Rinsing the grated potatoes of loose starch in several changes of water before drying helps as well. This works with virtually any "compromised" (i.e., cut or peeled) potato recipe, but especially those that involve frying. When the potato is compromised individual cell walls are opened releasing starch within that makes the recipe mushy, pasty, and starchy. How to cook potatoes for mashing without rupturing the cell walls is another story...

Thanks for the tip! ~Elise

I got so excited about the potato ricer that I bought one yesterday after reading your very funny yet usefull blog entry on hash browns. Unfortunately I didn't read the instructions that well and ended up breaking the ricer because I tried to squeeze whole raw potatoes through 1 milimeter holes!! Now its totally bent!! Duh! Anyway, I think I'll print out the recipe next time.

Yikes! ~Elise

I used our new potato ricer to try out your hash brown recipe last night. Instead of being predictably mushy, the hash browns turned out nice and crispy, and my family loved them.

I just tried this recipe and I managed to get the same crispiness you speak of by just squeezing out the potatoes with several paper towels. You can't just blot them...you have to squeeze them in your fist. Use several paper towels so that you can get the majority of the juice out. It was my first time making hash browns and they came out flavorfully perfect.

Thanks Elise for the tip. I've been the proud owner of a potato ricer since I was a teen. (I was a fanatic kid when it came to riced-potatoes!) Although I haven't found too many uses for one of the most obscure piece of hand-held kitchen gadgetry next to a sausage-maker.

I'll have to try partly-concentrating my spuds to see how it works.

Gavin asked if you can leave the skins when making hash browns - I've done it before and they taste great.

If you want to make sure your potatoes don't turn colour, you can grate them directly into a large pot of cold water in which you have added a few tablespoons of vinegar (or lemon-juice or pretty much any edible acid). The acid keeps the PH high enough that bacteria won't start munching on your food before you do, as well as natural oxidation.

Happy munchin'

- Atom-x

Thanks for the tips!

Gavin -- your potatoes are turning PURPLE not so much because of the skin but because grating the potatoes are releasing sugars which will oxidize if you let them sit out too long. You need to grate, dry, and throw in the pan without delay!

I'm a bit late to this page, but seeing as it's the first hit on Google when searching for "hash browns recipe", I thought I should add my experience anyway. I made hash browns today for the first time, and they turned out great; cooked through, crispy on the outside and very tasty. I didn't use a potato ricer, but instead I gathered up the grated potato in a clean dish towel, sort of like a giant wonton, and twisted and squeezed to get the moisture out. It took a little effort, but it worked perfectly.

Are you cooking raw potatoes or previously boiled potatoes?

Note from Elise: we are using grated raw potatoes.

My teenage son asked me to make soem hash browns one Sunday morning so I had to make-up my own recipe. I grated the potato (which were wet-I'm getting a ricer this week though!) then finely chopped some red onion and put them both in a bowl to mix well.I then spread this mix out evenly across a chopping board to the season as follows (means the seasoning is evenly spread in the mixture): white pepper, onion salt and a small amount (1/2 tsp) Garlic (dried garlic ground from grinder-dispenser but would use fresh or Garlic granules or Garlic salt ), with some parsley and couple of sprinkles cayenne pepper.I then return the seasoned mixture to the bowl to incorporate the seasoning. I spread out the mix on the board to shape the servings into rectangles so they are just the right depth.When the oil is hot enough I use a spatula to place them in the frying pan to cook.The come out very tasty indeed, and my son devours them.

I make these often! I do not have a ricer so I grate them with my food processor (peels on) and let them sit in a colander while I use paper towels to squeeze them every once in a while. Before cooking, I lay them all out on a paper towel and blot the top again. They are pinky-purple when I drop them into the oil, but they lose that color as soon as they start to cook. I salt and pepper them before I flip. Yummy!

Another way to get dryer crispier hash browns is to bake the potatoes the night before and then just grate them with a cheese grater. It's much better than using fresh potatoes.

Since I live in Mexico, I do have a tortilla press... it's made of metal. I'm thinking, you'd have to press the potatoes using towels or something, right? Anyway, I'm happy to have found this recipe, because the only time I've "made" hash browns, I (stupid me) had no idea I had to press out the liquid, so they came out HORRIBLE. Now that I found this, I'll try again. Thanks a lot!!
PS: I'd rather try the potato ricer, though. Too bad I don't have one, and I don't know if they are sold in Mexico.

You can also place the shredded potatoes in a strainer and press on them with a plastic bowl, then use paper towl and repeat with your hand.

Fantastic recipe! My wife had never had hash browns before so when I made them for her she loved them, however, I was always disappointed because they were oily amd mushy. Problem solved! Hmmm and I always thought the water in the potato helped them cook. Anyway, living on Guam we are VERY LIMITED on fancy kitchen gadgets like a ricer, so I employed my 2 young boys to "help dad in the kitchen" I sliced the potatoes with a madolin (sp) and them put them in a paper towel which was placed in a larger towel. I wrapped the ends of the towel around 2 dowels and told the boys to twist it hard!! They had a blast and got all of the water out. Best hash browns ever and it made a wonderful family activity! Thanks again for the recipe.

I grate the potatoes and pile them on a cloth towel, gather up the edges of the towel and "wring" the liquid out. I do the same with loose-pack frozen hash browns. Works like a charm and makes a huge difference in the finished dish.

I've used paper towels, too, but really prefer using a cloth towel.

Wow, just this weekend I was looking at the potatoes that I made my boyfriend and was thinking these are so mushy. I wonder how to get my hash browns crispy. So here is my answer. I now have to go to the store and buy a potato ricer. Thanks so much! I think you saved my relationship. Now he'll never complain about mushy Sunday morning potatoes again!

Make sure that you get a sturdy model. The first ricer my father bought he bent the handle of and had to take back. Doesn't help that he has hands of steel, but he did make a point to me about making sure the ricer model was strong. ~Elise

Absent a potato ricer, Julia Child's method of squeezing through an impeccably clean purple towel seems to work well, too. Just twist and twist the towel to concentrate the potatoes in a ball, and then the more you twist, the more water comes out.

Atom X: I originally purchased my ricer to take all the moisture out of frozen spinach. Works like a charm. Then I used it to make my mashed potatoes. Great smooth texture. But now I will try it for this wonderful receipe of hashbrowns. My husband and I both like them really crispy. Thanks for the receipe Elise.

My husband has always made the best hash browns, as far as I'm concerned. He uses left-over baked potatoes..or he grates raw potatoes and spreads the shreds on a plate and cooks them in the microwave for a few minutes (about 5 min in our microwave) to dry them out and partially cook them. Then, and this is the best thing of all, is that he cooks them on the griddle of our stove in a puddle of BUTTER. When the bottom is done, he puts a couple of thin slices of Butter on the top of the potatoes, and a hearty sprinkle of Lawry's Season Salt ( NO substitution tastes as good),
and flips the potatoes over to cook the top
till it is nice and crispy. Another healthy sprinkle of Lawry's Season Salt, and a dallop of sour cream.... Heaven on a Plate... So, so good. Crispy, buttery, salty....what could be better. My favorite breakfast item for almost 32 years! I don't even order Hash Browns at restaurants anymore because even if I order them Extra Crispy, they invariably dissapoint.

I made these last night and DH said they were the best hash browns he'd ever eaten. Thanks for the tip!

Thanks for the great recipe. I will be getting a potato ricer this weekend. I remember Martha Stewart once saying that the best mashed potatoes are made with a potato ricer so now I'll have two reasons to buy one!

Hi Elise,

As I was reading this recipe tonight, I thought, "Wow, this is really weird... that is EXACTLY how I make hash browns." It seemed like deja vu... your parents' bickering about the proper moisture-removing technique, you sneaking out of the room... and then... Duh! That's exactly how I make hash browns because I had already adopted your recipe. Two years ago. My ricer thanks your dad for giving it another purpose than just making mashed potatoes. And my family thanks your family for the delicious recipes and memorable stories.

To add to the strainer idea, you can also salt them, and let the potato sit in the strainer over a bowl. This will help get the water to come out of the potatoes. I particularly like this when I make sweet potato hash browns.

When making hashbrowns you can leave the skin on your potatoes. Another way to get the extra moisture out of you grated potatoes is to put a couple of paper towels on top of a regular hand towel and cover them with a second paper towel the use a rolling pin to press out the extra moisture.

A rolling pin is a great idea, thanks! ~Elise

Thanks so much for the great idea and way to make crispy Hash Browns. I have been looking for a good recipe for over a year. My dad makes German Potato Dumplings and they also need to be squeezed out. He sewed together two tea towels into a bag and put the grated potato in that and just twisted the bag till it was really tight and kneaded it to squeeze out more and more. This is an extreme I know but what I'm getting at is that for a small amount you could put it in a tea towel pull it together and twist it tight squeezing the water and starch out. Don't throw the starch away. You can use it to thicken gravies. You clean it tipping out the water when the starch has settled, adding fresh water and stirring it all up and letting it settle again. Keep this up till the starch is white and the water clear, finally tip the water out and let it dry.

I'm at my wits' end with these buggers. For years, I've struggled with the perfect hash brown, to no avail. After trying this dry-potato technique, they did indeed lose their mush, but they either sat in the pan for ages doing nothing or seared black, sticking to the pan. How quickly should each side be browning, about? 10 minutes? Less? More?

Sounds like your pan needs to be hotter before you put the grated potatoes in, and if it's sticking, you need more oil. It does take several minutes per side, maybe close to ten, depends on your pan, how much potato and how hot the pan is. ~Elise

I use a micro-fiber towel to squeeze out my potatoes. They are strong and won't lint. I tried this time to make my hash browns thinner. I may have to get a job at waffle house to perfect this.

Oh my gosh, my family loved these! No more mushy hash browns here. I have had a ricer for years and used it for mashed potatoes and homemade applesauce, but never thought to use it for hash browns. What a great idea!

Now my ricer is constantly on hand for fresh hash browns. Much, much better than frozen or restaurant hash browns. I suggest if you don't have a ricer to go ahead and invest in one. They are not that expensive. Think of the money you'll save on paper towels plus help the environment along the way! :-)

Thanks for this awesome recipe and the funny story too!

I just made these hash browns and they are delicious! I squeezed the potatoes dry in paper towers a few times. Then I added some shredded cheddar cheese, garlic powder, salt and pepper to the potatoes.

The cheddar melted and became crispy too. Absolutely delicious!

What is a potato ricer actually for? Is it just for this or is there some sort of purpose for it ?

One usually uses a potato ricer to press through cooked potatoes for making mashed potatoes. We rarely use it that way, we mainly use it to press the water out of freshly grated potatoes. ~Elise

The ricer tip was great and worked very well. Also used it to make potato pancakes, creamed spinach,Thanks for the tip.

OH MY GOODNESS! I've been trying to fry hash browns with the water in it for years, and I always failed! I just tried this recipe and boy it made a whole difference. I'm surprised at how many people like me didn't know that you had the squeeze the juices out! Next thing on my list is to learn how to make kettle style potato chips!

Thanks Elise!

How do you get the potatoes to stck together in the pan?

If you follow the recipe as indicated, they just do. Make sure the layer of potatoes in the pan is thin. ~Elise

Crispy hashbrowns are are favorite! We have tried many ways, but the salad spinner is what works the best. It truly gets the moisture out.

My husband always orders hashbrowns when we go out for breakfast but I've never made them. So since I had one leftover baking potato sitting in the pantry, I thought I should give it a try. The use of the ricer really clever and, to me, less messy than dealing with a dishtowel. My hashbrowns turned out great! Thanks for the recipe!

You can also squeeze out moisture with a cheesecloth (or an old linen, I used a cut-up piece of an old pillowcase since the fabric was thin enough) by placing the grated potatoes in the middle of the cloth, grabbing the edges and twisting to make a bundle and then squeezing out the "juice" as best as you can!

DELICIOUS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

The glorious hashbrown continues to elude me. I made these tonight but I too had problems getting them to stick together. I tried in the non-stick pan as well as the bigger iron skillet. (Does it make a difference?) Also it may not have been hot enough. Next time!
(Would you ever try adding a binder? Egg, flour?)

My mom taught me a simple trick keep instant mashed potatoes on hand. They are great for thickening soup and stew, but I found if my potatoes are still watery I throw in a dash of instants which absorb the moisture. Seeing they are potato it will not change the flavor either.

The ricer is, indeed, a fabulous invention. However, I think it is important to note that we are all capable of squeezing moisture out with our own two hands. I have been eating the most heavenly hash browns made by my best friend of three years.

She grates the potatoes. Holds them in a clump in her bare hands and rinses water through them over the sink. She then squeezes out all possible water over the sink and deposits them onto a plate, moves onto the next reasonable sized clump, and so one.

I love kitchen gadgets, but I also love a bargain!! I think that we should always let each other know when a gadget makes life into a piece of cake in the kitchen, but we've also got to educate on what can be done for free :-)

I am now going to purchase a potato ricer for my best friend!!

Wooden Spoons and Revolution
Courtney Henslee

These hash browns are great! I used garlic salt instead of salt and a little bit of minced onion and cheddar cheese. Fantastic.

OK, my husband pronounced these "the best hash browns I've ever eaten." MAJOR husband points! *Thank you*!

My technique, not having a ricer, is to put the shredded potato in a clean dish towel and twist them over the sink. Then, I put them on the floor (folding a clean section of cloth under the wrapped ball so it doesn't touch the floor), put a cutting board on them, and stand on the cutting board, move around a little bit. This removes almost all of the moisture. Fry 'em in olive oil.

Result: the lightest, fluffiest, crispiest hash browns ever! Thanks again!