No one tires of delicious latkes on Hanukkah but some of us do tire of making them. These latkes are terrific fresh out of the pan and with the following freezing tips are perfect reheated (so make lots of them and enjoy them all week). Check out our Holiday section for other latke recipes and more Hanukkah food and craft ideas.
Classic Potato Latkes
4 potatoes, peeled
1 large onion, grated
½ tablespoon lemon juice
1 tablespoon seltzer
4 eggs
3 tablespoons flour
1 teaspoon salt
Fresh ground pepper to taste
Vegetable oil
Applesauce (see holiday section for recipe)
Sour Cream (optional or use Chobani plain yogurt as a healthy alternative)
Special Equipment: Splatter Screen available next week in our store
Food Processor available in our store
Grate the potatoes, using a processor or a fine shredder. Immediately transfer them to a large bowl and add the onion, lemon juice, eggs, flour, seltzer, salt, and pepper to taste. Mix well.
In a large heavy skillet, heat 1/8 inch of oil. With a tablespoon, spoon the batter into the hot oil and flatten the latkes with the back of the spoon. Cover the pan with the splatter screen to prevent the grease from splattering all over the counter tops and cook top. Cook for 3 to 5 minutes a side, turning only once, until golden brown. Drain on paper towels and then serve immediately with applesauce, sour cream, or dipping sauce.
IF FREEZING FOLLOWS THESE HELPFUL HINTS:
– Cool completely before freezing in any container
– Line a box or loaf pan with wax paper
– Place latkes on their side, not flat, this will keep them from tasting greasy when reheated.
– Undercook your latkes just a bit. If you cook them too much they will burn when reheated.
– When reheating, place frozen latkes on a cookie sheet in a preheated 400 degrees F oven. Bake from 10 to 12 minutes or until bubbly and heated through.
This is such a great recipe! I made it last year and I searched for it now so I can get my potatoes ready to make it again for this year! I am so excited! YUM!!
I love your tip for freezing latkes on their sides. A wonderful suggestion! I just made a large batch last night and three of us could not eat them all. I will be freezing some, using your suggestion. Thank you!
Don’t understand ‘on their side’. You mean actually sideways, stacking against another sideways?
Yes, sideways, stacking them against each other on their side.
I’m curious about the lemon juice. I’ve never heard of putting lemon juice into latkes. Do they end up tasting tart?
No, not at all. It just helps prevent the potatoes from oxidizing. That gives them a really ugly brown or green color. This keeps some acid in the batter and the potatoes stay whitish.
Two more tips for preventing blackening of the latkes:
1. Use matzoh meal instead of regular flour.
2. Soak grated potatoes in water before mixing them with other ingredients.