Canned Potatoes

Usually when I say I've canned potatoes people give me a really weird look. But, see, they don't know what I know now! Last year Sonja and I had the grand idea of experimenting with canning potatoes. we didn't invent the idea..just decided to try it out. So we labored over the pressure canner and made two batches hoping and praying they worked. Yeah, well, they did and I had very few things on my list this year to can and these were on top. I used them for everything. Any kind of chowder, soup, or stew calling for potatoes. Mashed potatoes. Skillet potatoes. Baked potato "fries". They were so incredibly perfect! S and I were super excited. And that's why, from now on, I envision myself canning potatoes every season. Especially when the garden yielded over 800lbs of them this year. Oh, and no, I'm not canning all 800 =) Just maybe 150 or 200. 

Nice and dirty =) 14lbs potatoes should fill 7 quart jars.

My kitchen happens to be very old-school and lacking a dishwasher. To sterilize my jars I wash and rinse them super good and "bake" them on 220 for 20 minutes. Sterile jars!

The instructions are pretty basic.
Scrub potatoes. I don't peel mine.
Cube into 1 or 2 inch cubes throwing away any green bits, eyes, or worm holes, obviously.
Bring a large pot to a rolling boil.
Dump potatoes in pot, return to boil, and wait 2 minutes. This is called blanching them.
Remove from pot with slotted spoon.
Stuff sterilized jars to a 1 inch heads pace.
Add 1/2 tsp salt (for quart jars)
Fill to 1 inch head space with hot water.
Clean rims.
Add lids (that have been heated thoroughly) and rings.
Process in a pressure canner at 10-12lbs pressure for 40 mins.

 Tis all, my friends! One day of work for a whole year's worth of potatoes. This makes my heart sing!