Homemade hash browns are always gummy and bad

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For me, the reason of placing them in a bowl of salted water is to draw out the starch and to keep the potatoes from turning brown. I enjoy prep work so all that is not a chore to me. :angel:

You know, potatos that have been left out and browned a bit will turn white again as soon as you start to cook them. Try it if you don't believe me. I don't know about leaving them out unpeeled for long amounts of time but under a half-hour or so (never left longer than that personally), they'll whiten right back up.
 
I fried my shredded potatoes forever and they still didn't crisp up. That is, until I followed the advice given here and bought a CucinaPro 313 Ricer/Spaetzle press for $9.94 from Amazon. When I pressed the shreds, I couldn't believe how much water came out. No wonder my hash browns stayed soggy and wouldn't fry up crisp. :ohmy:
 

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Am I the only one who was wondering about the homemade hash brownies that were coming out gummy? :LOL:

:wacko: Now you have me totally confused. Are we talking about hash brown potatoes made from scratch? That is what I thought the original poster was talking about. I have no idea what you are talking about. Is it the same thing? Just a different name? Something Canadians call them? I am so lost. :angel:
 
:wacko: Now you have me totally confused. Are we talking about hash brown potatoes made from scratch? That is what I thought the original poster was talking about. I have no idea what you are talking about. Is it the same thing? Just a different name? Something Canadians call them? I am so lost. :angel:

It's a joke. I think she misread the title as brownies made with hash, kinda like pot brownies :LOL:
 
Hash Browns vs. Home Fries

I just finished watching an episode of ATK regarding home fries. Having traveled this country from North to South, East to West and back again, home fries are a Northeast food. The rest of the country serves hash browns. Home fries are potatoes that are cut into large cubes, boiled and then sauteed in fat of choice. Once they become golden brown on one side, flip them over and repeat. When the kids were small, every Saturday I would boil 1.5 potato per person in salted water, cool, peel and then cut into large cubes. I would cover and place in a large bowl overnight and have them for a Sunday morning breakfast. Served with two poached or fried eggs, you dip a piece in the yolk. Two pieces of toast and a cup of coffee or cocoa, or a glass of milk along with bacon done in the oven rounded out the meal. Often times the bacon was done first and the potatoes were cooked in the drained off bacon fat.

The reason for doing the bacon in the oven, less shrinkage and better browning. And less labor intensive.

What they made on ATK were not home fries. They were par boiled potatoes and baked in an oven. And you certainly don't serve home fries with onions. Those you save for Potatoes O'Brien at supper. Go into any greasy spoon that serves breakfast and you will see a pile of home fries sitting on the side of the grill just waiting for an order to be called up. A restaurant will sprinkle theirs with paprika for color. Some folks say it helps the browning. I am still out on that one. My kids didn't like it on theirs.

I will take home fries anytime over hash browns. For me, grated potatoes mean potato pancakes. Not hash browns for breakfast. :angel:
 
I just finished watching an episode of ATK regarding home fries. Having traveled this country from North to South, East to West and back again, home fries are a Northeast food. The rest of the country serves hash browns.... :angel:

Then I guess OH is in the Northeast? ;) My Mom (and now I) make cubed potatoes that we call "paprika potatoe cubes" since that's what they are. I cube and boil the potatoes just until a fork almost makes a dent. Drain and put in a pan of melted butter along with seasonings (paprika, of course!) and fry out until the sides are browned and a bit crispy and the insides are nice and soft.

Mom also did really good hash browns. I don't know how she got them that way but I do know I'm going to try using the ricer to press the water out of the shreds. Caslon, thanks for the pointer!
 
Addie, I'm with you. I can get home fries, as I know them (the cubes of potato) with no problem. It is the hash browns (shredded potatoes) that I have a problem with.
 
Addie, I'm with you. I can get home fries, as I know them (the cubes of potato) with no problem. It is the hash browns (shredded potatoes) that I have a problem with.

Go down south and ask for home fries and you will get a blank stare. They don't know what they are. I am afraid ATK got it wrong this time. Their potaotes are good, just not home fries as we know them. They are baked fries. :angel:
 
We get home fries all over around here, it's the additions that make the deal. I like them with fried green peppers, onions and bacon mixed in. A couple of sunny side up eggs and sourdough toast...I'd be set!
 
Go down south and ask for home fries and you will get a blank stare. They don't know what they are. I am afraid ATK got it wrong this time. Their potaotes are good, just not home fries as we know them. They are baked fries. :angel:

Honestly, I don't know where you get your ideas sometimes, Addie :ermm: :LOL: We certainly do have home fries in the south. Check this out: Google search - "home fries" menu norfolk, va
 
Honestly, I don't know where you get your ideas sometimes, Addie :ermm: :LOL: We certainly do have home fries in the south. Check this out: Google search - "home fries" menu norfolk, va

At one time they were a New England thing. Little by little they are spreading. When Spike came down to Texas for a visit, he would stop for breakfast and order eggs with bacon and home fries. Just about every stop they made, they got hash browns instead. The world has finally caught up with us. :angel:
 
We certainly have home fries here in Quebec. They are usually cubes or chunks of potato. They could be seasoned. Unfortunately, some restos include MSG in their seasoning.

When we make them at home, we usually ask, "Round or square potatoes?" Square is the cubes and round is slices. I find the slices crisp up better, but they often break.
 
I make home fries with paprika, onion and sometimes mushrooms. I cube potatoes and microwave them to par cook then into a skillet with the rest. Paprika adds a little flavor and gives the mix a bette color.
 
At one time they were a New England thing. Little by little they are spreading. When Spike came down to Texas for a visit, he would stop for breakfast and order eggs with bacon and home fries. Just about every stop they made, they got hash browns instead. The world has finally caught up with us.
I've been eating home fries in the midwest for 50+ years. I'm not sure when they were ever strictly a New England thing. According to Wikipedia:

"A dish much like modern home fries may have been around for as long as humans have been consuming cooked potatoes."

Contrary to popular belief, not everything was invented in Boston or New York. ;)
 
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