Potatoes are the best, hands down! They are the only food you can serve them 10 different ways and all taste amazing. Can you disagree? Doubtful. This is why potatoes are the perfect food to have stored away on the shelf. Whether you want to prep for tough times, have for convenience, or simply want to make them shelf stable, potatoes are an easy food to preserve.
I’m sharing how I took a 10 pound bag of fresh potatoes and turned it into shelf stable food.
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Before we get into how to process potatoes in a pressure canner, I wanted to share the difference between pressure canning and water bath canning.
Pressure canning is used for low acidic foods, it heats the jars higher than an average boil and is more effective and safe for foods such as meats, potatoes, and beans.
Water bath canning on the other hand is great for foods with higher acidic levels such as fruits, jams, and pickles. This process simply consists of boiling water in a large pot for a length of time.
Canning
I have wanted to learn how to can and preserve food for a really long time. I mean, it’s been yearssss that I’ve wanted to learn this skill. However, I was terrified of learning how to pressure can.
We have all seen the pictures or videos of the canners exploding leaving holes in the ceiling – talk about terrifying!
After sharing this fear on Instagram, I was reassured that the canner exploding is not going to happen. Apparently, you have to try to make this happen. After taking the plunge, I realized how incredibly easy it is to use a pressure canner.
Pressure Canner
When I was looking into pressure canners, I again shared with experienced canners and the most recommended canner for beginners was the Presto Canner. Ultimately, I went with a little larger canner, the Presto 23 qt. as we have a big family and I know that I want to preserve as much as I possibly can.
Along with the pressure canner, I got canning tools I purchased these ones, and mason jars in quarts, pints, and half pints. I’m beginning to realize that you will go through so many jars so it’s best to stock up when you can!
Along with all the tools, you will want lids that are new and have not been used before. The rings can be used over and over again but the lids should be new to prevent false sealing.
You will also want towels to place the jars after processing.
Now that we have all our supplies, let’s get started!
Prepping Potatoes
To begin, you are going to want to start with prepping your potatoes. Start by washing, and peeling potatoes removing an blemishes and then wash again.
After they have been washed, cube the potatoes up into 1 inch cubes and add to a large stockpot.
I have read some people soak their potatoes for a few hours to overnight to help remove the starch but I did not do this and they turned out fine.
Once the potatoes have all been cubed, you will bring the potatoes to a boil and boil them for 2 minutes and remove from heat.
Alternatively, you can skip the boiling step and simply add the potatoes to the jars.
Once the potatoes have been packed into jars, fill the jars with boiling water leaving 1 inch head space.
Using a bubble popper or a knife, remove any air that is in the jars.
Using a rag dipped in either water or vinegar, wipe the rims of the jars to remove any residue and check for cracks.
Finally, you can place the lids and rings onto the jars being sure to only tighten the rings finger tight.
Canning Potatoes
When you are ready to process the potatoes in the canner, it is important that you read all instructions provided with your canner.
Start by filling your canner with 3 quarts of water and place jars into the canner. The 23qt presto canner can hold 7 quarts.
Next you are going to place the lid on the canner and turn the lid to a lock position. Turn the heat to high and allow the pressure to build in the canner. Once there is a steady stream of steam you will set your timer to 10 minutes.
After the 10 minutes is up, place your weight onto the canner and watch the pressure build to 11 pounds. Once the pressure starts to build you can slowly turn the heat down so that the pressure stays right at 11 and doesn’t go higher.
When the pressure is steadily at 11 pounds, set your timer for the designated time – 35 minutes for pints and 40 minutes for quarts.
You must monitor the pressure gauge to be sure the pressure does not build or decrease during this time. Adjust the heat as needed to keep gauge steady.
When the time is up simply turn the heat off and remove the canner to an unused burner. You will let the pressure come down from the canner which can take a while. Check the pressure gauge and over pressure plug to be sure the pressure has come down completely before removing the lid.
Once the pressure has lowered completely, remove the lid and using the canning tongs, remove the cans and place on the counter on a towel.
Leave the cans to cool and seal for 12 – 24 hours.
After 12 – 24 hours, wipe your sealed cans down and place on the shelf until you are ready to use them.
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