Canning Potatoes

By Amy Kinnard

I knew purchasing a pressure canner would one day pay off, and it truly has. Slowly but surely I have been adding more and more different foods to can all thanks to this convenient kitchen tool….after I overcame my fear of blowing up the kitchen, that is. I found mine over at Amazon for a reasonable price.

So on top of saving quite a bit of money canning my own black, pinto and red beans as well as the garden green beans, I’ve finally tried my hand at potatoes. Waaaaay easier than I thought it would be!

What You Will Need

Pressure canner
7 quart (20 pint) jars
Canning lids and bands
Large pots for cooking potatoes and boiling water
18-20 pounds of potatoes
Salt

Step 1

Place all your jars inside the dishwasher and run through the “sani” cycle or high temp cycle.
Fill pressure canner with 3 quarts of water and 2 tablespoons white vinegar. (The vinegar helps keep the jars from getting cloudy on the outside.). Let the water heat up while you move on to the potatoes.

Step 2

Wash and peel all the potatoes removing any bad spots. Rinse again before dicing. Place cut potatoes in a large stockpot with water to keep from browning. After all potatoes are inside the pot, cover completely with water then strain. Refill the pot covering potatoes and boil for 2 minutes.

Step 3

Bring a large pot of clean water to a boil and heat a small saucepan of water with the canning lids.

Step 4

Drain and rinse the potatoes a few times to help remove as much starch as possible.

Step 5

Remove one jar at a time from the dishwasher and fill as tightly as possible with potatoes. Pour 1 teaspoon salt (per quart) on top and cover with boiling water leaving a 1-inch head space.

To ensure that there are no air bubbles inside the jar, run a small instrument (spoon handle, butter knife, chopstick, etc) around the edges.

Clean the rim with a damp cloth checking for any cracks. Place hot lid on top and tighten with a band. Place inside the canner which will fit all 7 quarts. (If using a 23-quart pressure canner and pint jars, you can stack the pints to fit all 20.)

Step 6

Place canner lid on top of canner in the locking position. Process quart jars at 10 pounds of pressure for 40 minutes; 35 minutes for pints.

Step 7

After canner has cooled, remove jars to finish cooling on a towel. Let rest for 24 hours before removing bands and storing in a cool, dark place.
I’ve read that canned potatoes make quick side dishes such as potato salad, mashed potatoes and even delicious fried potatoes. So the next time our friends over at Fishnet Ministry send us home with another free crate full of potatoes after a morning of volunteer work, I know exactly what to do with all the food so it won’t go to waste.

Remember, waste not; want not!

Canning Potatoes