Can these be successfully frozen after cooking??

Hi Gloria,

Yes they can be frozen, but since air in the package might cause the potatoes to become mushy, the best way to package them would be to use a vacuum pack. Otherwise, be sure to wrap tightly to exclude any air pockets.

-- CM

You forgot the garlic. One clove per potato. Never add salt until after cooking, pepper is OK. First grate the potatoes, then the onions and garlic. Then, you must drain the excess liquid after grating. You can stuff a couple of paper towels in it to speed up this process. Add flour and egg after draining. Lightly coat a non-stick skillet with Crisco because butter burns. Potato pancakes should never be frozen. The best way to enjoy this item is to put the whole stack in an old style oven with a pilot light (or put them on a plate in a chafing dish) to keep them warm for at least an hour before serving. There will be some aroma in the house. They will keep for about 24 hours this way. All the flavors blend perfectly and the pancakes are just delicious.

Good recipe... I would only suggest a good twist with an old cheese cloth, helps get rid of extra moisture before you fry em'up in evoo.

I like what Bill C added; nice variance off an old recipe....mine is 1898 penn. welsh and is just as good (well maybe a little better).

The best will always be served from a good cast iron skillet; well used and cared for (same with tacos).

I'm 70 and I remember the potato latkes my grandmother made on a wood burning stove. Back then we didn't have pancake mix and she never added flour or matzo meal. The potatoes were hand grated, liquid was squeezed out and eggs were added to replace the liquid until the right consistency was gotten then minced or finely chopped onion was added together with a couple of cloves of garlic and they were fried in a cast iron skillet, kept warm in the oven and served with sour cream, applesauce and anything else we could come up with while still keeping kosher. I still make them that way today and anyone who has eaten them will tell you they are the "bomb" to use my grandsons phrase.

Yes to onion and garlic! A variation we always enjoyed is to grate most potatoes on fine and the last potato or two on the larger holes -- it made the pancake a little chewier and crisper.

This recipe is much like the one I learned from my mom. We always cooked on a heavy skillet using Bacon Grease. The Bacon Grease adds a nice little finishing flavor.

Sounds pretty authentic, can't wait to try it. Most recipes I've seen have too much flour. Although I remember my mother using bacon grease to fry them.. a la German cooking. (What would German cooking do without apple cider vinegar & bacon?)

(LOL I don't think anyone can lay claim to this dish as it was introduced to Europe bit by bit, since potatoes originated in the Andes -- with varying timelines of success according to country. People are people, we all tend to do the same things with variations...)

These have long been a family treat... We hand grate the potatoes, one or two eggs depending on the amount of batter, a dash of salt, just enough flour to take up the moisture and ground summer savory to taste! My German Grandmother would fry these in bacon grease or lard, but they are great done in olive oil now... a little healthier!

I cook mine in a waffle iron. Leftovers are great dropped into the toaster!!

I make them for Sunday breakfast every week, I don't drain the potatoes after grating as it adds liquid and flavor. I keep them warm in the electric oven, turn it on until warm and then shut the oven off. Place pancakes on oven proof plate in the oven.

Serve these the German way. Make chunky applesauce (easy, just use all those apples at the bottome of your crisper; peel, chunk, add a little water, cook 'til tender -- add cinnamon and a little butter.) Sour cream on top of the pancakes, NO syrup, and bacon and applesauce on the side. The fam knows they're getting German potato pancakes when they smell the applesauce cookin'!

Potato pancakes are a Jewish dish and you don't use flour, you use matzo meal to make the consistency they should have. Then you serve with either sour cream or applesauce.

Whether you are Jewish, German, Ukrainian, these are a delicious dish, and every variation I'm sure are just as enjoyable, lets not start another world war here. I've been eating these pancakes since I was a little girl, and never did I have to worry about what nationality I was before stuffing my mouth with them :) Just enjoy em'!!

Hey there, just looking for a way to use up my leftover mashed potatoes. I was a bit baffled about the replies. Until I read Taryn's reply I hadn't realized just how serious the comments were on the different variations. I agree with, and love to mix it up. It's what makes this country and the different variations on Chinese, Italian, etc. in all our foods. Thanks for sharing all your own ways and I will try them and maybe add things that I have learned also.

Try any of the above suggestions but use 1/2 potatoes and 1/2 sweet potatoes.

The wonderful thing about these cakes is the variations you can try. I typically only make them when I have leftover mash potatoes but I am looking for some recipes to try with raw grated potatoes that aren't considered hash browns. Of course that is what led me to thise recipe and these comments.

Recently I was making up a batch (of the mashed variety) but found once the egg was in there, the batter was too runny. I feared that the amount of flour needed to thicken to the right consistency would impact the taste. So I supplemented with some cornstarch and of course I'm always experimenting so I added a generous amount of grated parmesan cheese, leftover cooked bacon, red onion(raw) and a blend of italian seasoning.

I'm sure the tradionalists, who have since passed away, would be turning over in their grave but I have to say the results bordered on orgasmic! The outside appeared to be a bit more crispy then usual. Perhaps from the cornstarch, but I'm not sure. As for the taste, with all those other ingedients, it was a party in the mouth. On that particular night the side dish inadvertently upstaged the main entree.

So based on above comments, I guess the next time I'm trying with garlic and of course I'll have to invest in some matzo meal.

Potato pancakes also taste good with maple syrup or powdered sugar. After all they are called pancakes!!!

I make a huge amount each time; around 15 medium potatoes, 3 large onions garlic cloves and 2 cups flour with 8 large eggs. I also add 2 teaspoons of magic baking powder. I let the potato drain around 5 minutes then mix all together adding 1 teas. pepper and salt. I cook them in a cast iron skillet and place on plain paper towels. I freeze the ones that are not eaten the same day. They warm up perfectly in a microwave topped with sour cream!

Brian, your recipe sounds very much like the one my grandmother used, minus the onions and garlic..we served them with chunky applesauce, sour cream or maple syrup,(the real stuff) There are nothing like potato pancakes, lemkes or whatever you call them, they are, Oh so good! And hand grating is the best way...

Yes! You CAN freeze them... with excellent results! When done cooking them, allow them to completely cool. First, freeze individually on a cookie sheet and then stack them together to freeze. When you want to eat them, place pancakes on a cookie sheet into a 450°F oven for about 10 minutes. Yes, frozen! Delicious! Just as though you took them right out of your pan. Enjoy!

Been doing the same for years. Yes, they are excellent!

I like this recipe. it reminds me of my childhood. but my mom made them with grated onions, chopped chives, a couple spoonfuls of sour cream (in the batter), and lots of garic.

Tried with cornstarch, garlic and Parmesan... Yum!

We have made these for sixty years in my family and we have always enjoyed them with hamburger gravy and meatballs. I had always hand grated about 10 large russet potatoes and two large Walla Walla Sweet onions, added three eggs and two to three heaping tablespoons of flour.

Recently I tried using a blender but the batter had a runnier consistency which changed the texture of the pancake. Went back to hand grating them. Always made enough for leftovers for two or three days. Now days if I make them and the kids find out, they will stop by to get some to take home with them. They could make them but they just don't like grating all those potatoes and onions.

Grandma served ours with sweetened stewed tomatoes!!!! Just add sugar... Yumm!

Gosh, these sound wonderful. My family are Slovaks, my Aunt used to make something like this, they were thin, tasted like potato, i wish now i had asked her what they were. I will sure try these recipes, i have apple sauce, now just need potatoes! Many thanks for all the cooking tips too.