# Help wanted for making hash brown potatoes golden



## Caslon (Jan 13, 2012)

Not long ago, I had breakfast at a well known family chain restaurant, with supposedly good cooks, yet I got some hashbrowns that weren't cooked well at all. In other words, it seems hashbrowns need some skill to be cooked just right. The places that have cooked consistently good golden hash browns for me were at small diners (greasy spoon joints). A 3 egg special of hash browns and toast.  The cook brushed on butter to the big flat cooking surface before piling on the spuds.

I keep trying to duplicate that in my kitchen and am getting better at it, but other times, I end up with them being oil drenched, even tho the oil was hot enough, but they still don't come out golden brown.  Spreading some butter on them while frying helped to get that golden color a few times.

I'm about to buy a good sized potato ricer after reading an article about how moisture is the reason for mushy un-golden hashbrowns. I've been using paper towels to soak up moisture, which is awkward because they stick to the paper towel. The article said that using paper towels isn't the way, leaves too much moisture. I cook them with a large pretty good quality non-stick pan and canola oil at high enough heat. Perhaps the non-stick isn't as good as using stainless steel? The oil never seems to spread itself evenly in a non-stick pan.  That might be one reason, along with the moisture content.

I'm trying to achieve hashbrowns something like the pic below, often times mine turn out not so golden brown at all and oil soaked.


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## buckytom (Jan 13, 2012)

frying the spuds in bacon grease and a dusting of paprika will help do the trick.


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## Caslon (Jan 13, 2012)

buckytom said:


> frying the spuds in bacon grease and a dusting of paprika will help do the trick.



Ya, but the paprika seems like a visual effect shortcut.  Bacon grease? Why? Not necessarily doubting you as I've had some good success frying with bacon grease rather than canola oil.

Edit: The article said don't rice the potatoes, just use it to squeeze all the water out, I knew you knew that.


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## Addie (Jan 13, 2012)

Use Russet potatoes. Peel, boil in salted water until fork done. Remove from water and let steam dry. Grate them on a box grater. Using bacon grease is a good idea. It will give the potatoes flavor. If you have a square grill use that. You can spread out the grated potatoes and they will loose the moisture as they saute' Once you put them on the hot grill, *do not play with them*. Let them brown. If you have a bacon press, use it on the potatoes. When you think they have browned, (check after about three or four minutes) turn them over. Repeat the process. 

If you have ever watched a cook in a diner, he puts everything on the grill and leaves the food alone while it cooks. The hash browns the diner uses are pre cooked. If the cook is not prepping his own potaotes, then he is purchasing them blanched and frozen from a restaurant purveyor. He dumps the whole bag about three pounds and they sit up in the corner of the grill getting warm and thawing out. When an order comes, he pulls some out of the pile, and cooks them as above. The grill where he cooks the taters is about 400ºF. If you notice he put them near where the bacon is. That is the hottest part of the grill. The eggs go to the lower temp. About 300ºF. There are probably four burners under the grill. Each one is set for a different temp. The burner where the taters are warming is about 250ºF. Most diners will also have the bacon, sausages or ham slices sitting up where the taters are so that they will cook faster when needed. There is a science to it all. You just have to be observant.


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## buckytom (Jan 13, 2012)

bacon grease for both the taste and visual effect. paprika for both as well.


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## Caslon (Jan 13, 2012)

Addie said:


> If you have ever watched a cook in a diner /QUOTE]
> 
> Making those kind of golden hash browns in about 15 minutes is what I'm going for. I will use fresh or frozen, whatever gets me there to enjoy with a Breakfast Jack (egg ham and cheese on hamburger bun).
> 
> I might quicken up the hash browns by pan frying Ore-Ida Shredded Potato Patties. Gonna see how that goes.  I might nuke em a bit first, or thaw them. I realize those ARE precooked, not just blanched and frozen.


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## justplainbill (Jan 13, 2012)

Butter, parboiled and thinly sliced or 3/8" cubes.


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## godcomplex (Jan 13, 2012)

Pan seal them for a perfect golden colour and finish cooking them in the oven (220 degrees Celsius) or in a deep fryer (170 degrees Celsius).


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## sparrowgrass (Jan 13, 2012)

"Don't play with them"-- +1 on that.  Put them on the hot pan and LEAVE THEM ALONE.  Works for browning chunks of meat for stew, as well.


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## vitauta (Jan 13, 2012)

sparrowgrass said:


> "Don't play with them"-- +1 on that.  Put them on the hot pan and LEAVE THEM ALONE.  Works for browning chunks of meat for stew, as well.



good advice, but hard to do--for me, anyway.


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## Chief Longwind Of The North (Jan 13, 2012)

I use butter, freshly shredded potatoes (yukon gold), and my 6 inch griswold cast iron pan to make perfectly round, and golden has browns for my wife.  If I'm making hash browns for both her and I, I use the 8 inch wagner CI pan.  Another key to good hash browns is to not pile the shredded spuds too thick, so that the inside will be done when the outside is golden.  And season while cooking with salt, maybe a touch of turmeric (optional), pepper, and a little paprika, or cayenne pepper.  Season with your tastes in mind.  The frying is what browns them.

I haven't tried it, but would think broiling them carefully would work very well with hash browns.  Pan fry just enough to give the dish a little oil on its surface, transfer to a baking sheet, shape, and place under the broiler.  That should elliminate them soaking up too much oil.  I haven't tried this technique, but I don't see why it wouldn't work wonderfully.

Seeeeeeya; Chief Longwind of the North


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## bakechef (Jan 13, 2012)

I bet a lot of diners and such start out their hash browns with dehydrated shredded potatoes.  I've seen the product, they often come in a carton, like a big milk carton and they add water to rehydrate them.  I am willing to bet that there are ingredients meant to "improve" the product.

I bet between the dehydrated potato (no need to fry long enough to fully cook potato) and a rippin' hot grill, that's how they achieve the golden brown crispy potatoes.


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## Andy M. (Jan 13, 2012)

Another thing diners often do is put a weight on the cooking potatoes to ensure maximum contact with the hot grill surface.  You can buy cast iron ones either round or rectangular in shape with a wood handle.


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## vitauta (Jan 13, 2012)

for hash browns, home fries, and for any other fried potatoes i like bacon grease or duck fat best.  this is one of those rare instances in which butter comes in a distant third.  oh, and also for pan frying sauerkraut or cabbage....


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## Chief Longwind Of The North (Jan 13, 2012)

vitauta said:


> for hash browns, home fries, and for any other fried potatoes i like bacon grease or duck fat best. this is one of those rare instances in which butter comes in a distant third. oh, and also for pan frying sauerkraut or cabbage....


 
Don't some parts of the middle east use chicken fat?  I think they call it Schmalls.  I know it browns chicken skin to a glorious golden brown color.

Seeeeeeya; Chief Longwind of the North


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## Andy M. (Jan 13, 2012)

Fat encourages browning.  I find butter to be an excellent choice.  

It's really simple.  Dry shredded potatoes, fat, adequate heat and weight on top.  I'd guess the diners, drive-ins and dives that make great hash browns stick with vegetable oil or butter rather than other, less common fats.


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## jennyema (Jan 13, 2012)

Chief Longwind Of The North said:


> Don't some parts of the middle east use chicken fat?  I think they call it Schmalls.  I know it browns chicken skin to a glorious golden brown color.
> 
> Seeeeeeya; Chief Longwind of the North



Schmaltz !!


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## jennyema (Jan 13, 2012)

Caslon said:


> Addie said:
> 
> 
> > If you have ever watched a cook in a diner /QUOTE]
> ...


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## texherp (Jan 13, 2012)

I have never been able to make perfect hashbrowns from scratch either (at least not with raw potatoes).  I think the real 'secret' is to use par-cooked potatoes as mentioned earlier.  I also think my box shredder doesn't create as large of a shred as the commercial, pre-shredded potatoes.  I tend to just buy the frozen shredded (loose) potatoes which I think must be par-cooked and maybe even coated with a little oil before frozen.  I have often wondered if (but have never tried) tossing shredded potatoes with a tablespoon or so of oil before dumping them in the pan would help (rather than putting the oil in the pan).


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## Greg Who Cooks (Jan 13, 2012)

Moisture is one of the problems. You might want to try squeezing your grated potato in cheesecloth to squeeze out moisture, and/or dry the grated potato by wrapping in a clean cloth towel (instead of paper).

Does anybody else add grated onion to their potato? I know it won't be hash brown potatoes any more but I like mine this way, up to 50:50 onion:potato. The onions have a lot more moisture so that's how I came up with my moisture reduction ideas mentioned above.


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## Aunt Bea (Jan 13, 2012)

I agree with Greg on the moisture if you are using raw potato.  Read a couple of recipes for potato latkes and use some of the techniques in your hash browns.  

Get the water out, a little flour, salt and pepper, hot pan, hot oil, and *Don't play with them!!!*

I actually prefer to make mine using leftover baked potatoes because they tend to be dryer and brown much nicer like home fries.


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## Addie (Jan 13, 2012)

Andy M. said:


> Another thing diners often do is put a weight on the cooking potatoes to ensure maximum contact with the hot grill surface. You can buy cast iron ones either round or rectangular in shape with a wood handle.


 
Known as a bacon press. Love mine.


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## Addie (Jan 13, 2012)

jennyema said:


> Caslon said:
> 
> 
> > Ore Ida sells frozen loose hash browns in addition to patties.
> ...


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## Zereh (Jan 13, 2012)

Shred your raw potatoes onto a tea towel. Wring the water of them. Put them onto your George Forman- or panini-style grill. Place a pat or three of butter over them. Close the grill. They come out with a perfect crunch on the outside.


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## Greg Who Cooks (Jan 13, 2012)

Aunt Bea said:


> I agree with Greg on the moisture if you are using raw potato.  Read a couple of recipes for potato latkes and use some of the techniques in your hash browns.



That's probably what I was making. I like the additional spiciness added by onion. That's probably not for everybody though. And I admit they're definitely not hash browns if onion is added.

I serve mine with sour cream and chopped green onions, pretty much the same way many people like their baked potatoes.


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## Addie (Jan 13, 2012)

Gourmet Greg said:


> Moisture is one of the problems. You might want to try squeezing your grated potato in cheesecloth to squeeze out moisture, and/or dry the grated potato by wrapping in a clean cloth towel (instead of paper).
> 
> Does anybody else add grated onion to their potato? I know it won't be hash brown potatoes any more but I like mine this way, up to 50:50 onion:potato. The onions have a lot more moisture so that's how I came up with my moisture reduction ideas mentioned above.


 
Then you have potatoe pancake. Which I will do every so often for my self. Flour absorbs the moisture. Then you end up replacing some of it with the egg. (Can't win)  I also will use the grater on my FP for them instead of the box grater. If I am using the box grater for the potatoes, I use the largest holes. 

Diner frozen hash browns are like their French Fries. Partially cooked in fat, drained, and flash frozen. The cooks that prep their own, blanch the potatoes in water, cool, grate, and then finish cooking them on the grill. And they do use the large holes on a box grater. Our all-night diner over near the South Station has a prep person in the back room that does all the prep work for the next day. The another one comes in at five in the evening to do it for the night shift. That is one reason their mashed taters are lumpy. Between hash browns, mashed taters, home fries, etc., they go through at least 200 lbs. in a 24 hour period. Can you imagaine sitting there peeling all those potatoes? They do have an automatic peeler. But they get cut one by one for FF. Then blanched in the deep fryer in back, then frozen. 

My first husband worked in a Jewish Deli in Chelsea. The restaurant and our house shared the same back yard. Every night the kids would go into the back door, get a big tray of FF and bring them home. To this day, I can't stand to eat them. YUK


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## Greg Who Cooks (Jan 13, 2012)

Not everybody peels their potatoes. I prefer hash browns, latkas or mashed potatoes with the skin left in. Not only is it less work but I prefer the taste. I'll admit that most people probably don't like or want the skin.


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## FrankZ (Jan 13, 2012)

Sometimes those processed potatoes (french fries or hash browns) are soaked in sugar water during processing.  The sugars aid in that golden color.


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## Addie (Jan 13, 2012)

FrankZ said:


> Sometimes those processed potatoes (french fries or hash browns) are soaked in sugar water during processing. The sugars aid in that golden color.


 
Also, soaking them removes some of the starch. And that too helps in the browning. Let them sit long enough in the water, and you will see a lot of the starch in the bottom of the bowl.


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## Zhizara (Jan 13, 2012)

Caslon said:


> Addie said:
> 
> 
> > If you have ever watched a cook in a diner /QUOTE]
> ...


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## apple916 (Jan 13, 2012)

God I love hash browns but it's almost impossible to make them from scratch because when I try to wring out the moisture then they get all crushed then when you fry it it just breaks up and disintegrate into almost nothing. I really don't want to buy it frozen because I rather have "fresh" from my own stash. 

What worked better was just to cook them whole in the microwave 1st which removes most of the moisture. Then I let them cool on the counter for couple hrs then I shred them and by then it's dry and ready to fry. BUT they still shrink and don't become nice and fluffy like the ones you get at IHOP. I'm still trying and tinkering with it and hopefully one day they will come out as good as baked potatoes.


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## Andy M. (Jan 13, 2012)

I decided to make some HBs for lunch.  I grated a russet potato and wrung it dry by twisting it in a towel (as seen on TV).  I pre-heated a non-stick skillet and added a pat of butter.  Then the potatoes went in with some salt and pepper over medium heat.  Topped that with my ridged bacon press.  The ridges applied uneven pressure, causing the potato to brown unevenly but you can see they are brown and I can attest they were crispy.  The sausages were good too.


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## Kayelle (Jan 13, 2012)

Zereh said:


> Shred your raw potatoes onto a tea towel. Wring the water of them. Put them onto your George Forman- or panini-style grill. Place a pat or three of butter over them. Close the grill. They come out with a perfect crunch on the outside.



Now there's a hint worth remembering!!  Going out to the garage to retrieve the Geo. Foreman grill from the Goodwill donation box.

Makes perfect sense Zereh!!


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## Dawgluver (Jan 13, 2012)

Zereh said:
			
		

> Shred your raw potatoes onto a tea towel. Wring the water of them. Put them onto your George Forman- or panini-style grill. Place a pat or three of butter over them. Close the grill. They come out with a perfect crunch on the outside.



Zereh, I'm going to try this too!  Great idea!  Thanks!


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## Janet H (Jan 13, 2012)

Almost every hash house I've seen the back end of uses dehydrated potatoes to make hash browns.  They are re-hydrated in bulk and then fried on the griddle with whatever else happens to be cooking.  I use these at home (shhhh....) as well and they made fabulous hashbrowns - just the the ones at the breakfast shop 
Here's a link of an example

I always leave plenty of time to soak these in hot water - maybe up to an hour and then RINSE them.  This removes most of the 'food from New Jersey' processed taste. I cook them in a skillet in a mixture of butter and olive oil and turn them only once. No fiddling with them as they cook.


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## Greg Who Cooks (Jan 13, 2012)

That's interesting about the dehydrated hash browns. I'll have to see if I can find them at the supermarket.

Janet you mentioned something that is IMO very important and not previously mentioned in this topic:

Turn your hash browns only once!


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## Addie (Jan 13, 2012)

Gourmet Greg said:


> That's interesting about the dehydrated hash browns. I'll have to see if I can find them at the supermarket.
> 
> Janet you mentioned something that is IMO very important and not previously mentioned in this topic:
> 
> Turn your hash browns only once!


 
That's why we have been saying "do not play with them." Let them sit and brown.


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## Caslon (Jan 13, 2012)

Frying hash browns with non stick pans, the oil separates and it's almost like you have to steer the hash browns  into the pan to get them cooking properly.


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## Caslon (Jan 13, 2012)

Gourmet Greg said:


> That's interesting about the dehydrated hash browns. I'll have to see if I can find them at the supermarket.
> 
> Janet you mentioned something that is IMO very important and not previously mentioned in this topic:
> 
> Turn your hash browns only once!



I doubt the post reply about hash browns in greasy spoons being par cooked.
McDonalds DOES partially cook their fries and freezes them, I doubt that's the case with packaged hash brown potatoes of any kind.  The only kind of hash browns you can buy frozen are basically just shredded potatoes that have been quick flash frozen, not par boiled, just frozen as they are. They are OK (not as flavorful as freshly grated). I'm gonna try and get better at cooking them to a nice golden brown.

lol, I blames my non-stick pan.


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## chopper (Jan 13, 2012)

My best are made for the breakfast the morning after having baked potatoes. I make extra to use the next morning. Sometimes with bacon grease and sometimes with butter. Always with a little onion. Yum yum!!


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## Caslon (Jan 13, 2012)

Zhizara said:


> Caslon said:
> 
> 
> > I have good luck with the patties.  I use the toaster oven rather than heat up my oven.  It comes to temperature in a matter of seconds and gives a nice crispy browned crust.
> ...


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## Al Pine (Jan 13, 2012)

For too many years I was a cook for Denny's, Azar's, Bennigans, Days Inn, 
and a few other "greasy spoon" type restaurants. In every restaurant that
I worked in, we cooked the meat and Hash Browns on a 350° griddle.
At "Denny's" we use the dehydrated Hash Browns; we would put a handful of
them on the griddle, pat them down till they were about 1" thick then pour
a little oil on them. We didn't even turn them over...until we placed them
on the plate, that way they were crispy on the top, and light and fluffy on
the bottom.

I think you will get the best results from using the dehydrated Hash Browns.
I have seen them at King Soopers (Kroger), also both Costco & Sam's Club
sell them.

Personally I never use Canola Oil for anything because of the potential
health risks it represents. I think you will get the best results by using
Butter, or there is a brand of cooking oil that was use in some of the
restaurants I worked at. It is called "Whirl". Below is a link to their
website....I think Costco may sell it too.

Stratas Foods | Whirl

Costco Business Delivery - Whirl Butter Flavor Liquid 1 gal


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## CWS4322 (Jan 13, 2012)

When my parents owned the restaurant, I peeled a LOT of potatoes. The ones for hash browns were left in water overnight, drained, and then grated, and then drained again/squeezed again. The patties were made, frozen, and then popped on a hot grill (the flat grill), bacon press on top. I still make hash browns this way. I have no problem re: having them brown--but DO NOT be tempted to flip them too soon.


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## bakechef (Jan 13, 2012)

Al Pine said:
			
		

> For too many years I was a cook for Denny's, Azar's, Bennigans, Days Inn,
> and a few other "greasy spoon" type restaurants. In every restaurant that
> I worked in, we cooked the meat and Hash Browns on a 350° griddle.
> At "Denny's" we use the dehydrated Hash Browns; we would put a handful of
> ...



I worked in a bakery where we tossed bread cubes with Whirl, and seasonings to make croutons, it was so delicious, it was probably horribly unhealthy, lol!


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## Addie (Jan 13, 2012)

Al Pine said:


> For too many years I was a cook for Denny's, Azar's, Bennigans, Days Inn,
> and a few other "greasy spoon" type restaurants. In every restaurant that
> I worked in, we cooked the meat and Hash Browns on a 350° griddle.
> At "Denny's" we use the dehydrated Hash Browns; we would put a handful of
> ...


 
Thank you. At last!!! A definitive answer.


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## Caslon (Jan 14, 2012)

Al Pine said:


> For too many years I was a cook for Denny's, Azar's, Bennigans, Days Inn,
> and a few other "greasy spoon" type restaurants. In every restaurant that
> I worked in, we cooked the meat and Hash Browns on a 350° griddle.
> At "Denny's" we use the dehydrated Hash Browns; we would put a handful of
> ...


 
Frozen Ore-Ida hash browns in a bag isn't what to buy? Never seen diner hash browns weighted down.
Probably not a bad idea for home cooked hash browns.


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## Steve Kroll (Jan 14, 2012)

Al Pine said:


> Personally I never use Canola Oil for anything because of the potential health risks it represents. I think you will get the best results by using Butter, or there is a brand of cooking oil that was use in some of the restaurants I worked at. It is called "Whirl".


I always cringe when I see someone write about the "potential health risks" of Canola Oil. You may want to look into this a little more. Here's an article of interest at snopes.com (an urban legend website) that debunks a lot of nonsense that has been going around the internet. As far as vegetable oils go, Canola is actually pretty healthy and people have been using it for centuries. It has a lower percentage of saturated fat than any other oil, and a much better omega 3 to 6 ratio than even olive oil. It's just not suitable for high temperature frying.

When it comes to potential health risks, I would be far more worried about using a product like Whirl, which is made from high oleic sunflower and also contains artificial butter flavor. Sunflower oil (even the high oleic variety) is a known inflammatory agent, meaning that  consuming too much of it may lead to an increased risk of cardiovascular disease.

One point I will agree with you on is that butter will probably give the best results for golden hash browns.


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## jennyema (Jan 14, 2012)

Andy M. said:


> I decided to make some HBs for lunch.  I grated a russet potato and wrung it dry by twisting it in a towel (as seen on TV).  I pre-heated a non-stick skillet and added a pat of butter.  Then the potatoes went in with some salt and pepper over medium heat.  Topped that with my ridged bacon press.  The ridges applied uneven pressure, causing the potato to brown unevenly but you can see they are brown and I can attest they were crispy.  The sausages were good too.



Hahahaha!

I made them for lunch yesterday too!!!!  This thread started my jonesing for them.

I used the frozen kind, smart balance and a cast iron skillet.  Added onion.  They were delicious !


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## Andy M. (Jan 14, 2012)

jennyema said:


> Hahahaha!
> 
> I made them for lunch yesterday too!!!!  This thread started my jonesing for them.
> 
> I used the frozen kind, smart balance and a cast iron skillet.  Added onion.  They were delicious !




Great minds think alike!


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## Al Pine (Jan 14, 2012)

Steve Kroll said:


> I always cringe when I see someone write about the "potential health risks" of Canola Oil. You may want to look into this a little more. Here's an article of interest at snopes.com (an urban legend website) that debunks a lot of nonsense that has been going around the internet. As far as vegetable oils go, Canola is actually pretty healthy and people have been using it for centuries. It has a lower percentage of saturated fat than any other oil, and a much better omega 3 to 6 ratio than even olive oil. It's just not suitable for high temperature frying.
> 
> When it comes to potential health risks, I would be far more worried about using a product like Whirl, which is made from high oleic sunflower and also contains artificial butter flavor. Sunflower oil (even the high oleic variety) is a known inflammatory agent, meaning that  consuming too much of it may lead to an increased risk of cardiovascular disease.
> 
> One point I will agree with you on is that butter will probably give the best results for golden hash browns.



People have NOT been using Canola Oil for centuries.....Canola Oil
did not exist until 1968.

I should have been more specific....I don't buy into the "Scary Stories" 
people post on the Internet about Canola Oil, or any other product.
What I was referring to is that Canola Oil was originally too acidic, and
therefore too dangerous to be used for Human consumption. Eventually
scientists were able to breed the "Rapeseed" plant into the "Canola" plant
and finally reduce the level of Acidity to what was considered "safe" for
humans.....(maybe it is safe, maybe it isn't...there are other oils to choose
from that are safe; so why take any risk with the Canola Oil?)

In addition Monsanto has genetically modified the seed for the "Canola
Plant" and holds a patent for it. PERSONALLY.....I am not yet convinced
that Genetically modified foods are safe for humans to eat. This is the
primary reason why I do not use Canola Oil. The majority of the crop
that is grown uses the genetically modified seed owned by Monsanto.

There are also concerns about the "possible" harm that genetically modified
crops may do to the environment. 
If you want to use Canola Oil....that's OK. Everybody has the right to use,
or not use it.
You can do a search for.....Monsanto canola oil...and also for...genetically
modified foods....as there are other genetically modified foods out there
as well.

As far as the product "Whirl" is concerned....it was made for, and is used
by Restaurants and the food service industry. I think it is pretty much
safe to assume that any product that is made for the food service 
industry was not made to be a "health" type of product. Most likely it was
intended to be cost effective, and taste good.


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## Greg Who Cooks (Jan 14, 2012)

Steve Kroll said:


> I always cringe when I see someone write about the "potential health risks" of Canola Oil.



I too scoff that there is any health risk of using Canola oil than any other commonly used cooking oils.


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## Steve Kroll (Jan 14, 2012)

Al Pine said:


> People have NOT been using Canola Oil for centuries.....Canola Oil
> did not exist until 1968.


Canola is Rapeseed oil. Rape (from the Latin "Rapa") is a type of turnip. The phrase "Canola" was invented in Canada, not the oil itself.

According to Purdue University, "Rapeseed has been important to Europe since the 13th century as a source of food and oil for fuel." It's not all genetically engineered. The lower erucic acid varieties available today were first _bred_ in the field - not the lab - using traditional plant breeding techniques.

About half of the Canola oil today comes from genetically engineered crops. But the same goes for soy and corn. And no, I don't buy GMO, either. Certified organic non-GMO Canola Oil is the only kind I use.


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## Greg Who Cooks (Jan 14, 2012)

I didn't know about the GMO stuff. There's a reason I would avoid using something, just because I'm not convinced GMO food is safe.


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## Andy M. (Jan 14, 2012)

Like it or not, we all eat genetically engineered foods every day and have been for quite some time.  Remember the story of Luther Burbank from school??

A few centuries ago, ears of corn were a couple of inches long and they were modified to be much sweeter and as big as we see them today.  People buy heirloom tomatoes because modern tomatoes have been bred to be different (and not as good).  Pigs have been bred to have leaner meat than before.  Chickens and turkeys have been bred to produce larger breasts so for more white meat.  Nectarines and Meyer lemons are genetically modified.  The list goes on.

Canola oil comes from a modified rapeseed plant that produces a neutral oil with more healthful properties.  There is nothing harmful about it.  Why is it important who own the patent to the seeds?

There are all sorts of quasi-legitimate websites that have been created with the specific purpose of turning you off to a product.  Typically, these sites are created by the product's competitions (think corn oil manufacturers) to keep you from switching to another product.

If you decide to avoid canola oil "Just to be on the safe side".  You have been manipulated and they have succeeded in their purpose.


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## Steve Kroll (Jan 14, 2012)

Gourmet Greg said:


> I didn't know about the GMO stuff. There's a reason I would avoid using something, just because I'm not convinced GMO food is safe.


If you use Canola Oil, one brand you might want to look at is Spectrum. They make an organic product that is non-GMO.


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## Steve Kroll (Jan 14, 2012)

Andy M. said:


> A few centuries ago, ears of corn were a couple of inches long and they were modified to be much sweeter and as big as we see them today.  People buy heirloom tomatoes because modern tomatoes have been bred to be different (and not as good).  Pigs have been bred to have leaner meat than before.  Chickens and turkeys have been bred to produce larger breasts so for more white meat.  Nectarines and Meyer lemons are genetically modified.  The list goes on.


Andy, the difference I see here is that all of these food items were created by using selective breeding. That's not too far removed from what mother nature does. What Monsanto (and other Frankenfood corporations) have done is used gene splicing techniques in the laboratory to introduce foreign DNA to plants at the molecular level. For example, they've created plant species that are resistant to RoundUp or poisonous to certain insects. I don't think that's what Luther Burbank had in mind.


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## Andy M. (Jan 14, 2012)

Different goals same process.  The real difference is that it can be done much faster now and with fewer errors.


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## Greg Who Cooks (Jan 14, 2012)

Steve Kroll said:


> Andy, the difference I see here is that all of these food items were created by using selective breeding. That's not too far removed from what mother nature does. What Monsanto (and other Frankenfood corporations) have done is used gene splicing techniques in the laboratory to introduce foreign DNA to plants at the molecular level. For example, they've created plant species that are resistant to RoundUp or poisonous to certain insects. I don't think that's what Luther Burbank had in mind.



I have no problem with selective breeding.



Andy M. said:


> Different goals same process.  The real difference is that it can be done much faster now and with fewer errors.



The problem I have is when foreign DNA from other species are inserted into food crops. For example, insect DNA inserted into plant crops. I'm sure there's plenty of other better examples. Maybe most of the GMO examples are fairly sane things but my problem is when things not related to the crop species are inserted. I don't believe testing has reached the point of complete certainty that GMO crops are safe. I don't believe that science has reached that level of ultimate certainty.


I cook mostly using Olive oil and/or butter. I've been using Canola oil for frying, sometimes Peanut oil. I'm thinking maybe I'll switch from using Canola to Peanut. I probably won't be surprised if somebody tells me my Olive and Peanut are GMO too.

Sorry folks, I just don't want to use GMO stuff. And yes, I accept there's probably lots of GMO stuff in my diet that I don't even know about. That bothers me. Unfortunately you can't just quit eating.


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## Steve Kroll (Jan 14, 2012)

Gourmet Greg said:


> I cook mostly using Olive oil and/or butter. I've been using Canola oil for frying, sometimes Peanut oil. I'm thinking maybe I'll switch from using Canola to Peanut. I probably won't be surprised if somebody tells me my Olive and Peanut are GMO too.


Not to my knowledge. But why not just use organic Canola oil? It's not GMO.

Peanut oil has some issues as well. It contains a great deal of saturated fat, and is very omega-6 heavy (omega-6 fatty acids are the ones that promote blood clotting). A single tablespoon of peanut oil contains 4 grams of omega-6 and virtually no omega-3.


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## Andy M. (Jan 14, 2012)

Steve Kroll said:


> Not to my knowledge. But why not just use organic Canola oil? It's not GMO.
> 
> Peanut oil has some issues as well. It contains a great deal of saturated fat, and is very omega-6 heavy (omega-6 fatty acids are the ones that promote blood clotting). A single tablespoon of peanut oil contains 4 grams of omega-6 and virtually no omega-3.



I don't fry in canola anymore because I sometimes get an off odor when I do.  Smells of fish.


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## Greg Who Cooks (Jan 14, 2012)

Steve Kroll said:


> Not to my knowledge. But why not just use organic Canola oil? It's not GMO.
> 
> Peanut oil has some issues as well. It contains a great deal of saturated fat, and is very omega-6 heavy (omega-6 fatty acids are the ones that promote blood clotting). A single tablespoon of peanut oil contains 4 grams of omega-6 and virtually no omega-3.



I guess mostly I don't buy organic products because they cost more and frankly they're just not in my budget, can't afford to pay more.

I guess it's a lucky thing that I fry so rarely. For one thing, I don't think eating a lot of deep fried food is good for a person. And also, frying uses up an awful lot of oil (say, compared to pan saute) and again I can seldom afford to use a whole bottle of oil to cook one meal. Yes you can reuse oil of course but my experience is that most oils with most foods can be used only a very limited number of times.

Lucky thing for me that I enjoy stir fried foods so much. A little bit of olive oil is usually all I need.


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## vagriller (Jan 14, 2012)

sparrowgrass said:


> "Don't play with them"-- +1 on that.  Put them on the hot pan and LEAVE THEM ALONE.  Works for browning chunks of meat for stew, as well.



+1


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## Al Pine (Jan 14, 2012)

Steve Kroll said:


> Canola is Rapeseed oil. Rape (from the Latin "Rapa") is a type of turnip. The phrase "Canola" was invented in Canada, not the oil itself.



According to the website Canolainfo.org ....Canola Oil and the "Canola Plant"
were invented (grown) in Canada. The Rapeseed plant you are referring to,
and the "Canola Plant" are not the same. The Rapeseed plant was bred to
have a lower amount of acid that was considered safe for humans to
consume. This plant is considered to be different than the Rapeseed plant,
and is called the Canola Plant. 
Granted, this website could post false information, but from my research
 it appears to be correct. The link is below.
*CanolaInfo | What is Canola Oil?

*The breeding of the Canola plant from the Rapeseed plant may be safe
for humans...I am not 100% convinced of this...but that is my personal
opinion.
What made me decide not to use Canola Oil was when I found out that
the Monsanto Corporation had genetically modified the seed and patented
it. This gave me concern as I am not yet convinced that it is a good idea
for people to consume genetically modified foods, as these foods are not
natural. Plus there is some real concerns about the long term impact on
our environment from the planting of these crops. Below is a link to a
Google search that lists many websites that discuss this at great length.
*genetically modified foods and the environmet - Google Search*


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## Janet H (Jan 14, 2012)

I wondered what was in Whirl - anyone know?  I have used this product as well and it has a pretty high smoke point.. I'm betting safflower oil but it's only a guess.


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## Steve Kroll (Jan 14, 2012)

Janet H said:


> I wondered what was in Whirl - anyone know?  I have used this product as well and it has a pretty high smoke point.. I'm betting safflower oil but it's only a guess.


High oleic sunflower oil and artificial butter flavor.


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## CWS4322 (Jan 14, 2012)

Gourmet Greg said:


> I have no problem with selective breeding.
> 
> 
> 
> ...


A friend of mine's area of expertise is plant genetics. As she puts it, "I don't know what you are going to eat if you stay away from foods that have been modified." Hybrids vs. heirloom tomatoes come to mind. Not all GMO stuff has foreign DNA inserted. The US is one of the leaders in developing disease resistant plants, without which, many more folks in 3rd world countries would not have 2 square meals / day (that's right, not three). The availability of disease-resistant corn has been severely affected by the switch to producing corn for ethanol vs. for food.


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## Caslon (Jan 15, 2012)

Al Pine said:


> I think you will get the best results from using the dehydrated Hash Browns.
> I have seen them at King Soopers (Kroger), also both Costco & Sam's Club
> sell them.



Ummm, aren't Ore-Ida brand frozen hash browns dehydrated like the ones at the other places you mentioned?


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## buckytom (Jan 15, 2012)

that figures about canola oil and canada.

they probably extract it from those darn geese, which is why so many are in the u.s..

escapees from canola factories...


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## taxlady (Jan 15, 2012)

buckytom said:


> that figures about canola oil and canada.
> 
> they probably extract it from those darn geese, which is why so many are in the u.s..
> 
> escapees from canola factories...



You, silly boy.


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## Oldvine (Jan 20, 2012)

The "taters" are not riced, they are shredded with a grater.  A hot grill with some oil works the best, but a good heavy frying pan also works.  Oil will make them crispy.  If you need to play with them to check on their crispiness, just peek at a couple shreds on the edge.  Eventually you should learn when they are perfect and ready to flip in one nice crispy piece.  Some things just take practice and maybe you will never make perfect hash browns but do great with something else.   Good luck.


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## Al Pine (Jan 20, 2012)

Caslon said:


> Ummm, aren't Ore-Ida brand frozen hash browns dehydrated like the ones at the other places you mentioned?



I don't think so. All you need to do with the frozen Hash Browns is put them
on the grill (griddle/pan) and cook them. The dehydrated ones come in a 
cardboard box, and you have to fill the box with water to re-hydrate them
before you cook them.

I don't see any reason to freeze dehydrated potatoes. Unless that is
something new that I haven't seen yet.


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## Caslon (Feb 9, 2012)

I just wanted to say my potato ricer arrived yesterday and wow, the amount of water that came out of the grated potato was substantial. They fried up really easily to a nice golden  color. I'm in hash heaven now, thanks to the ricer.  A fantastic tip I missed out on for years. No more oil soaked awful looking hard to cook hash browns from now on for me. They fry up much easier than the frozen hash browns too, even with those I had difficulty. They are shredded too thin and small.


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## Greg Who Cooks (Feb 9, 2012)

I'll have to get me one of them potato ricers. I've found that moisture is the principal enemy when making hash browns and other similar recipes.

Cheesecloth had been a good ally. Particularly when onions are involved. (Onions are mostly moisture.)


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## Caslon (Feb 9, 2012)

Gourmet Greg said:


> I'll have to get me one of them potato ricers. I've found that moisture is the principal enemy when making hash browns and other similar recipes.
> 
> Cheesecloth had been a good ally. Particularly when onions are involved. (Onions are mostly moisture.)



Again on the topic of frozen shredded Ore-Ida Hash Browns, I had the same problem with moisture content cooking those.  I think they just shred them and freeze them without removing the moisture.


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## joesfolk (Feb 9, 2012)

I like to soak the shredded potatoes in acidulated ice water for at least a couple of hours if not overnight. Then I pour off the water and dump the potatoes into a clean dish towel to wring them very dry. Probably a salad spinner would work too. It takes out a lot of the starch and I get tender, crisp hash browns.  As for the onions, when I want them I chop the onions and put in a small glass bowl with a pat or two of butter and I nuke them.  Then I add them to the finished hashbrowns.  Now I never get burnt little bits of onion running through my hash browns...works for me.


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## gadzooks (Feb 10, 2012)

Hash browns are part of the breakfast I cook every Thursday morning for the homeless shelter guests. The church has a big old National stove, four burners and two ovens and a huge griddle. I chop a couple of big sweet onions in the food processor and dump them into a steam table tray, then change to the fine shredding disk and push washed, halved unpeeled russets through it, dump into the tray with the onions, salt it lightly and hand mix while the griddle heats on a medium flame. I have been using canola oil because it is cheap and nobody seems allergic to it, and our several vegetarians are OK with it. I use an ice cream scoop to portio out balls of potato/onion mix onto the griddle and leave them alone for ten minutes, then check the first one I put on. If it is ready, I start turning and flattening them into patties, and let the whole thing go until brown on the bottom. While I wait to turn them, I portion out loose bulk sausage onto the griddle using a smaller scoop. Cook the sausage the same way I cook the potatoes. When done, they all go into the same (cleaned) tray with wire cooling racks and paper towels in the bottom, cover with a dish towel, and into a warm oven while I scramble three dozen eggs, the last dozen with chorizo, then warm flour tortillas. The whole deal takes about forty minutes. We seldom have left over anything.


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## Caslon (Feb 10, 2012)

gadzooks said:


> I use an ice cream scoop to portio out balls of potato/onion mix onto the griddle and leave them alone for ten minutes, then check the first one I put on. If it is ready, I start turning and flattening them into patties, and let the whole thing go until brown on the bottom.



Ice cream scoop huh?  Makes sense in that it allows more hashbrown servings to be be cooked on a given cooking space? OK.


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## Addie (Feb 11, 2012)

Caslon said:


> Ice cream scoop huh? Makes sense in that it allows more hashbrown servings to be be cooked on a given cooking space? OK.


 
I am impressed that he does this every single week for the homeless. Kudos to you kid!


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## buckytom (Feb 11, 2012)

now that you have your spuds down, try cooking a scoop in bacon grease with a bit of paprika. you can say it's cheating, but it's delicious nonetheless.


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## gadzooks (Feb 12, 2012)

Bacon grease is a rare commodity at the church, but I will try it at home. Maybe I could start the sausage before the taters at shelter, and push the grease over to the area where I'll do them.


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