Can You Freeze Potato Salad? The Answer Might Surprise You!
Do you have a big party coming up but don’t have time to cook on the day? Did you go wild at the farmers’ market buying tons of potatoes that you’ll never get through? Some of you might be asking yourselves “Can you freeze potato salad?” - Well our answer is “Sure you can!”
Well my friend, you’ve come to the right place. All of your potato problems will be solved after you read this post about how to store and thaw potato salad (there’s also an amazingly creamy recipe below too).
All you need is some simple kitchen equipment and expert storing and thawing tips to help you make the most out of your potato salad. So take a look at the rest of the article to make sure your salad will taste just as good as when you first made it.
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What You’ll Need To Follow This Tutorial
Potato Salad
If you love food, you’ll know that the freshness of your ingredients can really affect the taste of your dish, no matter if it’s hot or cold. So we recommend choosing the freshest ingredients you can find. The fresher the veggies, the better they freeze!
It’s essential that you use fresh eggs for the salad dressing but most people don’t know how tell a good egg from a bad. Well let us make your life a little easier.
PRO TIP – Put an egg (with the shell on) in a bowl of water. If it sinks on its side, it’s a goody. If it stands up, it’s still okay. If it floats, it’s a baddy.
Take a look at this article and video for more PRO-TIPS on finding the freshest vegetables!
A Salad Spinner
Via Amazon
If you’re a salad addict then a salad spinner is a must have gadget for your kitchen. These bad boys take your salad to the next level by removing all of the excess water, which is absolutely vital if you want your potato salad to freeze well.
Zip Lock Bags
Via Amazon
Zip lock bags are mega important in the freezing process. They keep your salad dressing fresh and prevent it from becoming watery. They also work really well at keeping out water and smelly odours that will affect the taste of the sauce.
Coloured Tupperware Boxes
Via Amazon
Tupperware boxes will do the same job as the zip lock bags but they’ll keep your veggies safe. Not only do they keep out water and odours, they also block out light which could also be a threat to your little spuds. And they have the added bonus of looking cute! Transparent Tupperware is so last year.
Simple Steps To Freeze And Thaw Potato Salad:
Step 1 – Make Your Salad
Potato salad is incredibly simple to make; all you have to do is boil the potatoes, cut them in half and then make the sauce. For an easy step by step recipe, check out this 2 minute video on YouTube. It’s easy to follow and preparing your recipe will be a breeze!
PRO TIP: Don’t put the sauce with the potatoes! We recommend freezing your ingredients separately for a better result, you can bring the potatoes and sauce together once they have thawed.
Step 2 – Spin The Salad
This is the most important step if you want your salad to keep its incredible taste. Spinning salad gets rid of all the moisture in the potatoes, helping them keep their shape and stopping them from going mushy when they’re thawed.
If you don’t know how a salad spinner works, you can watch this helpful video on YouTube.
Just put the salad in the spinner, push the button down for 30 seconds or so and then pour away the excess water. Simple!
Step 3 – Freezing The Potatoes
Different foods freeze in different ways depending on their shape and texture. So in order for you to the get the best outcome, you need to freeze your vegetables and dressing in separate containers.
Your potatoes and veggies need to go in a Tupperware box. This will protect them from moisture and bad odours, and it’ll stop them from getting squished by heavier food. It’s essential that no extra water gets at them while they are frozen because this will make them mealy when they thaw.
So make sure they’re put in an airtight container (preferably coloured or dark to keep out light) and leave half an inch of headspace at the top to prevent water from crystallising on the lid.
PRO TIP – Only freeze the potatoes once they are stone cold. If they are warm when covered, the water will condensate and crystallise.
Step 4 – Freeze The Dressing
Your scrumptious, silky sauce should be poured into a zip-lock bag. Liquids need to be vacuum packed to stop extra water from leaking into them; this will stop your sauce from turning into a watery mess when it’s defrosted.
The bag will also prevent the sauce from separating, protect it from other food and it’ll save space in your freezer!
PRO TIP: For vacuum packing on a budget, use a straw to suck the extra air out of the bag.
Step 5 – Thaw The Salad
By the time your party rolls around or you get a hankering for some salad you’ll need to wait about 24hrs for it to thaw. You can either put the containers in the refrigerator or put them in the sink in some cold water. The most vital thing is to keep the ingredients cool at this stage.
Step 6 – Assemble The Salad
Once the potatoes and veggies are defrosted, put them back into the salad spinner to get them nice and fluffy. Then pour your dressing over the potatoes and give it a good stir.
Et voilà!! Potato salad!
Enjoy Potato Salad
One last thing…
Did you find this post useful? If so let me know! Feel free to leave me a comment with your thoughts on the post.
Don’t forget to check out the tools you need for the job and remember to follow all of the steps and use the freshest ingredients, otherwise your potato salad will be a big bowl of mush! I want you to enjoy food as much as I do!
