Can You Freeze Baked Potatoes?

Baked potatoes are really delicious and they are loved by many people. There are different recipes that can be used in making a plate of baked potatoes – regardless of which ones you use; baked potatoes still remain a household favorite. 

You can make baked potatoes in a large batch if it’s a frequently eaten meal in your home. When you have baked potatoes in bulk, you won’t have to suffer through the stress of making fresh batches almost every day. However, you must also find a way to properly preserve the baked potatoes so that they don’t spoil quickly. 

It is at this point that you may ask: can you freeze baked potatoes? Yes, you can freeze baked potatoes. If you have leftovers or you intentionally prepared a large batch of baked potatoes for freezing, you should know that frozen potatoes keep well. Freezing preserves the life of baked potatoes for up to 8 months.

However, baked potatoes will eventually start losing their original taste and texture after being frozen for a while. For this reason, it’s best to consume them within the first 2 months of being frozen. 

Refrigeration is also a short-term option for preserving leftover baked potatoes. You can safely keep the baked potatoes for up to a week in the fridge, but not for any longer than that. If you wish to keep the baked potatoes longer, you’ll just have to go with freezing. 

Now, there are certain recommendations that you should be aware of when you want to freeze baked potatoes. Keep on reading to know more.

Freezing Baked Potatoes

If you’re going to eat the leftover baked potatoes in a few days, refrigeration is the way to go. Those who need more preservation time will have to use freezing. When you want to freeze your batch of baked potatoes, it is best to place them in a vacuumed freezer-safe bag and seal them off from the cold and moist freezer air. Failure to properly freeze your baked potatoes will cause them to spoil even faster.  

The 8 months of preservation provided by freezing is enough time to finish all the preserved baked potatoes. You shouldn’t try to freeze them beyond that point because the potatoes would have actually lost some of their original taste and texture by then. Also, don’t refreeze baked potatoes after freezing and defrosting them. 

How to Freeze Baked Potatoes 

It is important to follow the right steps for freezing baked potatoes if you want the best results. The process is actually easy and you’ll get up to 8 months of preservation if you do it right. 

With some aluminum foil, resealable freezer-safe bag, and baking sheet, here are some easy steps to follow when freezing baked potatoes:  Todo sobre Hoteles

• If you’re just baking the potatoes from scratch, with the intention to freeze them after, make sure that you do not add the toppings yet. The toppings can always be added later on when you’ve defrosted the plain frozen baked potatoes. 
• Once the baked potatoes are done, lay them in a baking sheet and allow them to cool for some time. It is never a good idea to put hot food in the freezer. Doing so will only cause the food to spoil faster and lose its original qualities.
• Check the potatoes to see if they’ve cooled totally. If they have, grab your aluminum foil and wrap each baked potato separately. You can wrap each potato in just a single layer or in two layers for extra protection. The wrapping has to be done properly so that the potatoes don’t get exposed to the cold freezer air. 
• Now that you’ve wrapped the baked potatoes properly, start transferring them into your resealable freezer-safe bag. Make sure you remove as much air as possible from inside the freezer bag. Based on how many baked potatoes you’re freezing, you may need more than one freezer-safe bag. 
• Go ahead to write the present date on the bag with a marker so that you never forget how long the potatoes have been frozen for.  

These steps can also be followed for leftover baked potatoes. Just make sure you do the wrapping properly. 

How to Defrost and Reheat Frozen Baked Potatoes 

When the time comes to eat your freezer-preserved baked potatoes, you’ll need to thaw and reheat them correctly to get back the best taste and texture. The process of thawing frozen baked potatoes is quite simple. You can defrost them by leaving them in the refrigerator.

However, this method can take several hours; hence it is best to do it overnight. Simply leave the baked potatoes in the refrigerator overnight and let them thaw. 

Those who can’t wait for many hours to thaw the baked potatoes can make use of the microwave. You have to be careful with the microwave so that the potatoes don’t get burned – make sure you choose the low temperature setting. Assuming you skipped the toppings before leaving the baked potatoes to freeze; you can now add them as the potatoes defrost in the microwave. 

After the potatoes have been thawed completely, use an oven to reheat them – the microwave can also be used. Put the thawed baked potatoes in a baking pan, add the toppings, and put them in the oven to reheat. Make sure you set the oven’s temperature to 350⁰F. 

How Do You Know if Baked Potatoes are Bad?  

If you’ve kept your baked potatoes poorly, they’ll eventually start going bad. Also, when oxygen is cut from the baked potatoes they can actually cause botulism. This is usually because bacteria would have grown in the baked potatoes as a result of being left in foil wrapping.  

Some of the clear signs that baked potatoes are bad include mold, change in texture, earthy smell, and discoloration. Make sure to toss baked potatoes that are already going bad. 

Conclusion 

Baked potatoes are really delicious and satisfying. Now that we’ve established that they can be frozen, feel free to make them in large batches that you’ll freeze and reheat later. Also, remember to skip the toppings when planning to freeze a batch of baked potatoes. The toppings can always be added later on.