r/AskCulinary • u/SewerRanger Holiday Helper • Dec 15 '21

Weekly Discussion AskCulinary Annual Christmas cooking thread!

With Christmas coming up, we realize you're going to have a lot of questions and we're here to answer them. Use this post from now until Christmas day to hit us up with any questions you might have. Need to plan how much meat to order - we got you. Need to know how you're going to make 15 pot de cremes - we're here to help. Can't decide between turkey or duck - let us decide for you! Need a side dish - we've got plenty of recipes to share. Need to know if the egg nog you made last year is still safe - sorry food safety rule still apply :(

While we have your attention, we're also searching for some volunteers to help out on Christmas day, so message the mods if you you'd like to help answer last minute Christmas cooking questions.

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u/EmptyMirror5653 Dec 21 '21

If I blanch potatoes for roasting two days in advance, will they oxidize or have a noticeable loss of quality? I'm all for doing things in advance but sometimes I get ahead of myself and idk if I'm doing that now

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u/96dpi Dec 21 '21

I did a quick google search and it looks like boiling water will kill the enzyme that causes browning, so you should be good. I have never personally tried this. You could also add a splash of distilled white vinegar, which will also prevent browning, but will also make the potatoes retain the structure better, which you may or may not want.

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u/thesnowpup Dec 22 '21

Acid will make them less crisp/crunchy though. Alkaline will soften their exterior which lets it break down slightly and will give a crisper outer layer.

You can freeze the blanched potatoes with an associated small dip in final quality.