How to Preserve Potatoes and Stretch Your Budget All Year Long

If you live in a part of the country where potatoes are grown extensively, or if you can raise many more potatoes than you can reasonably eat before they spoil, here are some ways to preserve these nutritious budget stretchers.

Difficulty: Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Lots of potatoes
• Canner, canning jars, lids and bands
• Pressure cooker, canning jars, lids and bands
• Dehydrator

1. Scrub and dry your potatoes if they are dirty. You can put a layer of them in the bottom of your washing machine and using the cold setting with the shortest amount of time (and no soap, completely wash these potatoes. This is only for very dirty potatoes, not the ones that you buy in the store. After they are washed, lay them in a cool place to dry for two hours.

2. Sort out which potatoes you wish to use in the next month or so and set aside. Next, sort out the tiniest potatoes for simple recipes as they are the most difficult to use. Resolve to use them within the next couple of days for boiled or fried potatoes. Set aside the ones you wish to keep for upcoming use.

3. To dehydrate potatoes, you may choose to remove the potato skins or not. Slice thinly and lay on dehydrator. Allow to dry until rounds are flat and dry. To reuse, place in water until the potato slices reconstitute. Then you can use them for casseroles or potatoes au gratin.

4. Choose some of your large batch of potatoes and remove the skins. When you have cooked up all that you desire, mash with potato masher. Then freeze in zip-lock bags or sealed bags to use to thicken soups later. This provides a healthy alternative to using other, higher carbohydrate thickeners.

5. Small potatoes with skins removed can be canned. To do this, chunk raw potatoes, boil in hot water and ladle potato chunks and the water in clean canning jars. Leave one inch space from mouth of jar and add one half teaspoon of salt if desired. Wipe jar lip with dry towel, then place hot lid over jar mouth and screw down band to hold lid in place firmly.

6. If canning in a hot water bath, place jars in the canner that already has warm water in it. Be sure jars have water covering the jar lids by at least two inches. When the water in the hot water bath reaches a boil, turn down the heat to keep it at a gentle boil for sixty minutes. Check to make sure the lids have sealed properly. If canning in a pressure canner, boil forty minutes at ten pounds. Follow manufactured directions for best results.

7. To use canned potatoes, simply open the can, bring out the potato and let your imagination run wild. Serve hot with butter, salt and pepper, or add to soups, or mash and add garlic. It is very versatile and you can experiment.

Tips & Warnings

• If you use a washing machine to wash potatoes, only do one layer on the bottom of the washer. Do not overload.
• Check your canned goods periodically throughout the year to see if any jar lids have failed. Always throw away entire contents if the lid has failed.
• Use potatoes to stretch out your meals, thereby stretching your budget.
• Did the lid on the canned jar not seal? Put the jarred contents into a freezer safe box and freeze. You can open and use later for soups, stews or to make mashed potatoes.
• Pressure Cooking should be done with care. Familiarize yourself with the manufacturers instructions.
• For canning potatoes, do not use red potatoes.
• Never can with skins on. Bacteria can hid in the wrinkles of the potato skins and cause contamination in the jar.