How to Pressure Can Potatoes, A Home Canning Guide

Preserving your own potatoes at home is a great way to ensure you always have a specific ingredient on hand for homemade meals. In this complete guide, we’ll walk you through how to pressure can potatoes step by step so you can enjoy this versatile potato product year-round. Home canning is not only practical but a good way to preserve your harvest and take control of your food supply.

How To Can Potatoes

Potatoes are one of the most popular and useful foods to preserve. They can be used for everything from soups and stews to mashed potatoes, hash browns, and French fries. To can potatoes ensures you have a convenient, shelf-stable supply with no artificial preservatives.

Pressure canning potatoes is essential because potatoes are low-acid foods. Using a water bath canner for potatoes is not safe; only a pressure canner can reach the temperatures needed for safe home food preservation. If this is your first time to can potatoes, don’t worry. We’ll make it simple, safe, and rewarding.

Amounts to Can Potatoes

The amount of potatoes you’ll need depends on how many jars you plan to fill. On average:

• 2 to 3 pounds of potatoes will fill one quart jar.
• 1 to 1.5 lbs of potatoes will fill one pint jar.

For a full canner load of 7 quarts, you’ll need approximately 21 pounds of potatoes. For 9 pints, plan for around 13-14 lbs of potatoes. Using your own potatoes from the garden is a good way to maximize the value of your potato crop. Even small potatoes or oddly shaped ones can be used for canning if peeled and cut properly.

Quality Potatoes

The best potatoes for canning are those that are firm, fresh, and free from blemishes, soft spots, and green spots. Different types of potatoes yield slightly different results:

• Waxy potatoes (like gold potatoes or red potatoes) hold their shape best.
• Starchy potatoes (like Russets) tend to break down more and are better for soups.
• Small potatoes or new white potatoes can even be canned whole, making them perfect for quick side dishes.

For the best quality canned potatoes, choose fresh potatoes harvested within a week or two. Store-bought potatoes can be used, but avoid those showing signs of sprouting or greening.

Instructions to Can Potatoes

Canning potatoes involves several steps: selecting the right potatoes, preparing them properly, choosing your packing method, and using a pressure canner to preserve them safely. This process ensures that your potatoes remain safe to eat and retain their flavor and texture.

Supplies and Ingredients to Can Potatoes

Supplies:

• Pressure canner (never use a water bath canner)
• Jars (either pints or quarts)
• New lids and bands (bands are reusable if they are not bent and free of rust)
• Jar lifter
• Large stockpot for boiling water
• Peeler, knife, and large bowls for soaking potatoes

Ingredients:

• Fresh potatoes (any kind including gold potatoes, new white potatoes, or sweet potatoes)
• Canning salt (optional—adds flavor but not required for preservation)
• Boiling hot water (for hot pack option)
• Ascorbic acid (optional to prevent darkening of potatoes)

Preparing the Potatoes

1. Wash and Peel: Clean the potatoes thoroughly, removing dirt and eyes. Always peel potatoes before canning. The National Center for Home Food Preservation advises peeling to reduce the risk of botulism, which can be present on potato skins.
2. Cut into Uniform Pieces: Cut into 1-inch cubes or slices, or leave whole if using small potatoes. Uniform pieces ensure even cooking.
3. Soak and Rinse: Place cut potatoes into cold water with optional ascorbic acid. Soak for 1 hour to remove much starch, which helps prevent cloudy liquid and mushy overcooked potatoes.
4. Parboil (Hot-Pack Method): For the hot-pack method, boil cut potatoes for 2 minutes. This extra step helps keep the final product firmer and is recommended by the National Center.

Pressure Canning

We have three different ways that you can can your potatoes, but all of them use the pressure canner. As always, remember that hot jars go into hot water and cold jars go into cold water before starting your canner.

Please read all the way through so that you can decide which method is best for you.

Understanding Your Pressure Canner

A pressure canner is different from a pressure cooker. For home food preservation, you need a pressure canner large enough to hold multiple jars. Two common types are:

1. Dial-Gauge Canners: Require you to monitor pressure on a gauge.
2. Weighted-Gauge Canners: Use a weight to regulate pressure.

Both are suitable for canning potatoes, as long as you adjust for altitude. Always refer to your canner’s manual and the latest guidelines from the National Center for Home Food Preservation.

Processing Times to Can Potatoes

• Pints: Process for 35 minutes.
• Quarts: Process for 40 minutes.

Processing time starts when the canner reaches the proper pressure. Always adjust pressure for altitude and follow your canner’s instructions carefully.

For dial-gauge canners:

• 0–1,000 ft: 11 PSI
• Above 1,000 ft: increase to 12 PSI

For weighted-gauge canners:

• 0–1,000 ft: 10 PSI
• Above 1,000 ft: 15 PSI

Hot-Pack Method

Hot-pack methods involve pre-cooking potatoes before canning. This extra step:

• Reduces much starch.
• Prevents cloudy jars.
• Helps avoid mushy overcooked potatoes.

To hot pack:

1. Pack Hot Jars: Pack hot potatoes or raw potatoes into hot jars, leaving 1-inch headspace.
2. Add Boiling Water: Pour boiling water over the potatoes, maintaining headspace.
3. Optional Salt: Add 1 teaspoon of canning salt per quart or 1/2 teaspoon per pint.
4. Remove Air Bubbles: Use a bubble remover to eliminate air bubbles.
5. Wipe Rims & Apply Lids: Clean rims, place lids, and tighten bands fingertip tight.

Easy Raw Pack Method

The easy raw pack method skips pre-cooking:

• Pack raw peeled potatoes into jars.
• Add clean water and process as directed.

This method saves time but may lead to softer canned potatoes and more cloudiness in the jars. It works best for soups or mashed potato uses. Raw packing often leads to more wasted space inside jars. 

The parboiling step in the Hot Pack Method helps to shrink down food contents enough to fill the whole space.

Dry Canning Potatoes

Officially, potatoes must be processed with liquid in a pressure canner to ensure food safety. There is no approved method for dry canning potatoes or any other low-acid vegetable.

However, I prefer to dry can potatoes in my own homestead kitchen. My family loves the texture much better when I dry can potatoes, as they don’t seem to be as starchy,

The only thing that I don’t do, is fill up the jar with fresh water. Sometimes, I even add a little butter and salt to each jar before adding lids and processing. The pressure canning times are the same as raw pack or hot pack canned potatoes.

I have to disclose that you should do your own homework here before making your own decision for your family. Technically, dry canning has not been deemed a safe practice.

Do I Have to Peel Potatoes Before Canning?

Yes. Peeling is non-negotiable for safety. Potato skins can harbor bacteria like Clostridium botulinum. Even sweet potatoes and whole new potatoes must be peeled before canning.

How Can I Minimize Starch in Canned Potatoes?

To reduce excess starch:

• Soak cut potatoes in cold water for at least 1 hour or overnight.
• Use the hot-pack method.
• Choose waxy potatoes like gold potatoes.

This helps keep the liquid clear and reduces the risk of mushy overcooked potatoes.

Ideas for Using Canned Potatoes

Canned potatoes are incredibly versatile. Here are some ways to use them:

• Quick mashed potatoes with butter and sour cream.
• Roasted in the oven with oil, salt, and herbs
• Fried for crispy breakfast potatoes.
• Added to soups, stews, and chowders.
• Sliced for easy potato salad.

Here’s a quick dinner plan to easily feed your family after a long day working on the Homestead. Just grab a jar of your home canned potatoes, seasoned with salt and herbs, and roasted in the oven. Add a home canned protein, like venison, and a side of green beans with a pat of butter.

Storing Canned Potatoes

After the canning process, allow jars to cool undisturbed for 12–24 hours. Check seals, remove bands, clean jars, and store in a cool, dark place. Properly canned potatoes can last 12–18 months. Discard any jar with an unsealed lid, off smell, or bulging lid.

Conclusion to Can Potatoes

Canning your own potatoes is a great way to preserve a potato crop and ensure you always have quick, easy meals ready to go. Whether you prefer hot-pack methods or the easy raw pack method, the key is to follow tested safety guidelines, use a pressure canner, and always peel your potatoes.

With this complete guide, you can confidently stock your pantry with canned potatoes for French fries, soups, casseroles, and more. Remember to choose the best potatoes, remove air bubbles, leave 1-inch headspace, and enjoy the rewards of home food preservation.

By mastering the canning process, you’ll have a whole new appreciation for fresh potatoes, sweet potatoes, and everything your garden can provide.

Happy Canning!

Donna and her family have been homesteading for most of their 20+  years together in some shape or fashion. She currently lives on their 20 acre farm where they grow as much food as possible. What started as a just a few laying hens, has grown into large gardens, pastured poultry, pork, and lamb. They are continuously evolving their small farm to not suit their family’s needs, but also providing to their local community. Donna’s favorite part of the family farm is her self-built micro-dairy, where she gets to love on dairy cows while serving her local community. Milking, cheesemaking, and processing dairy have become the soul of their homestead and the center of their farm.