The Proper Way To Freeze Homemade French Fries

The freezer is one of the most effective storage tools in the kitchen. Freezing foods can help extend their shelf life, and many organizational and meal-prepping freezer hacks can save you effort and money in the long run. On top of all that, taking advantage of your freezer can be especially helpful for homemade foods that don't have the help of preservatives to make them last longer, such as french fries. These delicious spuds are also often made in large quantities at home, so it's best to freezer any leftovers so that they don't go to waste. And fortunately, freezing homemade fries is an easy process. Once the fries have been cooked, place them into freezer bags and store the bags in the freezer. Then, homemade frozen fries should keep for up to six months.

However, as simple as this sounds, it's important to note that this method only works with fries that have been cooked first. Freezing uncooked potatoes is ill-advised, as the water content in the raw potatoes will make the potatoes mushy and grainy after being thawed. Fries that have already been cooked will not have this issue.

Homemade french fries can be placed directly into freezer-safe bags once they are cooked and have fully cooled. Some recommend flash freezing the fries first, which involves spreading the cooked fries out onto a baking sheet and freezing them for a few hours before moving the frozen fries to a freezer bag. However, flash freezing is not necessarily required, and it won't be detrimental to the fries if you skip this part of the process.

As for the type of freezer bags to use, there are several options out there. Ziploc or Stasher bags work just fine. The important thing here is to remove as much air as possible from the bag to help prevent freezer burn from occurring.

Frozen homemade fries can be cooked either by frying or baking. The best part is that no thawing is required; frozen homemade fries can be cooked using your preferred method until crispy — typically just a few minutes — right out of the freezer. To improve taste, utilize salt tricks to make the fries taste better.