# Question about canning potatoes?? Help?!



## Angelquest (Feb 11, 2012)

I can't find an answer to this question online anywhere so i am hoping someone here knows! :shrug: 
I grew potatoes for the first time this year, three varieties- yellow, red and purple. Our season was short, weird weather, and things were kind of stunted. So I got a lot of potatoes, but they all look like fingerling or "new' potatoes. All the recipies I am seeing for canning them say "peel the potatoes"....um...no! They are the size of golf balls! Not peeling them! :umno:
So does anyone know if you can safely can potatoes with the skins still on if you scrub them really well first? I think the colors would be really pretty in the jar too, but wondered if the purple ones would release their color and make the potatoes look grey? Any advice? Thanks!


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## Danaus29 (Sep 12, 2005)

The purple ones do look a bit dingy after canning but not grey. Just kind of not as pretty blue or purple as boiled spuds.

Yes you can can without peeling. I just make sure I heat them real well after I open the jar and before eating the canned potatoes. Cold potatoes are pretty gross (IMO) anyway.


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## suitcase_sally (Mar 20, 2006)

Poke a small hole in the potatoes before canning. It seems to help keep them from bursting in the jar. If they DO burst, it's not like they "explode", just sort of crack open.


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## okiemomof3 (Jan 11, 2010)

i have canned many quarts of potatoes with the jackets still on them...scrub really good! and you should be good to go.


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## MullersLaneFarm (Jul 23, 2004)

I only scrub my tators before canning.


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## PlicketyCat (Jul 14, 2010)

I don't like the texture of canned potato skins and don't want to risk contaminating any of my jars, so I peel them... BUT, since I'm blanching my taters before canning anyway, I just use this simple peeling method

[ame=http://youtu.be/z4W0qIPJmoo]Dawn Wells Potato Peeling Video - YouTube[/ame]

This method also works for beets, turnips and radishes; and it doesn't take any longer than scrubbing the whole lot would. It also works for knobbly fingerlings, but rubbing them gently with a dish towel works a little better than just trying to squeeze them out of their jackets.


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