The Most Important Tips You Need To Avoid Soggy Potato Pancakes - The Daily Meal (2024)

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The Most Important Tips You Need To Avoid Soggy Potato Pancakes - The Daily Meal? ›

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.

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.

I added lemon to the shredded potatoes while I shredded them to prevent discoloration. I used 12 large Idaho® potatoes, 10 eggs, a half cup of Matzo Meal, a half cup of high gluten flour, a tablespoon of baking powder, salt, pepper and two grated Spanish onions; I fried them in a blended oil.

Your Latkes Fall Apart

There's not enough starch binding the latkes. Luckily, the fix for both of these problems is the same: add some more starch — ideally in the form of matzo meal — which will soak up that extra moisture and bind the ingredients together more tightly.

If you don't drain the moisture, they won't crisp as easily and that may be why your potato pancakes are gummy. Feel the Heat. Sufficiently heating oil in the pan prior to placing the patty in the pan is the key to a properly crispy pancake.

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.

Thinner pancakes will stay more moist and tender if cooked a little more quickly, so turn up the heat a bit when cooking. Better air circulation prevents the pancakes from becoming soggy while cooling.

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.

The peeled potatoes were raw. When slicing they were exposed to air (which will cause them to quickly turn dark).

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.

Why do Jews eat potato pancakes? ›

Eat – latkes, of course! Crispy, fried, slightly oniony potato pancakes with decadent (that's a euphemism for fattening) toppings. Why latkes? The simple answer is that they're meant to remind Jews of the miracle of the oil associated with Hanukkah.

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.

You just need to make sure you have time to cool the cooked potatoes in the fridge before making the mixture. Using cold mashed potatoes help stop the 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. Remove the moisture from the potatoes and onions by draining for a few minutes in a colander after grating.

Soak them in water

The best (and most popular) way to keep cut potatoes from turning brown is to completely submerge them in a bowl of water. Store the water-covered potatoes in a bowl in the refrigerator until you're ready to use them, up to one day in advance.

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!

Pouring cool or room temp oil over the potatoes is a sure fire way to end up with soggy spuds.

The key is to store potatoes in a cool dry place, like in the cabinet of a pantry, in a paper bag or cardboard box. It's important to keep potatoes at the cool, ideal temperature (but not, surprisingly, the fridge) to prevent them from turning green, getting soft spots, or pre-maturely sprouting.