toxic. http://www.wisegeek.com/are-green-potatoes-poisonous.htm#lbss