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Many people doubt that it is unhealthy to add potatoes in the diet since it might result in fattening. But the scenario is very different in case of baked potatoes. It would be good if the jacket potatoes can be stored in a freezer. So you can defrost and serve this inexpensive, tasty, and ‘quick to eat’ recipe anytime. It can be when you are not in a mood to cook anything or busy with work from your home! The main query arises, Can you Freeze Jacket Potatoes?
You might feel happy after knowing that frozen baked potato can be saved for about half a year. In reality, a small mistake, or doing it more than the recommended limit, can make it possible that after thawing, the potato will become watery.
The truth is that many restaurants are using this technique to serve their customers with delicious jacket potatoes in less time. The best part is they do it correctly so that no one can tell the difference between a freshly made and a reheated defrosted jacket potato.
How long can you Freeze Jacket Potatoes?
A potato (preferably King Edward and Russet) that has been baked and available as ready to eat is a jacket potato. It is common as the main dish in Britain. It can be split into two and fill the pieces with chili, tuna, and beans. The name jacket refers to an intact potato skin or souped-up spuds.
After proper baking, the potato forms a crispy skin and fluffy interior. One can add taste to it by adding condiments and fillings like ground meat, baked beans, gravy, sour cream, cheese, and butter. But in America, the same dish is recognized as “Baked potato” and generally served with cheese, chives, and cream.
Usually, it is a bit time taking process to prepare a new slot of jacket potatoes whenever you crave for it. By the way, you can only keep the jacket potatoes for about a week while keeping them in the fridge.
For longer storage, all you need is only to wrap the potatoes in a foil. Further, keep this inside properly sealed freezer-safe airtight bags to make then ready to be stored in the freezer.
How to Freeze Baked Potatoes?
The procedure of freezing Jacket potatoes is straightforward, but for desired outcomes, it must be done correctly as under;
- You need to have a baking sheet, aluminum foil/plastic wrap, and freezer friendly airtight bags.
- If you are not want to eat the jacket potatoes immediately after cooking, do not add any toppings. Bake the potatoes plain and prepare it to freeze; after thawing, you can add toppings.
- Once baked, put the cooked potatoes in a baking sheet and cool down at room temperature.
- Use either plastic wrap or aluminum foil to wrap up every jacket potatoes separately. Do it with much care so that there should not be any tiny space left where moisture or air can pass through.
- Now keep as much wrapped potatoes possible in a suitable airtight bag. Make sure to take out all the air inside the same and seal the safe freeze bag well.
It is good to mark the date by labeling the freezer bags on the same day when you keep them in the freezer.
How to Defrost Frozen Baked Potatoes?
You can put the frozen packets of jacket potatoes in a baking tray and cover it loosely using a foil and bake it in the oven at about 350F for some minutes. You can add toppings like sour cream, cheese, or butter over potatoes at this time.
Prefer to defrost the frozen jacket potatoes in a refrigerator. They will remain safe for about four days to be reheated. After thawing and reheating the potatoes became fresh and ready to be served. It is best to complete this the sooner possible, or else you need to discard the leftovers.
Never place the jacket potato in a refrigerator when wrapped using aluminum foil since it is more prone to the cause of food-borne illness. So during the thawing, you can take out the aluminum foil from the potato and keep it safe in a heavy-duty plastic bag, sealable or airtight container. Make sure to reheat before consuming them!
Try to keep the baked potatoes in separate bags so that you can thaw only the right amount of what you are expecting to be eaten. It is necessary to avoid the possibility of refreezing and melting them again.
After a month, the texture and taste of the frozen potatoes can change, so the sooner you will thaw and consume them, the better will be the results. If anytime you will see off or strange appearance or feel lousy smell coming from the potatoes, then it is the time that they must be thrown away!
Final Thoughts
You might be avoiding any unwanted trips to your local market due to the virus thing that is in trends nowadays and or can be any other reason. But one day, you find that no fresh potatoes are left in your pantry.
So, this might be the case when you wish to cook and eat jacket potatoes. And then you feel the importance of preparing some frozen baked potatoes in advance that can be used ahead whenever required!
Use double layering of plastic wrap if you are not confident about properly wrapping the potatoes in one go before freezing. Take the help of microwave to thaw the frozen jacket potatoes quickly. Otherwise, keep the frozen bags of potatoes in the fridge overnight to let them defrost properly.
It is better to add butter to the jacket potato after thawing during the reheating process and not while baking them for the first time to make them soft. The freezing temperature should be maintained at 0 degrees Fahrenheit. It is to ensure the potatoes will retain their properties even when thawed them after weeks.
You can avoid any possibility of wastage and change in the quality of frozen baked potatoes. The best trick is to prepare and freeze the quantity that you can consume within the next 2-3 months up to the max. After all, they might not be suitable for appetizing after six months, even after keeping them in the freezer.
So try to do it yourself, and you will be having a ready to prepare option of snacks always saved in your freezer’s shelf to welcome your friends or surprise your surprise guests!!!