Boiled potatoes are extremely versatile and can be paired with a wide variety of meals, so boiling them in bulk can be tempting, particularly if you’re looking to store them and use them later on multiple occasions — but storing them once they’re cooked can be a tricky endeavor.
If not stored correctly, boiled potatoes won’t last long. They can become vulnerable to picking up bacteria and absorbing the odors of other foods nearby — two things you don’t want to happen if you plan on eating them again.
This article will walk you through the two safest and easiest ways to store boiled potatoes. So you can enjoy them again and again without worrying about getting ill or discovering that they are now smelly, sticky, or slimy.
There are two main methods of storing these leftover spuds: refrigerating and freezing. Which one you choose really depends on how soon you’re looking to reheat them. Here’s how to keep them safe and edible for longer, both in the short and long term.
How To Store Boiled Potatoes In The Fridge?
Boiled potatoes can last between three and five days if stored properly in your refrigerator. For the best result, refrigerate all cooked potatoes, including roasted, baked, and mashed potatoes within two hours of cooking.
This option makes the most sense for anyone planning to reheat their potatoes the next day or throughout the week.
Suppose you decide to store your cooked potatoes in the refrigerator. In that case, it’s important to make sure they cool down before you start packing them away.
Once you’re done cooking, leave the potatoes to cool until they’ve reached room temperature. Of course, you don’t want to leave them out for too long. Anything beyond two hours is a no-go.
Once your spuds have cooled, place them in an airtight container to prevent spoilage and rancidity. It also keeps your potatoes from coming into contact with other foods in your fridge, which means it won’t pick up their smells.
There is airtight Tupperware explicitly made for this purpose, but using a plastic, sealable bag works just as well.
After your potatoes are sealed up tightly, you can place them in the refrigerator until you’re ready to eat them.
Storing Boiled Potatoes In The Freezer
Once boiled, potatoes can safely last up to 6 months in the freezer. However, because potatoes contain quite a lot of water, freezing them without the right preparation can ruin the texture and flavor when cooking later down the line.
Here Is The Best Way To Freeze Boiled Potatoes:
- Boil or steam the potatoes, but not all the way through, just enough that they are tender (al dente), yet a little bit is left to them.
- Once they are partially cooked, drain them and put them in a bowl of ice water for a few minutes to stop the cooking process.
- Drain the ice water and leave the potatoes to cool down completely.
- Once completely cooled, put the potatoes on the baking sheet, leaving a small space between them. That is to prevent them from freezing and sticking together.
- Place the baking sheet with the potatoes in the freezer for 5-7 hours.
- Now, remove the pre-frozen potatoes from the cooking sheet and put them all together in the sealable freezer bag or freezer-safe container, and return them to the freezer.
- Sore them in the freezer for up to six months.
So, suppose you’ve cooked far more potatoes than you could possibly eat in one week, or you just want to cut down on prep work later. Then freezing them is a viable option.
However, from my personal experience, the quality of cooked and frozen potatoes is never quite the same once thawed and reheated. Before you throw your leftover potatoes in the freezer and leave them there for months on end, I strongly recommend only partially cooking and pre-freezing them.
This allows vegetables to maintain their crisp texture, making them more enjoyable when you decide to reach for them again.
Read Also: Did Your Mashed Potatoes Turn Out Too Salty? 5 Creative Ways To Reduce The Salty Taste
Thawing And Reheating Boiled Potatoes
Reheating frozen or leftover potatoes is quite simple. If you don’t want to cut them into a different shape or mash them, they can be cooked from frozen. Alternatively, you can remove them from the freezer and place them in the fridge to defrost overnight.
One of the best ways to reheat leftover boiled potatoes is in the oven. Cooking them in the oven will keep them turning mushy and falling apart. Reheating/cooking time in the oven depends on many factors.
If your potatoes were only partially cooked and you are cooking them from frozen, then a longer cooking time is needed. However, if you are just warming up yesterday’s leftovers, then it won’t take long at all.
You can also boil them, steam them, or even microwave them but do it carefully as they can turn soggy or mushy quite fast.
Ways to Use Leftover Potatoes
There are countless recipes and ideas you can make with leftover potatoes and turn them into a tasty treat the following day.
Here are some recipe ideas below:
- Baked potatoes
- Homefries
- Potato salad
- Potato soup
- Hash browns
- Pan fries
- Air-fried
- Mashed potato
- Shepherd’s pie
- Savory pancakes
- Jacket potatoes
- Deep-fried
- And more…
Read Also: Do You Really Have to Refrigerate Mayonnaise After It’s Opened?
How To Tell If Boiled Potatoes Have Gone Off?
The best way to tell if your leftover potatoes have gone bad is to check the smell and appearance. Discard any that has a slimy, sticky, or moldy surface, regardless of whether peeled or with skin.
Also, if the potatoes look gray or green, have dark spots, or look dried out, then it is best to throw them away.
Read Also: What Happens If You Eat Moldy Bread?
Summary
So, you don’t need to throw away your leftover spuds as they can be easily stored for a later date. Whether you’re refrigerating or freezing them, you’ll have the opportunity to try new recipes with your leftover spuds.
Following the proper packaging protocols will help them maintain their texture so they’ll taste great, whatever way you use them next.