Canning Potatoes

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Have more potatoes than you can use before they go bad, or just want to have some ready-made potatoes for soups and meals? Canning Potatoes is the way to go!

Have more potatoes than you can use before they will go bad or just want to have some ready-made potatoes for soups and meals? Canning Potatoes is the way to go!

Canning Potatoes

I’ve been wanting to can up some potatoes this year, so we have some super easy-to-grab, ready-made side dishes and meals this winter. It’s so nice to have shelf-stable food! When I spotted a deal on a 50-pound bag of organic potatoes, I grabbed it!

For canned potatoes, you will need a pressure canner, not a hot water bath canner. Potatoes fall into the low acid category, so they must be pressure-canned.

I realize the thought of a pressure canner is scary to some, and I’m pretty sure we’ve all heard a story about someone’s mom/aunt/grandma who had the lid blow off. But if they are used properly, you shouldn’t have any issues.

Please make sure to read the manual on your canner before you attempt pressure canning, and I also highly recommend the Ball Blue Book of Canning.

Supplies Needed for Canning Potatoes

You will need about 3 pounds of potatoes per quart so if you wish to fill up a pressure canner with a full load, you will need about 21 pounds of potatoes. We’ve found that Yukon gold potatoes seem to can up the best potatoes to can. Red potatoes or red-skinned potatoes are also good. Do not use russet potatoes. (The texture is poor.)

You will also need all your canning supplies: lids, rims, canning funnel, air bubble popper, pressure canner, large pots, fresh boiling water, and quart canning jars.

How to Use Home Canned Potatoes

You can add potatoes into stews or soups, mash them, and top them with chives, butter, and sour cream, or anywhere else you might need soft, cooked potatoes!

Here’s a whole blog post on How To Use Home Canned Potatoes.

Washing Potatoes

How to Can Potatoes

Start by washing your potatoes. Yes, I know we are going to peel them, but wash them anyways to remove any excess dirt. You never know where those things have been and what they may have on them.

Peeled Potatoes

Then peel them all. I then rinse them again in case I got anything on them. (No one likes dirt in their mashed potatoes.)

Always peel potatoes before canning to remove any dirt and bacteria that might be on the skin.

Tip: See more of my favorite products.

Clean Jars

Have clean jars ready to go. I used quarts, but you can do pints if you want smaller serving sizes.
I generally wash all my jars in the dishwasher before use to ensure they are bacteria-free.

Salt

Add a teaspoon of salt to each to each jar. Some people also choose to add in some ascorbic acid to help protect the color.

Salt in a Jar

Like so.

Chopped Potatoes

Cut up the potatoes. They don’t really need to be any special size, as long as nothing is larger than 2 inches in diameter and they fit in the jar. Around 1 inch cubes is a good size to aim for.

You can also can them up for future french fries! Just cut them into a french fry shape before packing them in the jar.

Remember what you plan to use them for once you finish pressure-canning potatoes. If you plan on mashing them, size won’t matter as much; if you plan to use them for soups, you may want to dice them smaller.

After you finish cutting the potatoes, boil them in boiling water for 2 minutes.

After you’ve cut them up and boiled them, pat them dry with a paper towel or a clean cloth. This will help to remove some of the starch from potatoes, which have a naturally high starch content, which will overall make a better canned product.

Chopped Potatoes on a Jar

Instructions for Canning Potatoes

Put the diced, hot potatoes in the jars and pack them tightly. Potatoes tend to gather at the top of the jars, so pack them as tightly as possible.

Diced Potatoes

Add water to the jars. Leave a 1-inch headspace at the top of each jar. Make sure that the water completely covers the potatoes.

Use a small spatula or some tool around the outside of the inside of the jar to remove any air bubbles. Add more water if necessary.

Diced Potatoes on Jar with Water

Clean off the tops of the jars. Do not leave any water or anything else on them, or they may not properly seal.

Sealed Canned Potatoes

Place new lids on top of the jars.

Sealed Jar

Screw the rims on to fingertip tightness and place the canning rack in the bottom of the canner if you haven’t already.

Jars of Potatoes on a Pressure Canner

Place the jars of potatoes in the pressure canner. Add exactly 3 quarts of water if you use a Presto 23 Quart Canner as I do; otherwise, follow the directions for pressure canning for your specific canner. Do not put the lid on.

Turn the burner on high and watch until the water reaches the boiling point or just before. Then, put on the lid and ensure it is properly sealed. (Please see your canner’s manual for specifics on how your canner is sealed properly.)

Pressure Canner

My mom and I use a Presto Canner Dial-Gauge Pressure Canner. It’s inexpensive and works well. It’s also large enough to do the double rack when you make pints. With this canner, when you put the lid on, you don’t have the pressure weight on.

Read your Canner Manual to ensure you follow your canner’s specific directions.

Let the canner begin building pressure for about 5 minutes before putting the weight on. When you see white steam come out of this area, then put the weight on.

Pressuring Potatoes

Now, the pressure will start to build. In the front of your canner is a little thing called an Air Vent or Cover Lock (it looks like the picture above). When you first start building pressure, it won’t be popped out yet. The pressure gauge won’t start to move until the air vent/cover lock pops out.

Dial Gauge on a Canner

Once all that happens, it’s time to start watching your pressure gauge. (If you have a dial gauge canner.) Process according to the chart below for your jar size and altitude.

White Potatoes Canning Altitude Guide

I want to get to 15 pounds of pressure and stay there for the size of the jars I’m using and my altitude. Once you get up to pressure, set your timer for 40 minutes for process time.

You will have to stay in the kitchen with the canner to ensure it stays at the correct amount of pounds. You may have to turn the burner between low and high (or maybe even off occasionally) to be able to keep it at the correct pressure. Use caution around your canner and do not bump it or open it at any time until the pressure is gone.

Please check with your local extension office, the USDA, or the National Center for Home Food Preservation for any changes on times/temps/high altitude.

Once you’ve kept the canner at the recommended pressure for the recommended time, turn off the burner and leave the canner to sit. It’s a good idea to do this in the evening so you can let it sit all night. Do not touch or open the canner until the little pop-up air vent/cover lock in the front goes down, and the pressure gauge goes all the way back down.

Sealed Jar

After removing the jars from the canner, make sure all jars are properly sealed. Potatoes might siphon a little bit (meaning some of the water might come out). They are fine unless more than half of the water comes out.

Tip: For more information on how to see if your jars have properly sealed and what to do if they haven’t, check out this post on Testing Jar Seals And Reprocessing Jars (Safe Home Canning)

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Canning Potatoes

Ingredients

  • Potatoes
  • Salt

Instructions

  1. Wash and peel your potatoes.
  2. Add a teaspoon of salt to each clean, prepared jar.
  3. Cut up the potatoes. Any size, as long as they are smaller than 2 inches in diameter. Just keep in mind what you'd like to use them for
  4. Boil the cut potatoes in boiling water for 2 minutes.
  5. Pack the diced potatoes in the jars tightly.
  6. Add water to the jars. Leave about 3/4 inch headspace at the top of each jar. Make sure that the potatoes are packed tight and covered by the water.
  7. Use a small spatula or some kind of tool around the outside of the inside of the jar to remove any air bubbles. Add more water if necessary.
  8. Clean off the tops of the jars. Place lids on top of the jars and screw the rims on tightly.
  9. Place the jars in the pressure canner. Add exactly 3 quarts of water (if you are using a Presto 23 Quart Canner as I do, otherwise follow the directions for pressure canning for your specific canner). Do not put the lid on. Turn the burner on high and watch until the water reaches the boiling point or just before. Then put on the lid and make sure it is properly sealed in place. (Please see your canner's manual for specifics on how your canner is sealed properly.)
  10. Let the canner begin building pressure for about 5 minutes before you put the weight on. When you see steam come out of this area, then put the weight on. Now the pressure will start to build.
  11. Once the airvent/cover lock In the front of your canner pops out, it's time to start watching your pressure gauge. Process according to the chart for your jar size and altitude.

  12. Once your pressure comes to the pressure, process according to the recommended time. You will have to stay in the kitchen with it to make sure it stays at the required pressure. You may have to turn the burner between low and high (or maybe even off occasionally to be able to keep it at the correct pressure.
  13. Once you've processed your jars at the recommended pressure for the recommended time, turn off the burner and leave the canner to sit. Do not touch or open the canner until the air vent/cover lock goes down and the pressure gauge goes all the way back down.
  14. After removing the jars from the canner, make sure all jars have properly sealed.

These home-canned potatoes are awesome because they are already cooked, all you have to do to eat them is warm them up!

Tip: Looking for some meal inspiration? Here are Meal Ideas Using Home Canned Potatoes.

Make sure you check out all the free Canning and Preserving Recipes we have on Little House Living! I recommend a Presto Pressure Canner and the book Putting Food By for all your canning projects!

Tip: Want to continue to build up your long-term food storage? Here are ideas.

Canned Goods

More Canning Recipes

Homestead Management

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Have you ever tried canning potatoes? What do you use canned potatoes for?


Me and Kady

Merissa has been blogging about and living the simple life since 2009 and has internationally published 2 books on the topic. You can read about Merissa’s journey from penniless to freedom on the About Page. You can send her a message any time from the Contact Page.


 

This post on Canning Potatoes was originally published on Little House Living in August 2014. It has been updated as of September 2023.

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135 Comments

      1. Awesome! Do you need to boil these when you open the jars to mash them? I’ll be digging up my potaotes in another week or two. Think I may try this with some!

  1. I always add a splash of white vinegar to the water in my canner. Keeps the jars from getting that cloudy film on them and really shiny.

        1. Jeff,
          The reason Janet said not to add vinegar to your aluminum canner is due to the fact vinegar will discolor the aluminum.
          I am like you I always add vinegar to my water in my pressure canner due to the fact that I have hard water. Which makes the jars harder to clean after you emptied them.
          If you don’t mind your pressure canner becoming discolored don’t worry about putting vinegar in the water just go ahead and do it.

  2. I believe most canners recommend you vent steam for a minimum of 10 minutes before you place the weight on it.

    Also, you are going to lose a lot of heat when you start heating the water with the lid off. I’ve been canning on my own for 30 years and I always put my lid on before my water is very hot. It works for me & I guess your way works for you. 😉

    Also, the amount of pounds of pressure and canning time will change depending upon your altitude. The best rule of thumb is to consult your local County Extension agency and/or the USDA if you dont have a good guide like the Ball Blue Book.

      1. All of the reference books I have on pressure canning say to vent steam for 10 minutes before putting the weight on, also. It’s called “exhausting.”

  3. You make this sound so easy! I have a pressure canner but it was missing some pieces…I found them online. But haven’t had anyone explain it so well.
    Thanks I may give this a try!
    Pat

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  5. Hmmm…ok, I can understand that it’s handy sometimes to have ready-cooked potatoes. But, potatoes and other root-fruits (is that what’s it called in english? Carrots, turnips etc) can be preserved in a bucket with light sand. Or preferrably a barrel. There they can be stored several years provided they lay without contact with each other and it’s dark and only slightly humid (think cellar).
    Can’t help it but I find canning potatoes are a bit like canning porridge/oatmeal or rice…
    Nice to know though how you did it.

    1. 1. Jars take less space than barrels and buckets.
      2. Canning potatoes several pounds at once = less prep time when cooking a meal.

      1. I want to try this. Like most people my husband and I both work 12 hour shifts. We keep canned (from the grocery store) in the cabinet for fast meals. A jar of canned beef and a jar of veg and a jar of potatoes with in 10 minutes dinner is on the table .

    2. I’ve never had good luck with storing potatoes and carrots in sand. I prefer frozen carrots, but I do can any excess and canned potatoes are SO lovely to have on hand. We just drain them and lightly saute them with a bit of olive oil and herbs. YUMMY! I did notice that if I open a jar of potatoes that is less than a few months old, they have a “canned” taste (for lack of a better description!), but if they are at least a few months old, they taste great. Is it just me, or do other people have that experience?

  6. Thanks for sharing this! I never would have thought of canning potatoes, but look forward to doing this to put some up. I am stopping by from the Morris Tribe hop.

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    1. Deanna, I also have canned potatoes before with bad results.
      During the canning process the potatoes smelled wonderful.
      However, we taste tested a jar after about a month and found the potatoes to have a texture to them that would not allow you to mash them. You would think that after pressure canning them that they would be mushy, NO. They was not mushy, instead they was firm and brittle.
      So, the only thing we can think of, maybe we used wrong type of potatoes. We used white potatoes purchased at a store.
      Maybe using red potatoes, or fresh grown potatoes would have different results,,,, don’t yet know. We was so disappointed that we never tried again.

      1. I think I mentioned before that in our experience, the potatoes need to “age” a bit after canning. I have no idea why, but if I open a jar that is less than a few months old, they don’t taste good at all. After a few months, they taste terrific. But no…the texture will never allow you to have fluffy mashed potatoes from canned potatoes. We use ours in soups, stews, or drain and saute in oil (butter if I’m feeling like living dangerously) and some herbs. I have made smashed potato patties (fried till golden brown) from them with good results. We prefer Yukon Gold or red potatoes for canning. Russets get too mealy for our tastes.

      2. You might want to try pre cooking them first, Just to let some of the starch out of them. I have always gotten a great jar of potatoes when I pre cook first.

        1. How long do you precook them? I’m very new to the canning world, and have a lot to learn. I am so thankful to my friends Miriam and Melissa for their guidance, but want to have potatoes that don’t have the aftertaste. I was wondering if you put some seasoning in the jars… Spike or Veggit along with some rosemary??

  10. I can a bunch every year also since they are so handy to have in the pantry. I always leave the skin on though. One less step and I don’t think anyone in my family even notices they are there, even in mashed potatoes!

    1. I’ve heard that in the states, the dirt contains the botulism stuff, and that removing the skins lessens the chance of botulism take hold.

    1. No, the cooking time would be the same and that should work just fine, although remember when you take them out of the jar they will be cooked so they may not stay in slices.

  11. I canned potatoes using your directions, and am excited about it. I used red potatoes and hope thats ok. The water level in the jars was low in some jars after canning. Is that ok? They did seal. Please let me know through email if you can. Thank you!

      1. if you blanch the potato before canning i have noticed much less water loss – i also add 1 tsp. of white vinegar to each jar with the salt. my potatoes stay white an minimum water loss! canned potatoes are great baked!

  12. Do you add boiling water or just water? Can’t wait to try some new potatoes from the garden…thanks

  13. Just canned Red potatoes and boiled for 10 minutes first and then put into jars with boiling water and salt. Turned out great. Two 10 gallon buckets made 21 guarts.

  14. Is it OK to mix jar sizes (pints & quarts) in the canner at the same time? I know you have to process for the length of time required for the larger size but was not sure if this means the potatoes in the smaller jars will be over cooked. I only have about 11-12 lbs of potatoes so I will only be doing one batch. It is for just my husband & I so the pint size is what we will probably need most of the time but our daughters and their families do come to visit and we might need the larger size.

    Also to The Swede we live in Florida and cellars are not an option … too close to sea level and too hot and humid!

      1. Thanx! I wound up with more potatoes than I thought so I went ahead and did two batches. I thought it would be safer that way.

    1. In Minnesota. I’ve been canning since 1970’s. I had my husband build a large cabinet where once stood a build-in fridge in my old farm kitchen, not in the basement. The 100’s of jars it stored, kept good! Also, when we moved to a Northern border town, where it’s called the Ice Box of the Nation. We couldn’t move into a home for a couple of years where I could bring my canning jars indoors. They stayed in a large truck with other things we couldn’t bring inside. My jars indured 55′ below temps and even 95′ above temps. When I did get to use them…they were just fine except the sugar in the jellies..crystalized, but still usable. You see each time I can..I ask the Lord to seal, that the jars don’t crack, chip, or break, and He took care of them, I still pray over all my canning. Thank You Jesus! SandiH.

        1. Yes and Amen ladies! Iwill be storing some of my canned goods in an unheated barn. Have greenbeans there now and thought about taking a metal cabinet and lining it with the foil backed insulation so they wontfreeze. We live in Missouri…moderate winters and fairly hot summers. Any more advise?

  15. I have 2 questions.
    First, is it regular table salt you use or is it coarse pickling salt??
    Second, the water added to the jars before they go into the canner, is it boiling water or room temp water??

    Thank you

    1. Either room temp or boiling water will work, it won’t make a difference. And I just use table salt, it does make it a little more cloudy but does not make a different in taste or safety.

        1. The only difference between pickling salt and regular table salt is that there is no Iodine in the pickling salt. It is the iodine that turns the canned food a slightly brown unpleasant color. So if you want a nice prize winning color use pickling salt 🙂

          1. table salt has cornstarch in it to keep it from lumping up. won’t hurt the canned goods, just sometimes makes things cloudy.

  16. Hi there,
    I just did this tonight and my potatoes turned out pretty soft… like some of them were falling apart in the jar. I did them in quarts and I used boiling water to pack them in the jars. Could that have been the problem?

    Thanks!
    ~ Kathryn

  17. The next day after canning my potatoes had a starchy look to them. Followed directions to a tee. Wondered why this happened?

  18. I’m new at canning this year…and to stretch a buck I bought a 20lb. Bag of red potaotes..I to don’t have a cellar so canning would be my go to…although I don’t have a pressure cooker will a water bath method would? If so can you guide me through the process? I appreciate your help

  19. I have canned potatoes for years. You can cube or slice like American fries. I have always boiled them for ten minutes(after I peel them)..this helps take some of the starch out of them before you can them..I add fresh hot water when I place in canning jars. I have even added bacon to them to add flavor to those I know I will fry up. I put some up in qrts an some in pints. I use the American cut for scallops an ham even. If you want to add spices you can..I only put in 1/2 tsp salt per pint and 3/4 for qrt.

  20. U DO not have to add salt…only place the same size jars per batch in cooker.if using salt the best to use is canning salt not table salt it can make the water cloudy when canning.

  21. If u try to use a water bath AN NOT a pressure cooker your jars may act sealed but will start to Fremont AN bubble out of the jars an smell like major poo..no I did not do it but I know someone on first hand basis that did. SO ONLY A PRESSURE COOKER

  22. I am looking forward to doing this next year. We go through a TON of potatoes at our house, so I will be trying out potato towers as we are short on yard space. I hadn’t really thought about canning them since when we go through 10-15lbs of potatoes at a time when I get them. My daughter makes a fab potato soup…lol, but I hope to have enough to actually can them next year.

    1. I would just love to have the “Fan Potatoe Soup” recipe if your daughter is willing. I am looking for a shredded potatoe soup recipe. Thought I could get it from OrIda, but couldn’t find it. Thank you!

  23. Thank You Merissa for having this written up this wonderful instruction on canning potatoes! This was my very first time using a pressure canner and with some of the horror stories that I’ve heard about the the lid blowing off and hitting the ceiling I was a bit intimidated to say the least. I had found another site on doing the potatoes that got me started on this but it was the way you wrote and set this whole page up with all the photos that really got me into a calm mantra bout doing this whole process. Thank You again so much I had fun doing this. Well not so much peeling the potatoes, but everything else lol! Also I cut up one onion and minced a bulb of garlic and added them to the potatoes and cooked them ten minutes prior to canning. I’m thinking also that maybe I should have cut the salt back to 3/4 tsp. per jar due to the drs. carrying on bout sodium all the time lol. Since this was my first time, the one part that had me bit nervous was wondering how difficult it was going to be to keep the pressure at a steady ten pounds but it wasn’t bad at all. I only had to adjust the gas flame like two or three times at first and than one more time near the end of the 40 minutes. Hope mine taste good later on when we go to open them. I used red potatoes that were freshly dug from the garden. oh, the other thing that I did that helped me was that I measured my cut up potatoes into a 4 cup/1quart measuring glass just to see how many potatoes it took to fill one canning quart. It took me 6 medium potatoes for one jar. That way I knew I only needed to peel about 42 potatoes for my 7 quarts. It worked out great with only a small cereal bowl sized left-over that I enjoyed eating while the canner was processing.

  24. I have canned for many years. I have canned deer, elk, green beans made jelly and jams, canned peaches, pickles but never potatoes…until today! I bought 50 pounds of red potatoes. A friend of mine has always canned potatoes and he uses them for potato salad. The best potato salad I have ever eaten! So far I have 14 quarts canned. Ready to start peeling again and can more potatoes. Thanks for the site for canning potatoes.

  25. Thank you so much for this tutorial! I just started canning this past summer, and got a pressure canner for Christmas. Hubby brought home 50lb of potatoes that he got for $10, so I decided to get going with the pressure canner! I did my 1st batch last night with 7 quarts (I have the 23 qt Presto). This morning I noted that I had lost some fluid from the jars. I thought maybe I hadn’t tightened them enough, my manual said it was ok as long as they sealed (which they did). Later in the day I’m noticing the liquid has turned kind of cloudy. Did yours do this? Just wondering. Thanks again!

    1. I have cases of canned potatoes and have come to realize that red potatoes can the best. I, too, leave the skins on and have had several jars that “clouded” up because the potatoes cooked in the process. I use these for potato soup, but, I also filter my water that I use for canning. We are on city water and because of all the chemicals, have figured that was what was making my jar liquid cloudy and also, table salt will cloud your canning liquid after being processed. Best to use canning salt for all canning processes. Just my bit of information.Love your site…..

  26. Hello! Do you have a link for canning pinto beans? If so, would you be kind and email it to me? Thank you Bunches!!!

  27. I just got my first pressure canner this weekend and this is definitely one of the things I would like to try. I love potatoes but they take too long to cook! I inevitably think about it right about the time the rest of dinner is finishing cooking!!

  28. I have made these potatoes last fall and we sure enjoyed them this past winter. I’m saving the rest for the camping season.

  29. The pressure canner I have does not have the visual dial gauage. I’ve used it once to cook beans and they were a bit mushy. How do I know when it reaches 10lbs of pressure? I have 2 weights to make it go up to 15 lbs. Do I add the extra weight right after I put the lid on? When do I begin timing?

    1. I have not used a canner without a pressure gauge before so I’m not sure. Do you still have the instruction manual? If not you might be able to look it up online. We begin timing once it has reached the correct pressure.

    2. I have a weighted pressure canner. Your weight should be in three pieces, the main piece that sits over the hole, then two pieces that look a bit like fat washers. The middle piece alone is 5 pounds, one ring plus the middle piece is 10 pounds, two rings plus the middle piece is 15 pounds.

      I really recommend going by the instruction manual that came with your pressure canner. If you got it second hand and it didn’t have the manual, check online. A lot of retailers are making their instruction manuals available online in pdf format.

      For mine, you put the jars in, crank up the heat and wait. When the steam starts to come out of the spout on top, set a timer for 10 minutes, maintaining a steady flow of steam. Once that 10 minutes has passed, place the weight on the spout and wait. When the weight begins to rock, you’ve reached 10 pounds of pressure. Only once the weight has begun to rock do you start your “canning timer.” The weight must continue to rock for the duration. If at anytime if stops moving, you have to turn the heat back up to get it rocking again and start the time over again from the beginning.

      Hope this helps!

  30. My wife and I find the best way to enjoy canned potatoes is to cut them up and fry them with a little butter and salt and pepper. Tastes great in the middle of winter.

  31. Is it better to store your canned jars upside down or right side up, I have seen it both ways. Thank you

  32. I have been doing this years. We like to drain water off and put in skillet and fry, With butter or bacon grease , SUPER GOOD

  33. I am just wondering what quantity of quart jars I need to can 50lbs of potatoes? I’ve never tried canning them before, but I have a giant bag that I don’t want to go bad. I’ll need to buy jars tomorrow, but I have no idea how many I might need. Any ideas? Thanks!

  34. Hello,

    My husband grows Yukon golds and this is our first year canning. First batch we hot packed – no good – too mushy. Last night we did a cold pack and potatoes would be perfect for something like potato salad. However, we were wondering – other than putting them in whole or as large as possible – can you pressure cook for a shorter amount of time so potatoes aren’t always that soft?

    Thank you for the information you have on your site. Glad I Binged!

    1. Yukon Golds are slightly softer than some other varieties and will tend to be a bit mushy. I wouldn’t want to can them any larger than pieces or adjust the timing for safety reasons. You could try russets or a red potato and see if that makes a difference in the texture for you.

  35. I canned potatoes last week, we’ve used 3 jars since then with no problem’s. Tonight I used a jar with a roast I cooked in the crock pot. They tasted fine to me, but my husband said he tasted a bitter taste. Has this happened to anyone else? Should I be worried?

  36. Just wondering if potatoes have to be peeled? I have some red potatoes I want to do. We like the peels unless I’m doing mashed.
    Thank you

  37. Thanks for your post, and for all the comments from other canners. I have only canned blueberries, applesauce and ground meats up to now. I find it satisfying, if time-consuming. I have always kept a few ‘store bought’ cans of potatoes handy, and use for pot pies, soups, and stews. I hadn’t thought about canning them myself. But next time they are on sale BOGO, I’m going to attempt this. Thanks!

  38. Hi! I found this post on Pinterest, and am including a link to it in a canning recipe roundup on my blog today… hope you can stop by to check it out! 🙂 ((Love your site, btw!))

  39. I have canned new potatoes from the garden for years. I have never bought large potatoes and cut them up to can. I don’t put salt in the jars for health and diet reasons. One year I put up 90 quarts of potatoes.

  40. I can Yukon Gold and they come out good. I put them in soups, stews, mash them, and make creamed potatoes. Has anyone ever tried canning Kennebec potatoes? I have some this year but have never tried them in the scanner. Thanks.

  41. A couple of clarification notes –

    It’s OK to go above 10 psi, but not below. Above where it says 9-12 is confusing – if it drops below 10 at all, time must be started over.

    Also, it’s not a good idea to leave the jars in the canner overnight. This could cause flat sour, which will ruin all of the jars and taste awful!

    Potatoes should be peeled before canning – the skin can harbor the botulism bacteria and increase the chance of a problem.

  42. Thank you for the canning recipe. I have never canned potatoes before but did so today and wonder if I did something wrong. I followed the directions but after taking the quart jars out of the pressure canner after processing the potatoes look a little mushy like they do after you over cook them. Are they supposed to look like that? I used russets.

    1. They will look cooked as they just went through the heating process, I haven’t tried russets before (just yukon gold) so they may possibly look different or have a different texture.

  43. I do the same, but as a variation add some dill sprigs, great for potatoe salad in the winter when dill is hard to find

  44. Hey so has anyone had any luck canning purple potatoes? I canned reds and purples last night. The reds turned out great but the purple Majesty’s lost all color and turned a tannish grey. I’m sure they are fine to eat but I would like to retain the awesome purple.

    1. I did last year! Unfortunately, I did it for gifts for Christmas and they looked so awful. After tasting them, we decided to feed them to the goats. 🙁

    2. I have never canned purple potatoes, but did use purple peppers in my relish this year thinking I would get some really nice looking relish, but the color cooked right out of them.

  45. I don’t own a pressure canner. If you add citric acid, can you use a hot water bath (like tomatoes)?

  46. I am new to pressure canning . And have a lot of potatoes about to be digged up.
    Does it matter what type of salt you use ?
    And could you add other things like pepper or onions to this ?

    1. It does not matter what kind of salt you use, however pickling salt will keep the water from looking cloudy. I personally would not add peppers and onions to this as it would completely change the time and pressure that they would need to be canned at which may affect the quality of the potatoes.

  47. I have a question about your canner. You said that it could do two layers of pints. I also have a pressure cooker that I bought from an older lady and she said it would hold a double layer of pints….but she didn’t remember how or have the manual. How much water do you put in the cooker for a double layer? Thank you

  48. Can 50 pounds of potatoes in a pressure canner they look fine but when they set they absorb all the water are they still OK

    1. Yes, as long as they were properly canned and sealed they should be fine. They do tend to absorb the water or at least make it very thick because of the starch in the potatoes.

  49. I canned potatoes last fall for the first time ever! This was the exact method that I used. I was amazed that they stay firm!!! I thought the tirn to mashed potatoes softer all that cooking & processing!!! They are SO handy to have!!!

  50. Please consider redoing this article as there is a lot of misinformation that could result in a bad health outcome. 1) put lid on right after you finish putting jars in and turn on the heat. 2) vent for a full 10 minutes prior to putting the weight on…not 5. 3) rings should be finger tightened…not real tight as stated 4) it is not ok to let your pressure drop below 10 pounds as you state it’s ok to drop to 9. If that happens you must start timeline over again once 10 pounds of pressure is re established. Most of what I’m stating here can be verified in your Presto manual. Also….and this is just my opinion….leaving them in the canner overnight will result in mushy potatoes. Get them out as soon as safe to do so that they can begin cooling instead of continuing to cook. I know this is an old article but I’m sure some folks will still come upon it as I did. It’s unsafe.

    1. You are correct with everything you stated. I don’t know why people can’t check the Ball Blue Book for canning instructions. I wonder how many people will still try to can potatoes using a boiling water bath canner, just because they don’t have a pressure canner. Get the right equipment people, or don’t attempt this at all!

  51. Have you ever have a white velvet like past form at the bottom of the jar? Is it the starch? And how much water do you lose? If you have a gooddeal, & lose the water is it still safe?
    Thank you,

    1. Yes, a starchy substance could form inside the jar. You shouldn’t lose too much water in the process, if so it’s possible that you had your jars too full. As long as they are properly sealed they should be ok, however they may not look as pretty.

  52. I have tried multiple batches of canned potatoes and then tried to mash and have yet to get fluffy mashed potatoes. I was hoping to do ahead of time for Thanksgiving. I generally have to peel and cook 20 lbs. Is there no way to get home canned potatoes to turn out fluffy? I even soaked overnight in fridge to try and release more of the starch but no go!

    1. I think canning just changes the texture enough that you probably aren’t likely to get fluffy mashed potatoes from them. We prefer them fried up or oven roasted after they’ve been canned.