Did you know that you can buy frozen mashed potato? I didn't before last weekend, and I must admit when I first found out I was actually in disbelief. Why the hell would you bother buying frozen mashed potato? I was completely amazed by this discovery.
My initial reaction was, yup here is another product on the market to supposedly make the working woman/man's life easier, one that to be honest we really don't need. But seriously, how hard is it to make mashed potatoes? How much time do you actually save? Are you sacrificing taste?
I put a comment on my Facebook status and this drew a few comments, there were also a few comments on a friend's profile regarding the same thing (that is actually how I found about this stuff). I Google frozen mashed potatoes to see what I could find out. Various chat boards were filled with comments along the lines of buy "X" or "Y" brand, "they taste great" and "saves me from peeling and mashing potatoes".
General consensus was that people don't like peeling or mashing potatoes. Again I found this a little confusing for my brain to process as I find a sharp knife and vege peeler has the job done in no time. I also find it relieving after a stressful day to de-stress on the poor old humble spud by smashing it senseless.
I decided if I was going to have an opinion it should be an educated one. So off to the supermarket I went and picked up a packet of frozen mashed potatoes to try. I decided to put them to the test and also to make a batch of homemade mash too.
I enlisted Josh to taste test with me, ignoring his groans of "do I have to eat the frozen stuff" and telling him it could be fantastic, keep an open mind.
Sara's Mashed Potatoes
(Note I didn’t use all the butter in the picture!)
I prepared 300gms of potato.
They took 22 minutes 6 seconds to prepare which initially sounds like a long time, but for 17 minutes of that time the potatoes were on the stove cooking. During this time, under normal circumstances, I would be preparing the rest of the meal (this time I continued with work emails). Dinner would be ready to put on the table when the potatoes were done. Dinner on the table under 30 minutes, that isn't too bad. In reality it was 5 minutes hands on preparation of the mash which consisted of peeling, chopping and pushing the cooked potatoes through a fine sieve.
Energy content: 542Kj/100gms
Potato ratio: 92%
Butter/milk ratio: 8%
Salt: 2t added to water when cooking
Cost: 100g = $0.31
Oh happy days, all my products used were sourced from NSW, that makes me smile. Nice carbon footprint and supporting our local farmers.
Frozen Mashed Potatoes
(Extruded Frozen Mash Rods – covered in white powder & small ice crystals)
On the packet it states you can either cook them in a pot on the stove, bake them in the oven or microwave them. I tried two ways, stovetop and microwave. In both cases I prepared 200g from the packet.
Stove top took 8.15 minutes to cook. You have to do it over a low heat and continuously stir, scrape bottom of the pot and beat, definitely not the way to go as it is time consuming.
Microwave: took 2.34 minutes until they were ready to serve. This is definitely the way to go if you were using this product. Obviously the time would be longer for larger quantities.
Energy content: 470Kj/100gms
Potato ratio: 76%
Milk/Cream/Water ratio: 23%
Salt & Pepper: 1%
Cost: 100g = $0.44
Sadly this product comes from Belgium.
The Verdict
Sara's Mash
(Sara’s Mash)
I was surprised to find out that there were more Kj's in my mash. I attribute this to the fact that there is more potato, less liquid and probably more butter (I used the real stuff for this experiment) per 100g. Taste wise the homemade tasted like potato, was creamy and had a smooth texture.
Pros
· Use of local product
· No packaging
· Minimal carbon footprint
· Superior taste
· Lower in salt
· Potatoes keep well in a dark pantry until required, so they can always be on hand
Cons
Sorry can't think of any, dinner is still on the table in under 30 minutes. Unless the rest of your meal was a pre-made meal that you were microwaving or had picked up from the supermarket etc, then homemade mash probably would take longer than the rest of the meal.
Hands on time for cooking: 5 minutes (17 on stove top unattended and I was free to do other things)
Frozen Mash
(Microwaved Frozen Mash)
I found cooking it on the stove top time consuming as it had to be watched and tended to the whole time. Microwave is the way to go. Texture wise it is smooth and the taste wasn't too bad, I will be honest, it was a lot better than I expected.
Even though there isn't any additives listed on the pack it does have a slight artificial taste, how and why I don't know, probably due to the manufacture process. It doesn't have that nice potato taste of homemade mash. It is extremely salty, both Josh and I noticed this straight away.
When they are still in frozen state I find the extruded rods very unappealing and there is a slight funky smell (this goes once they are cooked). They also seem to be covered in a white powder, what that is I have no idea, but I presume it is to stop the frozen rods sticking together.
Pros
· Quick to nuke in the microwave
· Can be kept in freezer until needed
Cons
· The product is imported from Belgium and our hard working potato farmers don't benefit
· Carbon footprint is massive. Think about it, this stuff is produced in a factory in Belgium, extruded in to rods and then snap frozen. It then has to get right around the world in a frozen state to Australia
· Tastes higher in salt
· No end of day frustration taken out on potatoes when mashing
· Packaging (an extra plastic bag the world can do without)
· More expensive than making it yourself
Hands on time cooking: 8 minutes on stovetop continuously attending or 2.34 minutes (for 200g) in microwave looking, opening door, stirring etc.
(L – R: Stove Top Frozen Mash, Sara’s Mash, Microwaved Frozen Mash)
I will admit that when I heard of frozen mashed potato I automatically thought of Jamie Oliver and his series on American family eating habits and children's knowledge of food (or extreme lack of). The movie Food Inc also sprang to my mind.
Would I buy it again? No.
I can now safely say, frozen mashed potato, why on earth would you bother? In reality you are only saving 2.26 minutes (if you utilize your time and don't stand there watching a pot of water boil), it is more expensive, less environmentally friendly and (in my opinion) does not taste anywhere a delicious as mashed potatoes made at home.
If you do like the idea of having frozen on hand to whip out of the freezer, why not have a go at freezing your own? Make up extra next time you make mash. Shape in to round patties and freeze on a lined baking tray. When frozen place rounds in a zip lock bag so you can pull out the portions as you need. Replenish your stock when you make mash from scratch again.
Just food for thought.
Sara xxx
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Angela walmsley
When you freeze your own mash potato they retain more water and take longer to cook
factories use a faster more efficient process
Sara
I've never actually tried freezing my own mashed potato, preferring to make it fresh when needed. In regard to the water content, it would all rely on your cooing method. For example a lot of chefs bake potatoes in the skin and then remove the skin and mash. Resulting in a better taste and minimum water.
gary a davis
Im a pensioner retired.Ive used Bells Farm frozen mash in cubes. Find it easy done in microwave and tastes fine & its always consisten.actually i'm of to wooleys to by some now. just wondering if its healthy.
Angela walmsley
Looked it up they are suppose to be very healthy only 2% fat, low in salt.
Some of the suggestions of how to heat them up leave a bit to be desired, in the oven or hob,I do mine in microwave like yourself it’s fast and convenient
Ryan
From someone who buys this for convenience I hate hate pealing potato's any other dish I leave the skin on rostis baked and prefer the flavor that way.
If your going to do a side by side comparison of yours vs frozon you need to add some butter and milk otherwise it won't be as good as making it fresh.
So in saying that if you were to try mine vs yours I've going to add alot of flavor boosters you left out of the frozen stuff. Put some in a bowl add butter and milk and I can have a meal on the table in 15 min.
I don't feed a family single guy so it allows me to do small serves without much wastage.
Sara
Hey Ryan
Thanks for stopping by. I can't believe it has been 9 years since I wrote this post and the comparison between frozen and fresh. Wonder if the frozen product has improved in that time?
I will still go for homemade any time. But when it comes to cooking it really is what works for you. There is no wrong, just what you like and what works.
Graeme
Hello,
Interesting article I have been eating frozen mash for nearly 6 months now and find it extremely convenient.
I occasionally create a mince dish which will last me a week and use the frozen mash as it takes 2 minutes to microwave 4 rods plus 3 tablespoons of peas n corn with a dash of milk for moisture.
Very convenient as dinner then takes me about 3 minutes tops to make per meal, cup of tea included.
Sara
Some more posts from the old site
October 28, 2010 9:15 PM
Gummi Baby said...
I'm a home-made mashed potato lover as well. I've never felt compelled to try the frozen stuff and I even hate the pre-prepared take away variety you can get from supermarkets (I assume they're designed for people who can't be bothered to cook for themselves when they're on their own) that comes in a container and only needs to be re-heated. I actually prefer my mash with little lumps of pure potato for texture. (Can you tell I love my potatoes?!!) And to be able to control the amount of salt and butter according to my taste (which isn't always constant). Nope, give me the real thing every time! He he!
October 28, 2010 10:32 PM
Susan: My Food Obsession said...
I had no idea you could buy Frozen Mashed Potato..... but I don't think I will be rushing out to buy it and try it.
October 29, 2010 9:06 PM
Cath @ Moo-Lolly-Bar said...
Frozen mashed potato is a new one on me but when you think about it, it might not taste that bad! Love the fact your prepared to experiment. When you do that you never know what gem you might find!
November 1, 2010 4:33 PM
Tori @ Eat-Tori said...
Powdered potato always makes me think of fake snow in shopping centres 🙂 Real all the way. Though have been going a little nuts on pureed white beans as a substitute at the moment. A little more protein, a little less squish... NB I LOVE your nutritional breakdowns 🙂
November 1, 2010 8:19 PM
Sara @ Belly Rumbles
Hi Guys, thanks for all your comments, it really was a fun and interesting experiment.
In regard to freezing mash at home, I haven't tried it. I did come across the fact that people do with success when I was researching frozen mash on the internet. It is possible, not sure I would do it, but if you like the idea of frozen then it is probably your better frozen solution.
Jen
What an interesting experiment. I'm curious to see how sales of the frozen mashed potato perform. I guess if it's still available in supermarkets, there are consumers out there who like it and have a need for it :-\
Ellie (Almost Bourdain)
Such a great and detailed post! I didn't know I can get frozen mashed potatoes! I second Trissa's proposal. Try it and let us know the result.
Christie @ Fig and Cherry
Such a thorough test! I have always wondered about frozen mashed potatoes - I also think 'what's the point?'. Thanks for cementing my thoughts on never buying it! 🙂
Trissa
I commend you for keeping an open mind about using frozen mash and actually giving it a chance before saying NO... and while you did end up saying NO, at least it was an informed decision. Here's a thought - what about making a big batch of mash and then freezing it - do you think it could work?!?
MelbaToast
As a person who is "cheferly" challenged I kind of get the pre-prepared stuff. That said, even I know how to cook mashed tatters. I tend to have a packet of Deb in the house "just in case".
Lorraine @ Not Quite Nigella
Oh Sara don't get me started on mashed potatoes! The thing I can't abide by is instant mashed potatoes. They taste nowhere near as good as real ones. I don't really enjoy the boiling and mashing process I admit but I've never ever used instant. It's just not the same!
happynomnomnom
One of the simpler things in life, mashed potatoes. There is no need for frozen mash. I agree how if you want some to be on hand when you need it to make a bigger batch and freeze them. Also, it was nice meeting you last night.
mademoiselle délicieuse
The frozen potato looks slightly drier? In any case, I find it hard to understand ready-prepared foods like this and it will most definitely be interesting to see where cooking/food trends head in the next 10-20 years as you said.
Angie Lives to Eat (and Cook)!
Deb Potato! In my high school days I used to eat that packet powdered 'mash' until I learnt to cook mash the real way! I absolutely love mash (anything potatoes really) and can usually smell/taste powdered/frozen/artificial mash a mile away! Definately an interesting project there!
Sara @ Belly Rumbles
Hi Amanada, I use to get Josh to do the mashing for me when he was younger, he loved it!
Suze, hehe, good mash is hard to beat.
Hi Helen, it will be really interesting in 10/20 years time on what our eating at home habits are.
Hi Martin, that's really interesting, glad to see you make from scratch here.
Martin
In Germany everyone does mashed potato from powder that you cook up with milk or water, and if you feel creative, you chuck in some butter, herbs or spices. Tastes great, actually.Over here, I make my own from potatoes, none of this frozen business !
Helen (Grab Your Fork)
Convenience foods always beggar belief but I remember there were theories that prepared ingredients will be a huge growth area as apparently they allow customers to "feel like they're cooking" without all the hassle, mess and spoilage of buying it fresh.
I don't know what's worse - frozen mashed potato or takeaway fast food...
chocolatesuze
hehe love the experiment! the frozen stuff kinda looks gluey lol man now i really want mash potato
Amanda
Wow - I had no idea that you could buy frozen mashed spuds and, like you, I really can't think why you would need to. It only takes minutes to peel a few spuds and it is an easy thing to get kids helping in the kitchen, too.