Christmas potato panic!

[Peppermintlover]

Hi everyone, merry xmas!

I am doing Xmas dinner for the first time and think I've messed up already!

I peeled and chopped the potatoes and put them in cold water in the fridge ready to roast tomorrow, now I read that they will be watery and horrible! Is this true? :( I have no spare ones?

Also I peeled and chopped the carrots and put in a airtight Tupperware dish, will they be ok?

Never before did I appreciate Xmas dinner until I am now doing it myself!

Thanks.

You could parboil them today then drain them and put in fridge when cool. One less busy hob tomorrow. One of the TV chefs suggested this and I always do it now.

Sure they will be fine. I always peel spuds and put in water early in the morning, and don't par boil and roast until 4 or 5 and have never had a problem. I don't see how an extra few hours should make any difference!!

All our other veg are chopped and in sealed bags ready as well, we do this all the time without a problem.

Just about to do stuffing now too! Saves so much time tomorrow doing as much as you can in advance....

Good luck - it will be fabulous I am sure.

Who says they'll be watery and horrible?
I'm about to do mine.

I have always peeled the potatoes the day before and left in water in the fridge. Not a problem

Thanks everyone,

It was some people on a Jamie Oliver forum. I stumbled accross it!

Can I do the parsnips now too?

I am cheating and using paxo stuffing!

I'm going to leave mine in the porch overnight, it's cool in there.

Don't worry! They will not be watery and horrible. If you have room in your fridge, I'd par boil them tonight and store them in the fridge. If not, no harm will come to them.

OP, yes, definitely parsnips too!! As long things are either air tight or in water, then you will be fine.

Do the lot! In fact, I have a quiet half hour, I may just peel mine to get ahead now the stuffing is done.....

They'll be fine, I've always done this.
Happy Christmas

Parboil now, chuff them up then back in fridge.

If they go into hot fat parboiled but straight from the fridge it actually helps them crisp!

I parboil tonight, how do they need to be stored in the fridge? In an airtight container or just a bowl?

Waiting on tenterhooks for storage answer. This could revolutionise my post church dash!

Do they need to be in water in the fridge?

They will be absolutely fine. I do this every year without fail and they are no different to when I don't leave them in water overnight.

They are not absorbent!

You don't even need to put them in the fridge. Just nice cold water in the pan will do, and leave it somewhere cool. Or you could parboil them tonight and let them cool uncovered, then just cover them with foil before you go to bed and leave them out on the worktop.

Watching this eagerly. I've just put mine on to parboil. Just to clarify...after they've cooled, do they go back in the fridge or not?

"If they go into hot fat parboiled but straight from the fridge it actually helps them crisp!"

If you have no room in the fridge you can freeze the. I read this tip in Good Housekeeping years ago and it really does work. I will parboil the parsnip and brussel sprouts as well (I will saute the brussels with bacon and chestnuts tomorrow)

I have parboiled and frozen my sprouts and parsnips this year, for the first time.

Not quite brave enough to do it with my potatoes, if they aren't exactly right DH will never get over the trauma of it.

I will road test the idea soon though, with a view to doing it next year if it's a success. They will have to be EXACTLY as good as normal though, or any time/effort saving won't have been worth it, in DH's eyes.

Sorry Badly, but frozen sprouts are vile. Seriously, frozen parboiled potatoes roast really well, but you lose points for the sprouts.

Really?

I only thrust them into boiling water for 4 minutes, they still look lovely and bright green and have been vacuum packed to retain so they don't go soggy. I was just going to plunge them in boiling water for another minute or two then toss them in melted butter with bacon and almonds or pine nuts. I'll be gutted it they are horrible.

I always just tip prepped/parboiled veg into plastic boxes, with non airtight lids - partly because I've usually lost the lids & am substituting carrier bags wrapped round, but also because of some vague notion everything might go soggy & slimy.

I'd use the fridge this year if possible as it's so mild outside, but if no room it'll all be fine in the shed.

So glad I asked! Knew you'd all make me feel better.

Am going to parboil once I have kids in bed.

Also I am roasting carrots and parsnips, should I par boil them first? Do they roast better?

Thanks.