Part of being self-sufficient is making items yourself that you would generally buy at a store. Frozen French fries is a huge part of my family's diet and I came up with a technique of making my own by combining a few recipes I found online.
For those of you who are like me and had a good crop of potatoes from your garden, this is a great way to preserve them for the coming months. If you still are looking for potatoes, I urge you to be on the lookout for sales this fall, especially around Thanksgiving/Holiday Baking season when you can by a sack of potatoes fairly cheap. I recommend purchasing multiple bags of potatoes during that time to multiply your savings.
Also, if the potatoes start to grow on you, do not throw them out. You can sometimes nip off those nubs if they are small enough and use the potato. In addition, if the potato has begun to shrivel and there is excessive growth, do not fear. Place those in a paper bag with a towel covering them in a cool place like a root cellar or unfinished basement. You can use those as seed potatoes during spring planting season. I have potatoes that have grown on me and kept them for several months before I planted them in the garden. That way you will have fresh potatoes the next growing season to use.
Freezing Homemade French Fries (Oven Method):
Ingredients:
Potatoes
Olive Oil
Cooking Spray
Salt or Seasonings of Your Choice
Water
Ball Fresh Fruit Protector
Step 1: Scrub your potatoes with a small bristle brush under cool running water.
Step 2: Peel the potatoes with a vegetable peeler, knife, or if you have one of the Apple Master kitchen tools, you can use that too. (If you do not want to peel your potatoes, that is okay too. You can skip this step and move onto Step 3.) Place your peeled potatoes in a bowl of cool water with the Ball Fresh Fruit Protector to keep them from turning brown. You will want to use 1 tablespoon of Protector for every 2 quarts of water. You may also use Ice Water if you do not have the fruit protector on hand.
Step 3: Drain your potatoes if you completed Step 2. Now, you may slice the potatoes into whatever kind of fry you prefer from wedges, to matchsticks, to shoestrings. The choice is completely up to you. I used a knife and cutting board for my fries, but if you have a slicer or appliance with a French fry blade, now is the time to use it! You may also use an apple slicer/corer to create perfect wedges. Make sure to place all your fries back into the Protector solution to prevent browning.
Step 4: Drain your fries, rinse thoroughly under cool running water to remove access starch, and place between two clean dishtowels to dry. You want to make sure you get as much water mopped up so the oil in the next step will stick to the fries.
Step 5: Place fries into a large Ziploc bag, drizzle with just enough olive oil to coat the fries, and salt and season to taste. Close the bag tightly and shake to coat the fries. Once coated, arrange fries in a single layer on a greased cookie sheet.
Step 6: In a preheated 425 degree F oven, bake the fries for 20-50 minutes depending upon how thick you cut your fries. Make sure to flip the fries halfway between baking time. I cut my fries into matchsticks so they took about 25 minutes to bake. You know when your fries are done when a fork pierces through the fry easily. You do not want your fries to be golden brown, if they are, you cooked them too long and they are ready to eat!
Step 7: Let the baking sheets with the fries cool for about 10 minutes then place them in a freezer. Freeze for 1-2 hours and then they are ready to be bagged up. Make sure to label and write the date you made your fries on the bag. According to the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) French fries will last in the freezer for 3-4 months. Make sure to check your fries periodically for freezer burn and do not use if you open the package and there is a fowl odor or discoloration.
Step 8: To bake your fries for eating, preheat your oven to 350 degrees F and bake your fries for 10-15 minutes. Cooking time may vary depending on how many fries you are making and what size they are. Your fries are done when they have heated through and turned a golden-brown. Enjoy!
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