How long can mashed potatoes stay in the fridge?
In this brief guide, we are going to answer the question “how long can mashed potatoes stay in the fridge” with an in-depth analysis of the shelf life of mashed potatoes in the fridge, freezer, and at room temperature. Moreover, we are going to discuss tips to properly store mashed potatoes.
So without much ado, let’s dive in and figure out more about it.
How long can mashed potatoes stay in the fridge?
Mashed potatoes can last for about 3-5 days when stored properly in the fridge at or below 40 degrees Fahrenheit in an air-tight container or plastic zipper bag.
Thus, the cold temperature of the fridge will decrease the rate of bacterial growth and will subsequently prolong the shelf life of your mashed potatoes.
The proper way to store your mashed potatoes in the fridge is to put them in the air-tight container or zip lock bag once you have cooled it thoroughly at room temperature. It is best practice to refrigerate the leftovers of your mashed potatoes within 2 hours after potatoes are being cooked.
How long do mashed potatoes stay in the freezer?
Mashed potatoes if kept in an air-tight container or air-tight bag in the freezer can last for about 10-12 months provided that it was stored properly.
So what you gotta do is to add the mashed potatoes to the plastic freezer bag and eliminate as much air as you can from the bag by gently pressing it while sealing the bag or you can use a vacuum sealer pump for this purpose. Now label the bag and store it in the freezer
Thus, keeping the mashed potatoes in the freezer will increase their shelf life considerably due to the freezer’s cool temperature that halts the bacterial growth on mashed potatoes.
Frozen mashed potatoes if thawed in the refrigerator can stay there for 3-4 days before reheating and eating them. But if you thaw your boiled potatoes in a bowl of cold water or the microwave, it is advised to reheat and devour them immediately.
In case you want your frozen mashed potatoes to have a perfect consistency even after they are thawed, then you should add less milk to them when they are first cooked and add some butter in it, this way they will still be a bit firm and after letting them cool, freeze them.
When you thaw these frozen mashed potatoes then you can add some milk in it while reheating it to get the desired consistency. This way the thawed mashed potatoes will have ideal consistency.
It is worth mentioning that the figures mentioned above are the estimated shelf life of the mashed potatoes.
You can read how to make creamy mashed potatoes here.
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Tips to properly store mashed potatoes
- You should always store your mashed potatoes at 40°F or below. Bacterial growth takes place at a faster pace between the temperature of 40°F and 140°F, therefore it is always advised to store your mashed potatoes at a lower temperature.
- One thing to keep in mind is to let your mashed potatoes cool thoroughly before putting them in the container or the zip-lock bag. If you put steaming-hot mashed potatoes in these airtight bags or containers, the moisture will build up inside them which can provide suitable conditions for the bacteria to grow.
- You should refrigerate the mashed potatoes within 2 hours they are cooked or else bacteria and other microbes will spread over them and contaminate them.
- It is a good practice to store mashed potatoes on one of the shelves of the refrigerator rather than the door as there is a lot of temperature fluctuation at the door of the fridge that can mess up the quality of mashed potatoes.
- If you want to preserve the freshness and quality of the mashed potatoes for a long time then it is better to freeze them.
- Once you have reheated the mashed potatoes, you should never refrigerate them. As when you reheat the mashed potatoes, their temperature rises more than 40 degrees Fahrenheit and we know that bacteria grows at a faster rate between 40 and 140 degrees Fahrenheit. So the bacteria will find their way to your mashed potatoes and you should never refrigerate the reheated mashed potatoes.
Conclusion
In this brief guide, we answered the question “how long can mashed potatoes stay in the fridge” with an in-depth analysis of the shelf life of mashed potatoes in the fridge, freezer, and at room temperature. Moreover, we discussed tips to properly store mashed potatoes.
