Potato Preservation

1. Wash well, peel, remove eyes, bruises, and green spots.
2. Cut into ¼- ½ inch cubes.
3. Bring a large pot of water to a rapid boil and add potatoes.
4. Cover and blanch 3-6 min.
5. Remove from water and cool in ice bath for 3-4 min.
6. Drain well and allow to cool before spreading on a baking sheet. Freeze for about an hour.
7. Once the potatoes have firmed up in the freezer, transfer them to one or more resealable freezer bags/containers, label and date them, and freeze for 12-18 months.

Frozen potatoes are perfect for adding to soups and stews or drizzle them with oil and spices and roast them as a side dish!

If your oven doesn’t go below 200 degrees, you might want to leave the door open a crack to prevent the potatoes from getting too hot and burning.

1. Wash potatoes thoroughly.
2. Cut into 1/4” shoestring strips or 1/8″ thick slices.
3. Blanch in boiling water for 5-8 min. Remove from boiling water and cool in a bowl of ice water just long enough to stop the cooking process. Do not let potatoes cool to room temperature.
4. Drain potatoes on a paper towel and dry at 140 degrees F (60°C) in an oven or dehydrator.
5. If necessary, turn large pieces over every 3 to 4 hours during the drying period.
6. Dry for 8-12 hours in a dehydrator (may take 16-24 hours in a conventional oven). Dried potatoes should be brittle.
7. Allow to cool completely before storing in moisture-proof containers. Properly stored, dried potatoes keep well for 6 – 12 months.

So your potaotes are dried… now what?
Potatoes can be reconstituted by adding to soups and stews. If you’ve pre-seasoned the potatoes, they can be eaten ‘as is’ as a crunch snack.

1. Prepare your pressure canner equipment as per the guidelines stated in your pressure canning manual. Read Using Pressure Canners.
2. Wash and peel potatoes. Cut into 1/2-inch cubes, if desired, or leave whole (1-2-inches, or smaller).
3. Place in a solution of 1 teaspoon (3000 mg) ascorbic acid and 1 gallon cold water, to prevent darkening. Drain.
4. Bring a large pot of water to a rapid boil and add potatoes.
5. Cover and blanch (2min for cubes, 10min for whole potatoes).
6. Fill jars with hot potatoes, and add fresh boiling water, leaving one inch of headspace.
7. Remove air bubbles and add more water if needed. Ensure potatoes are covered by water and that there is still one inch of headspace at the top of the jar.
8. Wipe rims with clean, wet paper towel then place lids on jars and add screw bands. Screw the bands down fingertip tight- not too loose nor too tight. Follow lid manufacturer’s directions for tightening the jar lids properly.
9. Place filled jars, fitted with lids and ring bands, on the jar rack in the canner, and follow canner manufacturer’s instructions for processing heats, pressure, and times.
10. Once cool, remove the screw bands and check the seal. If any jars did not seal, treat the food as ‘fresh’ by either eating the food immediately, refrigerating for use within a week, freezing, or recanning (If recanned, you must repeat the entire process.)
11. Store sealed jars in a cool, dark place, where there is no danger of freezing.