Frozen foods have become very popular in our food culture. Companies create new products that are frozen so they can be sold without having to worry about keeping them fresh or heating them properly.
Many of these products are now marketed as healthier alternatives to traditional hot foods, because you do not need to heat them before eating them. Some even claim to be more nutritious than their non-frozen counterparts!
Although there is some truth to this statement, it is also important to remember that freezing removes moisture from the food. This makes it harder for certain nutrients to seep into the food, and therefore may decrease the nutritional value of the product.
Furthermore, although some say that freezing lowers the flavor of the food, others argue that this change comes only after the food has been defrosted and cooked which could negate the effect.
So, how does all of this relate to cooking and serving potato soup? We will discuss whether or not you can freeze your own homemade potato soup and what factors affect this.
You need to cool the soup slightly before freezing
After you make your potato soup, it is very important to refrigerate it immediately! This will help preserve the texture and flavor of the soup.
You can either run the liquid off the top or use a spoon to stir down the solid pieces of potatoes in the pot. Either way, make sure to discard this water since we will be re-adding it later when cooking the frozen soup.
To freeze the soup, pour the cooled soup into individual containers or one large freezer bag. Make sure to leave enough room for the container or pack the bags tightly together otherwise the contents may stick or mush together as the freezer packs expand as they melt.
Plan on taking about half the time to thaw the soup than it took to prepare it. That way it will have the same amount of time to fully defrost and warm up before serving.
You need to properly seal the container
While it is possible to freeze most cooked foods, doing so will not work with potato soup. This is due to the high moisture content of the potatoes.
If you pack the solid parts of the soup in a freezer bag first and then add the liquid part later, some of the water may freeze and become solid particles which would make the recipe poorly prepared.
This would potentially ruin the texture and flavor of your frozen soup.
Instead, use an airtight container that has no exposed openings. Add the dry ingredients (such as crumbs or flour) to one half of the space and the liquid ingredient(s) in the other half. Seal this mixture and then put it in the refrigerator until set. Then transfer the dried mix into a new container and pour the melted liquid onto the top. Mix well and you are done!
Your frozen soup will bake up beautifully in the oven when ready to eat.
You should not freeze for more than 2-3 days
Technically, you can store leftover potato soup in your freezer and it will keep well for up to two weeks! However, this is not advised as it may cause bacterial growth.
Bacteria grows in food when there are nutrients left over from before so if you were very close to eating all of the potatoes at one time, then storing the rest in the fridge or freezer could start the process back up.
This would possibly include using some of the water that was removed during cooking which could lead to bacteria growing. If there are no longer any cooked potatoes present, then no additional source of nutrition is given and bacteria can grow quickly.
Given that most people eat lots of bread while having cold soups, this could potentially be an issue for someone with a stomach infection. Having a low nutritional content could also contribute to poor gut health.
You should thaw and reheat slowly
When you are making potato soup, it is very common to add butter or milk at the end to make it taste better and give it some flavor. Unfortunately, adding these ingredients after freezing can do the opposite!
When you freeze cooked potatoes, then cook them down in liquid with butter or milk, there are two things that can happen. Either the fat will melt and congeal again as solid pieces, or the excess liquid may evaporate before you have a chance to stir in your toppings.
If you like eating cold foods, start tasting one bit of each ingredient separately first so you can gauge how well it tastes without the other parts. Then try combining all those components together to see if they meld into something new that still taste good.
You can add cream or other ingredients to the soup before serving
If you are reading this article right now, you probably love potato soup! It is one of the top ten favorite soups in America. Many people consider it to be either classic or totally unique depending on what additions they include in their recipe.
One ingredient that many people do not usually include in their potato soup recipes is milk. Some say that it does not taste good and others cannot tolerate it due to an allergy.
There is some truth to this statement as most people who have a milk allergy also struggle with potatoes. However, there is something you can do if you are looking to make the best tasting potato soup possible!
You can freeze your finished potato soup and then later thaw and refresh it by adding a little bit of milk.
You should taste test to determine if the soup needs more salt or pepper
If you like thicker, heavier soups that require some time to eat down, then freezing your potato soup is an excellent option!
In fact, there are several ways to do this! The best way depends on how close you want to get to boiling the soup before freezing it. For example, if you just need to freeze in chunks, then using lower temperatures is better as you can achieve higher quality potatoes after thawing.
For our recipes, we recommend either cooking the soup in a pot of water or transferring the liquid into a bowl first and then putting in the freezer. This ensures the consistency is good and does not have any melted ice in it!
To keep the texture nice and smooth, only add solid ingredients like bread cubes, rice, or pasta once frozen. Do not mix the soup until it has fully frozen otherwise it may become mushy.
You should use the proper container for the soup
Although some recipes call for freezing potato soup solid, this is not possible unless you prepare it correctly! If you try to freeze your potatoes in water, when you reheat the soup, there will be no texture or flavor due to cooking of the starch that binds the soup together.
To avoid having to taste salty liquid, do not add salt to the soup until right before serving. The salt would dissolve in the liquid and you would need a separate glass of water to drink along with the soup!
Also, remember that boiling food always produces more steam than cold foods. This could make the soup come out all thin and bland dependent on the thickness of the container you used. A thinner pot or cup may result in water being seen through the dish, making the look very unappetizing.
Try not to freeze and thaw soup too many times
When freezing potato soup, do not leave out any of the ingredients! This includes butter or milk as you need those to re-warm the soup properly.
Also, remember that when baking or cooking with hot liquids, your materials will burn if they come in contact with the liquid for longer than an amount determined by the material.
So, make sure to bake the bread enough time so it does not get soggy and/or drink enough milk so it doesn’t become watery when serving.
Once frozen, pack the container tightly and put in the freezer until ready to use or up to one month.