Canning potatoes

[lookout]

I canned some potatoes today (they're great for taking fishing and having shore lunch over a fire).
I filled 1 litre jars with potatoes to 1 1/4 inch of the top, then filled the jars with water to 1 inch from the top. When I processed in the water canner, all the jars were only about half full with water. Potatoes are sticking out of the water all over the place.
What gives? do you think this is a problem?

[oldminkman]

Never canned potatoes, but it sounds like they absorbed the water. I can check one of my books and get back to ya. I'm sure someone on here may have some good advice on the subject. I'll let you know today.




Oldminkman-

[Admin]

We canned taters too and now they're all gone. Canned taters are great to have on hand. Soooooo handy. Throw some canned venison in a pan with a jar of taters, a lil gravy and you have some fine vittle there.

I am told that the loss of water is from your canner depressurizing too quickly. As long as your jars have not lost their seal they will be fine. We had that happen to a batch too and every now and then mamma would flip the jars over. Never had a bad jar in the batch.

[keeper172]

Love me some canned taters ;D Only problem is we never seem to can enough lol
And Id have to agree with JC as long as the seal is still good no reason not to eat them.
Well on second thought you could send me the ones your unsure about Id be glad to dispose of them for ya

[lookout]

sounds like they'll be good.....THANKS!!!!

[wolverine]

Below is a link to most of the processing times for pressure canning.

www.livingoffgrid.org/pressure-canning-chart-foods-processing-times-psi-and-elevation/B

www.livingoffgrid.org/pressure-canning-chart-foods-processing-times-psi-and-elevation/

There should be a link for waterbath also.

Sorry the link takes you to living off grid , it has a lot of different information and somewhere is a processing chart.
I have it in my favorites for easy access.
The second link works.

Canning potatoes is my favorite, love that people think they are fresh when they eat them.
I like to put them up in different ways, sliced, cubed, and whole.
All the small potatoes are canned whole with skin on.
Some sliced are skinned for mashed potatoes or frying
Same with the cubed.
But most have the skin on for patatoe salad or any dish that uses potatoes, soup, stews , you name it.
Some times I like fried with the skin on also, or just mash them on my plate with the skin on, with butter,salt and pepper.

Be aware that the starch will look like paste, and have a funny smell. But it's just the way the starch reacts to canning/cooking.
If you pour off the starch liquid, don't throw it out.
Use it to make sour dough starter for baking, or to thicken your soup/stew.

[wolverine]

Aug 9, 2010 5:42:36 GMT -5 Admin said:

We canned taters too and now they're all gone. Canned taters are great to have on hand. Soooooo handy. Throw some canned venison in a pan with a jar of taters, a lil gravy and you have some fine vittle there.

I am told that the loss of water is from your canner depressurizing too quickly. As long as your jars have not lost their seal they will be fine. We had that happen to a batch too and every now and then mamma would flip the jars over. Never had a bad jar in the batch.

You hit the nail on the head JC.
Let the pressure go down on it's own, it may take awhile but even when it says zero,, release slowly.
I set up all my canners with a gage and a 15# weight so they are easier to see where the pressure is.
The weight is used as a warning that there's too much pressure.
When done processing leave alone untill the gage says zero, then wait about 5 more minutes, then just tip the weight to release slowly any pressure left.
That's why I have so many pressure canners, two processing. two depressureizing and two being filled to process.

Go to ebay if you can't find any at sales locally, bid no more than you want to pay and remember to check shipping costs also.
Just take your time getting one, sooner or later you will get a good deal.

I got lucky and found an All American 41.5 pressure canner, and two stainless steel food carts for $300.00.
The food carts are what they use in hospitals to take meals to the patients.
One is a two door and the other is a bigger three door ,
They would sell for scrap for more than I paid for the whole deal.

I made a smoker out of the smaller one.
And will do the same with the bigger one someday.

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