Peeling russet potatoes is optional when canning.
Russet potatoes are the most popular potato in the United States. They come in two different varieties, the Idaho russet burbank and the russet norkotah. While russet potatoes do keep well year round when stored in the right cool and dark environment, you do have other options. For people with limited space, or those without an optimal place to store russets, they can instead opt to can them. Canned russet potatoes have a minimum shelf life of one year, and are versatile in the ways you can use them in your cooking. Add this to my Recipe Box.
Instructions
1. Select the russet potatoes you'd like to can. The smaller potatoes seem to work better, and if you don't plan on cutting them up before canning, you should select potatoes no more than two inches in diameter. Because most russet potatoes are larger in size, you'll most likely need to cut them up first. As a general rule, you'll need one to two pounds of potatoes per quart for canning.
2. Wash your jars and lids. The jars can be placed into your dishwasher. Some dishwashers even have a sanitize cycle specifically for this purpose. If you don't have a dishwasher, you can boil the jars in water for 10 minutes. For the lids, place them in a small pot of boiling water and boil them for five minutes.
3. Fill a 10-quart pot about one-half to two-thirds full of water and let it come to a boil over the low heat setting on your stove.
4. Rinse your pressure canner out with water and place the rack plate in the bottom. Fill the bottom of the pressure canner with about four inches of hot tap water and place it on another stove burner set to low heat. Leave the lid off the pressure canner for now.
5. Fill a 12-quart pot two-thirds full with water and allow it to come to a boil over high heat on your stove.
6. Rinse and clean your potatoes. Use cold or lukewarm water to rinse the potatoes. Scrub the dirt off with a vegetable scrubber.
7. Peel the potatoes. You can use a peeler or a paring knife. If the potatoes have any soft or brown spots, remove those too.
8. Cut the potatoes into 1/2-inch cubes with a sharp knife. If your potatoes are less than two inches in diameter and you plan on leaving them whole, then you can skip this step.
9. Fill a large bowl with one gallon of water and one cup of lemon juice. Place the potatoes into the mixture and allow them to soak for two to five minutes. After the time is up, drain the potatoes and discard the lemon juice mixture. If all of your potatoes didn't fit into the bowl the first time, you can reuse the mixture until all of your potatoes are processed.
10. Place the potatoes into the 12-quart pot of boiling water. Allow the potatoes to boil for two minutes. If you're using whole potatoes, you'll want to boil them for 10 minutes. When finished, drain the potatoes and discard the water.
11. Fill each of your jars full of potatoes. Make sure to leave a one-inch clearance at the top of the jars.
12. Fill each of the jars with the boiling water from the 10-quart pot. Use a ladle to transfer the water from the pot and pour it into the jars. Make sure to leave a one-inch clearance at the top of the jars.
13. Place the lids onto all of the jars. You'll want to first put the ring onto the jar and then screw it down until it's tight.
14. Drop the jars onto the rack in the pressure canner using the jar thongs and then twist the lid into place. Be sure to leave the valve open, or the weight off, depending on your type of pressure canner.
15. Turn the heat for the pressure canner on high and allow it to steam for 10 minutes. After 10 minutes, close the valve or turn the weight on. You'll want to allow the pressure to build up until it reaches 11 pounds.
16. Set your timer for 35 minutes after the pressure reaches 11 pounds. Periodically check to make sure that your pressure canner is maintaining its pressure at 11 pounds. If the pressure fluctuates, you may need to increase or decrease the temperature accordingly.
17.Turn off the heat and allow the pressure canner to cool down. You'll know when it's cool enough to open when the pressure reaches zero. Wait another three minutes and then open the vent to allow the steam to escape. After the steam stops venting, you can open the lid by twisting it off the pressure canner.
18. Remove the jars with the jar thongs and place them onto a towel to cool. Leave them overnight to cool in a place where they won't be disturbed or bumped. Once the jars are cool, you can check the lids to make sure they are sealed. Press your finger on the middle of the lid to see if it pops up and down. If the lid doesn't pop and stays down, the jar is properly sealed.
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