Canning Potatoes
Canning potatoes are handy for having ready for soups or
stews. Or simply boil for 10 minutes and add butter and
salt. Sour cream and chives would dress it up
nicely.
You will need to know how to use a
pressure
canner. This
pressure
canning page has more detailed information and step by step
instructions.
Prepare
Gather
your canning supplies
Ingredients
- Potatoes - about 20 pounds will do 7 quarts
- Canning Salt - optional
Procedure
Wash and peel your potatoes. Cutting into desired size. Pieces should be cut into approximately the same sizes to ensure even
cooking.
I must warn here that all
official directions I find say to peel potatoes. None of them mention
just scrubbing without peeling. (official meaning from state extension
services) I can not find a safety reason listed. I suspect that it is
because it is a root crop. The bacteria that can cause botulism can be
found in the soil so it may be a higher risk of botulism. You'll need
to make your own decision as to peeling or not. The same goes with canning
carrots. I don't peel my carrots.
Cut into pieces between 1-2 inches. Or you can leave them
whole, if you are like us and got TONS of teeny tiny potatoes (my kids
call them tater tots) Canning potatoes should not
be bigger than the 1-2 inches.
You can cut them as small as 1/2 inch... I would think they might get
over cooked this way. I am at high altitude and
required pressure is high for me. If you live at low altitude
it might not be as much of a problem.
As you cut your potatoes place in water to avoid
discoloring.
Cook small 1/2 inch pieces 2 minutes in boiling water and
drain. If you have larger pieces or whole potatoes, boil up
to 10 minutes and drain. You want the potatoes to be hot through, but
not over cooked.
Add 1 teaspoon of salt per quart to the jar, if desired.
Fill jars with hot prepared potatoes, leaving no more than 1-inch head
space.
Cover hot potatoes with FRESH boiling water, don't use the water you
used to boil the potatoes. It will be starchy and cloudy.
Leave 1-inch head space and cover all pieces of
potato.
Wipe the rims
clean, remove any air bubbles and place your lids.
For more details follow
pressure
canning instructions.
Process
pints - process for 35 minutes
quarts - process for 40 minutes
Be sure to adjust processing according to your altitude. For
more information see this
altitude
adjustments page.
| Adjustments for
Pressure Canner |
| Altitude in Feet |
Dial Gauge Canner |
Weighted Gauge Canner |
| 0-1000 |
10 |
10 |
| 1001-2000 |
11 |
15 |
| 2001-4000 |
12 |
15 |
| 4001-6000 |
13 |
15 |
| 6001-8000 |
14 |
15 |
| 8000-10,000 |
15 |
15 |
More on Canning Vegetables
Green Beans
Beets
Corn
Peppers
Carrots
Potatoes
