Hash Brown Potatoes

Tip of the Day:


There is some debate about whether to par boil potatoes first before shredding for hash browns or just peel and shred the raw potatoes. I’ve always par boiled them first (thank you to the cooking institute of Mom and Grandma), however, I have found that cookbooks containing hash brown recipes simply peel and shred the raw potatoes.

I’ve tried it both ways and have found the raw potatoes cook up gummy, even when you make sure they’re thoroughly dry before cooking. So I recommend, when making hash browns from fresh potatoes, it is best to gently par boil them first in their skins until partially cooked, potatoes should be very firm, not soft. For large Russet potatoes, boil them approximately 5 minutes after they start to gently boil.

Boiling in a hard boil will result in a mushy outer potato and a firmer inside, which is not what you want. Allow them to cool first then peel the skins off… the skins come off very easily.

It’s also recommended, for easier shredding, that you put the cooled and peeled par boiled potatoes in an airtight container and refrigerate them overnight, shred and cook them the next day, however, waiting until they are completely cooled and cooking the same day works too.