Homemade Hashbrowns

[Nanci]

Does anyone know how to make homemade hashbrowns? I have a brand new Cuisinart (from our wedding) and shredded some potatoes added salt and cooked in a non-stick Caphalon pan (also a wedding gift).

They ended up kind of stuck together and didn't have the same color as Simply Potatoes. Other than additives and preservatives what am I missing?

Thanks

Nanci

[SusanT]

The potatoes stuck together because of the starch on the surface of the potato. Try giving them a soak in cold water for about 15 mintues, then drain them and dry them well with paper towels.

[Little Bit]

I have better results when I cook them with a bit of Crisco, instead of olive or soybean oils. The color and texture are much improved. You don't need much, though.
I tend to cut mine up into little dice by hand so that every piece is roughly the same size, but not too small.

Giving them a good soak first, and then dry them off before cooking, as SusanT suggested also is a great help.

(I like a bit of onion in mine as well.)

These are one of the few foods I prepare using Crisco, but I can't get a well-colored crip result otherwise.

[beejayw1]

Have you tried cooking them first? (The potatoes, that is :D ) I think the traditional hash brown recipe starts with left over cooked potatoes, which are then grated or diced and worked into hash browns. IMO, white potatoes or Yukon gold work best , not baking potatoes, which turn to starch.

Sounds as though you made potato pancakes (which I happen to love).

[Anne]

I've had good luck hand grating both red potatoes and Yukon gold potatoes, the cold soak/rinse and pat dry really does the trick.