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Can You Freeze Hash Browns?

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By Ross Young

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Hash browns are just delicious. Fluffy on the inside and crunchy on the outside, they’re a great option at breakfast, lunch, or dinner. But what’s the best way to keep them for the long run?

Can You Freeze Hash Browns?

Yes, you can freeze hash browns for up to 3 months. While potatoes don’t always freeze particularly well, hash browns are perfectly fine in the freezer. Just freeze them individually before storing them in freezer-safe bags.

Do Hash Browns Freeze Well? Yes

Can You Refreeze Hash Browns? Yes

How to Freeze Hash Browns

Whether homemade or bought from the supermarket, hash browns freeze really well. You can also freeze them before or after cooking them, so you will need to decide which method works best for you.

Below are the steps you need to follow to freeze hash browns the right way: 

  1. Cool
    If you’ve cooked your hash browns before freezing them, you will need to allow them sufficient time to cool before placing them in the freezer. If you bag up your hash browns while they’re still warm, they will go soggy and will be far from appetising as a result. 
  2. Flash Freeze
    Line a baking tray with greaseproof paper and place your hash browns on top. Then, place the tray in the freezer and leave until the hash browns have frozen solid. This will ensure they don’t stick together when you bag them up.
  3. Bag Up
    Take the tray out of the freezer and place your hash browns in a suitably-sized freezer-safe bag. Press as much air out of the bag as you can before sealing. 
  4. Label and Freeze
    Write today’s date and the use-by date on the front of the bag and place the hash browns in the freezer.

3 Tips for Freezing Hash Browns

Now you know how to freeze them, we’ve got our 3 top tips which we strongly recommend following when freezing hash browns to have the best results:

Freeze Cooked or Uncooked
One of the best things about freezing hash browns is that they can be frozen before or after cooking. While it’s probably better (in terms of taste) to freeze them raw, you shouldn’t have any issues with freezing cooked or uncooked hash browns, providing you follow the simple steps listed above.

Cook From Frozen
You don’t need to worry about defrosting hash browns before cooking them. Simply remove the hash browns from their packaging and proceed with cooking them in any way that you choose.

You can cook hash browns from frozen in the oven or frying pan; you will just need to increase the cooking time slightly.

Always Flash Freeze
If you skip the flash-freezing step, you will find that your hash browns will stick together in the freezer. This will make it difficult to separate them, and you may have to defrost them before you prepare them.

How Long Can You Freeze Hash Browns?

Hash browns can be frozen for around three months. Technically, you could probably freeze them for longer than this, but we don’t recommend this due to the ice crystals that form during the freezing process.

Hash browns should be good in the fridge for 2-3 days before they need freezing, so bear this in mind if you don’t want to go to the hassle of preparing them for the freezer in the first place.

You Can Freeze Hash Browns for up to 3 Months

How Do You Defrost Hash Browns?

As mentioned, you don’t have to defrost hash browns as you can cook them from frozen. However, if you want to thaw them before cooking, transfer the hash browns from the freezer to the fridge and allow them sufficient time to thaw.

While you can leave them sitting out at room temperature, it’s always best to avoid this, as they’re much more likely to spoil when they’re not refrigerated.

Can You Refreeze Hash Browns?

Providing you defrosted your hash browns in the fridge and not at room temperature, there’s nothing wrong with freezing them for a second time.

You just need to remember that potatoes don’t do overly well in the freezer, so it’s best not to thaw and freeze them too many times.

Do Hash Browns Freeze Well?

Whether cooked or uncooked, hash browns freeze really well.

You will need to flash freeze them first to prevent them from sticking together and remember to press out as much air from the freezer bag as possible to protect your hash browns from freezer burn.

Providing you follow these tips and the above steps, you won’t encounter any issues when freezing hash browns.

If you’ve still got questions about freezing hash browns or hash browns in general, then these may help:

Can You Freeze McDonald’s Hash Browns?

Yes, you should be fine to freeze hashbrowns from McDonald’s once. They will retain their texture pretty well and can then be reheated from frozen. Only freeze them once, however.

Can You Freeze Shop-Bought Hash Browns?

Generally speaking, store-bought hash browns can be frozen using the same method you’d use for homemade hash browns. It’s always worth consulting the packet to confirm they’re suitable for home-freezing, however.

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1 thought on “Can You Freeze Hash Browns?”

  1. I live in a foreign country that doesn’t have hash browns nor do the restaurants have them.
    Flash freezing for me really isn’t an option as the refrigerators and freezer are small.
    So I have to skip the flash freezing option. By not flash freezing what does it do to the taste? I understand by reading that they could get stuck together. This can also happen when you buy frozen hash browns from the store.
    What I want to do is cook the potatoes, shred them, then seal-a-meal them, and then freeze them, after they have cooled down.

    Thank you

    Reply

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