Who doesn’t love mashed potatoes? These yummy potatoes are staples in the comfort food family for a good reason.
There is just something so satisfying about enjoying a delicious helping of mashed potatoes even when you are not eating holiday food to go with them.
It does take a fair amount of time to make mashed potatoes, however, which might mean that you don’t enjoy them as often as you’d like.
However, if you have a vacuum sealer, you can actually make mashed potatoes ahead of your meal times and save them for use later.
This is a really simple process that can allow you to create delicious mashed potatoes that are perfect for any occasion that you can store with ease in your freezer.
Knowing how to prepare and seal this delicious side dish can change how you cook and meal prep.
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How to Vacuum Seal Mashed Potatoes?
The first thing that you will need to do is make sure that your cooked mashed potatoes have cooled off. You should never seal hot foods into a vacuum sealed bag as this can lead to the bag’s seal failing and lots of collected moisture within the bag.
Once you have cooled off your mashed potatoes, you are ready for the next step.
You will need to create frozen patties of mashed potatoes on a cookie sheet and pop them into the freezer. Make sure that they are not too large, as you will need to be able to get a good seal on your vacuum sealer bags.
You will want to wait overnight in most cases to make the process of freezing your premade mashed potatoes easy.
Once your potatoes are done freezing, wash your hands to be sure that you are not going to get bacteria into the bag with the potatoes. You will then need to move all of your supplies to a flat surface.
You will want to seal one or maybe two of your frozen mashed potato patties into each vacuum sealing bag. Make sure that your bags are sealing well and that there are no issues with the shape of the mashed potato cakes.
How Long Will Vacuum Sealed Potatoes Last in the Freezer?
You will be able to keep your prepared and vacuum sealed mashed potatoes fresh and ready to enjoy for about a year in the freezer. Be sure that you mark on the bags the date that you sealed the potatoes up.
This will prevent issues with bags getting lost at the back of the freezer for too long. You will also want to check that the bags are retaining their seals despite being stored for the longterm. Every so once in a while, the seals on vacuum sealer bags can fail.
You will also need to be sure that you allow your vacuum sealed potatoes time to come back to room temperature slowly. If you rush the warming-up process, you will cause damage to the texture of the potatoes, which can make them grainy or mushy.
It’s always best to be sure that you are allowing anything that you have vacuum sealed and stored in the freezer to come back to room temp on its own time. Rushing the thawing process will ruin your food in most cases.
Tips for Vacuum Sealing Mashed Potatoes
If you are worried about how to store this kind of potato in the freezer, just use these tips to help you to get the best results for your vacuum sealing efforts.
You will need to be sure that you don’t make your potato cakes too big, as this can make it hard to get a good seal on the bag.
You will also need to be cautious about storing too much in one bag at one time. This will almost always make the seal fail over time.
Always be sure that you are not storing your mashed potatoes in a spot where they can be crushed by other objects in the freezer.
While it might not seem like it, you will find that mashed potatoes can actually be damaged by being stored under heavier items, and their texture can end up being strange due to this storage error.
As with many other items that can be stored in the freezer, you will also want to be sure that you are not exposing them to freezer burn by placing them into a freezer that is set too cold.
Marking the storage date on the vacuum sealed bags is also a good idea, as mentioned above. This helps prevent food waste over time. You will want to ensure that you are using bags that are fit for storage in the freezer, too, so that there is no risk of the bag getting brittle and failing over time.
Vacuum sealers can be used with many kinds of storage bags, so you might need to pick a bag style that is right for your particular storage preferences.
Vacuum Sealing Mashed Potatoes is Easy
If you have been wondering how you can enjoy mashed potatoes outside of holiday dates when you spend a whole day cooking, this is the solution for you!
Your vacuum sealed mashed potatoes will keep perfectly in the freezer for months at a time, and you can thaw them out with ease when you are ready to use them for a hearty, home-cooked meal.
Always be sure to use the tips that are suggested above for the best results with your vacuum sealing efforts for this kind of food.
Washing your hands before you seal anything into a vacuum sealed bag is key, and you should be certain that you do not allow heavy objects to crush the things that you have stored in the freezer for use later.
Being sure that you have delicious and healthy food on hand can make all the difference in your overall storage experience with your favorite meal items.
Being able to eat healthy without needing to have hours to cook can be a big relief for those who are always crunched for time!
I am Brianna, a self-published author with a passion for sharing my knowledge and expertise on various topics with people looking to find the perfect items for their needs. I love ensuring that the right informative content is available to people looking for the right information. I am an avid horseback rider and reader when I am not writing.
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