So much of the media we see on a daily basis is clickbait and fluff, there is often a lot of misinformation in the mix as well. And that can be really harmful, especially in times of war and crisis, but also (admittedly to a much lesser degree) when it comes to food.
While we can’t stress enough how important it is to get your news from reliable sources, the same can go for your cooking tips. We were sad to see Bon Appetit running a story recently that advises readers to freeze the one dish you should never ever freeze. If you google it, you’ll see the same terrible advice repeated by countless others. But common sense should tell you that this is one side dish you should never freeze.
So many recipes freeze beautifully; chili, lasagna, chicken pot pie, but not mashed potatoes. Here’s what happens to potatoes when they’re frozen:
“The liquid absorbed by the potatoes while cooking will form ice crystals when they are frozen,” says Martha’s Vineyard Chef Carlos Montoya. “This may make them mushy, soggy, or grainy.”
If you’ve eaten airplane food or TV dinners then you know the particularly strange texture that occurs when mash is frozen and thawed. I think we can all agree that mashed potatoes are best when made fresh, so why serve them any other way? Does everything have to be convenient? We’d rather talk about techniques that focus on flavour and deliciousness, because, really, when it comes to food, what else is there?
And if the only reason for doing this is to save time during a big family dinner, you might want to consider streamlining your menu. A simple menu of gorgeous food lovingly prepared is definitely preferable to a smorgasbord of mediocrity. Why serve food that isn’t good? If you’re a Fiesta Farms customer that should sound like sacrilege – because it is!
To that end, here are some tips for the ultimate mashed potatoes: