Potatoes
Potatoes are root vegetables that are used widely all over the world. You must be using potatoes in a lot of recipes. Not only these but potatoes also contain important nutrients that make them healthy for consumption.
While potatoes are available throughout the year, the best potatoes are found from late summer to early winter. You must be buying potatoes in bulk during their peak season, right? But potatoes tend to rot after a stipulated time and thus cannot be stored longer at room temperature.
So can you store potatoes for longer? Yes, you can store potatoes for longer. Potatoes are suitable for preservation for later use. But how can you store potatoes? Read on to know more.
How To Store Potatoes?
Potatoes can be stored either by freezing or canning. Both of these are effective ways to store potatoes for longer. However, frozen potatoes last for about 10-12 months, and canned potatoes can last for up to 12-18 months. Therefore, if you want a longer shelf-life, go for canning the potatoes.
Canning Potatoes
Canning the potatoes for storage is one of the best ways to preserve them for longer. Having canned potatoes at home means you have ready-to-use potatoes for any recipe. Also, canned potatoes are almost 50% cooked, so you do not need a lot of preparation time to cook them later.
You can use your canned potatoes in so many recipes, such as stews, roast potatoes, soups, and many more. However, while canning the potatoes, you have to ensure all the steps are achieved carefully. And always choose fresh potatoes for canning.
Best Potatoes For Canning
Potatoes are available in wide varieties. Some are small, some are large. It is better if you choose large potatoes for preservation. Besides this, you require potatoes that are excellent for boiling and are waxy. Red potatoes happen to be the most effective upon canning.
Can Potatoes Be Canned Raw?
No, potatoes cannot be canned raw. You will need to pre-cook the potatoes before canning. This is because potatoes do not keep well when canned raw. Also, they are hard and must be softened before being stored in canning jars.
Jars Required For Canning The Potatoes
The market has a lot of jar varieties to choose from. But it is always better to choose specific jars for canning different food items. While canning potatoes, it is best to use 16-ounce pint jars that are wide-mouth. You can also use quart jars.
These 16-ounce pint-sized jars will be easier to store and use the canned potatoes later. Also, these jars are suitable as you cannot preserve huge quantities of potatoes together; they can preserve the perfect quantity of potatoes at a time. Also, pint jars are easier to store in kitchen cabinets or cupboards.
Steps For Canning The Potatoes
Potatoes need to be pressure canned before preservation. You cannot store potatoes that are canned in a water bath canner. This is because potatoes are low-acid foods and therefore require high temperatures for preservation.
The steps for canning potatoes are quite simple, yet time taking. You will have to follow a step-by-step approach for canning potatoes. Check out all the details for canning potatoes here.
Canning Equipment
You will need specific canning equipment for canning your potatoes. Check out the list of all the required canning supplies below.
- A pressure canner.
- Pint-size canning jars or quart canning jars.
- Canning jars lids and bands.
- Jar lifter or tongs.
- Large saucepans.
- Canning funnel and ladle.
Preparing The Canning Jars
Fill a large saucepan with hot soapy water and place the jars, jar lids, and bands into the saucepan to clean. Wash them cautiously and drain them. In the meantime, fill another saucepan with water and bring it to a boil. Place the jars upside down to submerge them in the water and let them heat.
Heating the jars in boiling water will sterilize them, which will further prevent the growth of bacteria in the canning jars. After about turn off the heat and let the jars remain in the hot water for some time. Do the same with the jar lids and bands.
Check for cracks and nicks in the jars. If you find even a slight crack in any of the jars, discard them. You can use your old glass jars for the canning purpose, but always use new jar lids and bands because they cannot be reused.
Preparing The Potatoes
Wash your potatoes under cold running water to remove any dirt or soil, and rinse them thoroughly. Scrub the potatoes and peel them with a good quality peeler. If you have small baby potatoes, you can preserve them whole, otherwise, dice the potatoes with a sharp knife.
Fill a large saucepan with water and bring it to a boil. Put the cut potatoes in it and let them cook for about 5 minutes. This will be enough to soften the potatoes. Once the potatoes have softened, drain them and keep them aside.
Filling The Jars
Remove the jars from the water, drain them, and use a towel to soak up all the extra water. Once the jars have dried, transfer the cooked potatoes into them carefully with a ladle. Next, use a canning funnel and pour boiling water over the potatoes.
Do not fill the jars to the brim, leave a headspace of about an inch. Use a chopstick to mix the potatoes and water in the jar as this will remove all the bubbles from inside. Close the jar lids and tie the bands. Clean the outer of the jars with a towel, and the potatoes are ready to be pressure canned.
Pressure Canning Potatoes
Processing the potatoes in a pressure canner is an important step and needs to be done carefully. You also need to be specific about the cooking time in a pressure canner, otherwise, you might end up ruining the potatoes.
For pressure canning potatoes, fill the canner with water and place it on the stove with the heat on. Use the tongs and gently place the potato-filled jars into the canner. Then lock the canner lid adequately and within some time you will notice steam coming out of the vent pipe.
After about 10 minutes of cooking, put the pressure regulator on top and keep the heat medium-low. This will create pressure inside the jars and seal them tightly. Let the potato jars cook for about 35 minutes and then remove the canner from the stove.
The potatoes are processed in the canner. Let them sit for some time before you remove the potatoes from the pressure canner. Remove the pressure regulator and carefully remove the lid. Use a jar lifter to take out the jars from the canner.
Place the jars on a towel to soak up all the extra water. Let them sit undisturbed for about 12 hours. After the time has been spent, check for the sealing. If you think the potato jars are not adequately sealed, reprocess them for some time in the freezer to seal them properly.
Once all of the mentioned steps are achieved successfully, you can store your potatoes in a cool and dry place. Canned potatoes have a shelf-life of about 12-18 months. And if you are using a jar of canned potatoes, you can store them in the refrigerator for a few days.
Tips For Canning The Potatoes
Now you know the best way of canning potatoes. Check out the tips here for amazing results from canning potatoes.
- Place the boiled potatoes in a bowl of iced water, before you fill them into the jars. This will prevent the potatoes from browning.
- You can add a pinch of salt to the canning jars while filling the potatoes. This will add a slightly salty flavor to the canned potatoes.
- Instead of a fresh towel, use a damp towel to clean the rims of the jars. The damp towel will clean the rims better.
To sum it up, that was all about preserving potatoes upon canning. Now you know the best possible ways of canning the potatoes to store them for later use. So the next time you buy potatoes in bulk, you know what to do.