How to Can Potatoes Safely | Pressure Canning Guide

Learning how to can potatoes is one of those practical kitchen skills that can make everyday meals so much easier. 

Potatoes are peeled, cut into pieces, packed into jars with hot liquid, and processed in a pressure canner for the appropriate amount of time and pressure. Once they're safely canned and sitting on your pantry shelf, much of the peeling, chopping, and cooking is already done for you.

And if learning how to can food makes you nervous because you're thinking, "I'm terrified I'll waste good food, or worse, make my family sick," I understand why you'd hesitate. Canning can feel intimidating when you're getting different instructions everywhere you look.

But this is exactly where slowing down and following a clear, step-by-step process helps. You don't have to guess your way through it.

What Makes This Recipe Unique?

One of the things I love about having home-canned potatoes on the shelf is that they're already cooked and ready to turn into dinner. That makes them especially handy during those busy seasons when cooking from scratch can be a challenge.

Here's why I think you'll love them:

• They're incredibly convenient. Much of the prep work is already finished, which means dinner can come together much faster.
• They help preserve a large harvest. Learning when to harvest potatoes can make all the difference in your yield. While we do love our freeze dried potatoes, canning gives you another way to preserve that abundance.
• You don't need a garden to make them. A 10-pound bag of potatoes purchased at a good price can become convenient pantry food, too.
• They're versatile. Use them for soups, stews, casseroles, breakfast hash, mashed potatoes, and more.
• They reduce food waste. Canning potatoes before they begin to spoil helps you make good use of what you grew or purchased.
• They build a useful pantry. There's something wonderfully reassuring about opening your pantry and seeing real ingredients ready to help you put dinner on the table.

This is what practical food storage looks like. Not perfection. Not shelves filled just because they're pretty. Food your family will actually eat.

The Best Potatoes for Canning

When you're learning how to can potatoes, the potato you choose can make a difference in the finished texture.

• Russet potatoes have a high starch content and a fluffy texture. They're especially nice if you plan to use your canned potatoes for mashed potatoes or soups.
• Yukon Gold potatoes have that wonderful buttery flavor and creamy texture. They also work beautifully in many different meals.
• Red potatoes are waxier and firmer. They're a good option when you want pieces that remain a little more intact for stews and other dishes.
• Fingerling potatoes can also be used and have a creamy texture and slightly nutty flavor.

Whatever variety you choose, remember that the potatoes should be thoroughly washed and peeled before canning. Don't skip the peeling step simply because the skins look clean.

Key Ingredients

For a full list of ingredients and measurements, check out the recipe card below.

• Potatoes - Choose fresh potatoes (preferably from the varieties listed above). You'll need 5 pounds of potatoes, peeled and diced. Cut them into fairly uniform pieces so they heat consistently during processing.
• Salt - Salt contributes flavor rather than making the food safe, so you can adjust it according to your dietary needs and preferences. We use Redmond Real Salt. (Use that link to automatically get 15% off your order!) 
• Broth - The broth adds extra flavor and makes these potatoes particularly convenient for quick meals. I recommend homemade chicken bone broth. It’s easy to make, frugal, more nutritious, and more flavorful than store-bought.

How to Can Potatoes

Step 1: Prepare the Jars and Potatoes

Wash your jars, lids, and bands in hot, soapy water.

Add 2 to 3 inches of water to your pressure canner and begin warming it over low heat.

Place your clean jars in the canner with a little water inside each jar to keep them weighted down. Allow the jars to warm while you prepare the potatoes.

Wash, peel, and cut 5 pounds of potatoes into evenly sized pieces.

Combine the salt with the optional pepper, rosemary, and thyme in a small bowl.

Remove the warm jars from the canner and empty the water. Bring the water in the pressure canner to a low simmer, about 180°F.

Divide the seasonings (if using) evenly among your jars, using approximately 1 ¼ teaspoons for each pint or 2 ½ teaspoons for each quart.

Step 2: Fill the Jars

Pack the peeled and chopped potatoes into the hot jars, leaving 1 inch of headspace.

A canning funnel makes this much easier and helps keep the jar rims clean.

Pour boiling broth over the potatoes, again maintaining 1 inch of headspace.

Run a bubble-removal tool around the inside of each jar to release trapped air. Check the headspace again and add additional hot broth if needed.

Step 3: Add the Lids

Wipe each jar rim carefully with a clean cloth dampened with vinegar.

Place the lids on the jars and screw the bands on until fingertip tight. They don't need to be cranked down.

Place the filled jars into the pressure canner.

5. Vent the Pressure Canner

Lock the canner lid into place according to your canner manufacturer's directions.

Increase the heat and allow a steady stream of steam to vent from the canner for 10 full minutes.

Don't shorten this step.

Step 4: Bring the Canner to Pressure

After venting, add the pressure regulator.

Bring the canner to 11 PSI for a dial-gauge canner or 10 PSI for a weighted-gauge canner, adjusting the pressure as required for your elevation.

Step 5: Process the Potatoes

Once the canner has reached and stabilized at the correct pressure, begin timing.

Process:

• Pints for 35 minutes
• Quarts for 40 minutes

Maintain the required pressure throughout the entire processing period.

Step 6: Allow the Canner to Depressurize

When processing is complete, turn off the heat.

Now comes an important part: don't rush it.

Allow the canner to return to 0 PSI naturally. Don't try to speed up the cooling process.

Once it reaches zero, remove the pressure regulator and allow the canner to sit another 5 minutes before opening the lid.

Step 7: Remove and Cool the Jars

Carefully open the lid away from your face so the steam escapes in the opposite direction.

Use a jar lifter to move the jars onto a clean towel.

Leave them undisturbed for 16 to 24 hours.

As tempting as it is to start pressing those lids to see whether they've sealed, give them time to cool completely.

After the jars have cooled, check every seal.

Remove the bands and wash the outside of the jars with room-temperature water as needed.

Any jar that hasn't been sealed needs to be handled according to current safe canning recommendations rather than placed on the pantry shelf.

Tips and Troubleshooting

Always Peel Potatoes Before Canning

This is one of those steps you don't want to skip.

Even if your potatoes came from beautiful garden soil and you've scrubbed them thoroughly, peel them before canning.

And don't throw those peels away if you can put them to good use. They can go into the compost pile, or you can use them in another appropriate recipe.

Why Is the Liquid in My Jars Cloudy?

Don't panic if your finished jars don't have crystal-clear liquid.

Raw-packed potatoes can release starch into the liquid, which can make it look cloudy. It may not give you that picture-perfect jar, but appearance isn't the goal here.

We're filling the pantry with useful food.

Raw Pack vs. Hot Pack

This recipe uses a raw-pack method because it makes filling jars quick and straightforward.

Hot packing can produce clearer liquid because some of the excess starch is removed before the potatoes go into the jars.

Whichever approved method you're following, stick with its instructions from beginning to end rather than combining steps from several different methods.

Keep an Eye on Pressure

Once processing begins, your job is to maintain the correct pressure.

If the pressure drops below the required level during processing, follow current safe canning guidance for how to proceed. This is exactly why I recommend staying nearby rather than starting another project at the other end of the house.

Adjust for Elevation

Canning pressure must be adjusted for elevation.

If you live at a higher elevation, don't automatically use the sea-level pressure listed in a recipe. Determine your elevation and use the correct pressure for your location and canner type.

What If a Jar Doesn't Seal?

First, don't put an unsealed jar on the pantry shelf.

An unsealed jar needs to be handled promptly according to current safe canning recommendations.

And please don't see a failed seal as proof that you're bad at canning. Even experienced canners occasionally get a jar that doesn't seal.

Check what happened, learn from it, and do the next thing.

Storage Instructions

Once the jars have cooled for 16 to 24 hours and you've confirmed that they're properly sealed, remove the bands, clean the jars, and label them.

Store home-canned potatoes in a cool, dark, dry location away from direct sunlight and temperature extremes.

Before opening any jar of home-canned food, inspect it carefully. If the jar is unsealed or shows signs of spoilage, don't taste the food to determine whether it's safe.

The Homestead Kitchen

This tutorial for canning potatoes was featured in issue No.31 of the Homestead Kitchen magazine. If you are looking for a homesteading resource that can provide answers, guidance, encouragement, tips and tricks, or advice, this magazine was designed just for you. 

As new homesteaders, it took us a lot of trial and error to overcome feelings of inadequacy. Now, we have made it our mission to share our journey and knowledge with others to help them bypass some of those growing pains.

With the Homestead Kitchen magazine, you will be put on the fast track to homesteading with confidence as we share how to overcome the big obstacles along with the little things that can make a huge impact on your success. 

Now, the Homestead Kitchen magazine is available in print! So subscribe today and start enjoying this magazine in the palm of your hand.

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