Turnip Hash Browns - Divalicious Recipes (2024)

FAQs

How to make hash browns that aren t gummy? ›

If you don't eliminate enough liquid (from the potatoes that you, again, just soaked in water), they will get soggy instead of crispy, a.k.a. a total bummer.

Tips for the Crispiest Hash Browns

Squeeze out moisture: Use a potato ricer, orange or lemon press, or a tea towel to wring out excess moisture from the shredded raw potato. Some people find a salad spinner can work well too.

Soaking the potatoes in the water removes some of the starch and keeps the potatoes from turning an unappetizing color. Once the potatoes have soaked for a few minutes, squeeze them out and put them on a clean dish towel. Look at all that starch in the water! The water will turn brown if you leave it long enough.

You'll want to remove as much moisture as possible because this will prevent your hash browns from getting as crisp as possible. All the water will just create steam and as any additional starch is released from the potato it's going to get gummy, just not as gummy as before. So get them dry!

Olive Oil is the best for great hash browns. If you're using a non-stick skillet you might be able to get away with butter, but especially when using a cast iron pan, you want olive oil to avoid sticking and to help easily flip them.

What is the difference between hash browns and Southern hash browns? Hash browns are shredded potatoes that are fried until crispy and brown with no soft interior. Southern-style hash browns are diced potatoes that are fried until the exterior is crisp and the interior is soft, essentially home fries.

When you grate raw potatoes, you release starch that can cause them to oxidize, or turn dark. The best way to keep that from happening is to cover the potatoes with cold water, then drain them very well and pat them dry before cooking.

The biggest culprit that's making your hash browns come apart is moisture. You need to make sure the potatoes are dry before adding them to the flour and egg mixture. Whether you squeeze them out in a dish towel or use a salad spinner, get the potatoes as dry as they can be.

What type of potatoes are best for hash browns? ›

I cook these hash browns over medium heat just to be safe. Cooking over high heat is tricky no matter what kind of oil you're using. Depending on your pan and your stove, it's just too easy to burn your food over medium-high or high heat.

Cover and cook just until the perimeters start to get golden, about 5 minutes. Use a spatula to press the top down. Season with salt and pepper and flip. Cook, uncovered, until the bottom is golden and crispy, another 3 to 5 minutes.

Now, the key here is to not touch them long enough for them to get really nice and brown and crispy. If you mess around with them, stirring or flipping too often, they won't form a nice crust and the long strands will kind of break down. So, LEAVE THEM BE. :) Then, once they're very golden, flip them.

Don't overmix the potatoes! For mashed potatoes that are smooth without being gummy, a potato ricer is your best bet. It gently presses the potato into fine pieces, so all that's left to do is add your liquid and a pat or two of butter.

Place the shredded potatoes back into the ice-cold water. That will help remove any excess starch and keep the strands from clumping. It will also minimize discoloration. If the water turns chalky white (that's from the starch), swap it out.

As already discussed, pastiness is caused by too much potato starch being worked into the mashed potatoes. The main way we combat this problem is by rinsing away starch, both before and after cooking potatoes for fluffy mashed potatoes. Rinsing off starch means that there is less of it that can end up in the dish.

Bake them in your oven instead. If you're looking for the absolute best way to cook frozen shredded hash browns, you've got to try baking them in the oven on a sheet pan. This ingenious way of cooking your breakfast potatoes is a total game changer. There's no reason you should put up with soggy hash browns ever again!