Due to business and a wandering spirit, I travel back and forth between two homes which are at some distance from one another.  Both dwellings are in desert areas, so when traveling in the summer and fall it has been a hassle trying to keep my snack cooler iced along the commute. 

Finally I came up with a solution.  Now, some weeks before a planned trip I look for a good sale on potatoes.  For example, this week’s feature at my favorite store was 15 lbs of Yukon Golds for $2.99.  I pressure cook them all and when cool enough to handle, wrap the unpeeled potatoes individually in  storage bags, twisting the top of each bag into a quick release knot.

After they are frozen solid, I save them to put in the cooler in place of ice.  They stay frozen a long time, keeping my snacks cold, and if they should happen to thaw along the way, they do not leave a mess.  I can take one into my hotel room and nuke it for a snack.

If they do not thaw along the way, and they usually do not, then at the end of the trip they can become part of dinner, or the next day’s breakfast, or put in the freezer to enjoy another time.  When ready to use one, I just pull on the end of the bag to untie the knot.  The skins slip right off the thawed potato and go into the bag for disposal.  Tidy.

Freezing causes a change in texture that sometimes makes the potatoes less than appealing to just heat and eat.  This depends on the quality of the potatoes, I think, because others come out just fine.  But they are nevertheless great for soup, sauteed in butter, mashed, or au gratin.    If I am staying just a short time and do not have “staple” foods on hand, then I like to make a packaged au gratin mix.  But since they are far too salty, I like to add a few of my frozen potatoes to the mix both to extend it and to cut down the salt.  Therefore it is convenient to have one or two already cooked potatoes on hand.