Easy Potato Pancakes (2024)

FAQs

How do you keep potato pancakes from falling apart? ›

Thoroughly squeezing the moisture out of the shredded potatoes prior to cooking is how you keep potato pancakes from falling apart.

Russet potatoes work best in this recipe because they have a high starch content, which helps to bind the pancakes together. I do not recommend substituting with red or yellow potatoes.

Potatoes are typically 80 percent water and 20 percent solids or starch so to avoid soggy latkes, take the potato-onion mixture a handful at a time and literally squeeze the water out. Then add the eggs, flour and salt. Refrigerate covered to avoid exposure to air.

As you are peeling potatoes, immediately submerge them, either whole or in chunks, in acidulated (a few drops of lemon or vinegar) water to prevent oxidation or they will quickly start to turn brown/gray.

Oil choice is crucial for a perfectly fried latke. Because you are deep frying, you want to use a neutral oil with a high smoke point, such as vegetable, canola, or grapeseed.

Potato pancakes have a creamy, almost mashed-potato-like center, with a thin, golden, crisp exterior. Latkes, on the other hand, should have a deeply browned crust, with wispy, lacy edges. Latkes also aren't hash browns.

Potato pancakes may turn out mushy if there is too much moisture in the potatoes or if the batter is too wet. To prevent this, be sure to thoroughly squeeze out excess liquid from the grated potatoes using a kitchen towel or cheesecloth before mixing them with the other ingredients.

Serving them with applesauce and sour cream is the most classic choice, but Grandma Blanche served them with cottage cheese, and so we always include it in our potato pancake garnish spread, too. If you're in a potato mood, but want something more dinner-time friendly, try our Pierogi!

Potato pancakes are associated with almost every European cuisine and are referred to as a variety of names including latkes (Jewish culture), kartoffelpuffer (Germany), bramborak (Slovakia and Czech Republic), draniki (Austria), tattifish (England) and rosti (Switzerland) (“Potato Pancake Background”, n.d).

A: I am guessing the onions accelerated the potatoes turning black or the potatoes were not fully cooked in the middle (make the same thickness and not mounded up in the middle next time to try this out). I used to run into this when different people made pizza, especially with fresh sausage.

How do you keep potato pancakes from turning gray? ›

This happens because they oxidize when they come in contact with air. Luckily there's an easy solution… Immediately after grating (and I mean immediately) cover the potatoes with cold water. Let them sit in the water, completely submersed, until you're ready to proceed with your recipe.

– Always serve latkes hot and fresh if possible.

When ready to reheat, place in a 375 degree oven for about 10 minutes (7 if using a convection oven) until heated through just prior to serving. A convection oven setting will produce a more crispy result.

Pre-Mix: Prep latke batter and keep in a sealable container in the fridge for a few hours or overnight.

If stored correctly, this pancake mix has a shelf life of six to 12 months. It is never recommended to eat a product after the expiration date.

The biggest thing to note is how thick the mashed potatoes are to begin with, if your mashed potatoes are thin or more watery to begin with you might need to add more flour to keep everything together. Egg – This is used as a binder to help keep the mashed potatoes cakes from falling apart.

A common culprit with messy pancakes is a batter that is too thin. If your batter has too much liquid, it won't have enough structure to hold together during cooking and will run all over the pan when flipped. You can address this by simply adding more flour to your batter.

Microwave on high power for no more than 2 minutes and remove to cool. Place in a bowl, season well and mix with your fingers, separating the shreds as much as you can. The potato will be sticky, which is good, as this will help keep the Rosti from falling apart.