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Post by catinhat on Feb 12, 2012 16:15:30 GMT -5
I think this fits best in this forum, even though I'll be using an electric dehydrator and a canner.
I still have a lot of potatoes left from harvest, and I'd like to dehydrate some now, while it's cold out, instead of later. That way the heat of the dehydrator will help warm the house too. Same with canned potatoes. There is no way we'll eat this many potatoes before they start sprouting, so I'm looking at putting them up for that reason. Otherwise, I'd just as soon leave them in the root cellar, because it's easy and doesn't require the electric, jar lids, etc.
The only thing is, I've never dehydrated potatoes. I think I know how - blanch, then dry, right? I've used the ones in a box that come with powder and get used for au gratin or scalloped potatoes. We like those fine. But if I were to dehydrate cubes (for potato soup and other soups) and slices (for au gratin or scallops), does anyone here have experience or recipes for me to use them? Also, is it possible to mash them, spread them thin on a fruit leather sheet and then dry/powder them, maybe for use in bread or as mashed potatoes?
I've never canned potatoes either. I've never eaten canned potatoes. Are they any good? Can you mash them? Are they OK for potato salad? Please help? I don't mind doing the work at all, I just want to make sure I'm making something we will use. I have canned vegetable soup and beef stew that have potatoes in them, just not plain potatoes on their own.
Thank you so much! -cat
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Post by Granny Smith on Feb 12, 2012 16:47:27 GMT -5
I'm no help with canning them. I reckon I know how, but have never done it. I CAN help with the dehydrating, though. First, fully cook them. I know all the instructions say to parboil or partially steam them, but they rehydrate better if you fully cook them before you dry them. By 'fully cook', I mean to cook them just until they're tender. A sharp knife inserted in the middle will slide out easily.
You can either peel them before or after you boil them, but they'll dry faster if you boil them with their skins on. After they're peeled and cooked (or cooked and peeled), cut them however you want them (or put them through a ricer or food mill for instant mashed). If you are making mashed, dunk them in acidulated water (water with a slug of lemon juice) before you rice or mill them. If you're shredding, slicing, or cubing them, dunk them as you shred, slice, or cube, then drain well. The dunking will keep them from turning dark. Spread them out on your dehydrator trays (or leather trays for mashed), sprinkle with a little plain salt (optional, but helps them keep longer), and dry until they're crisp.
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Post by eyeofthestorm on Feb 12, 2012 17:03:08 GMT -5
I've done both. I have nothing to really add to what Gayle said about dehydrating.
Canning: they can get a sort of, IDK, slime(?), I think from the starch. So, just dumping them out and heating them may not go over with the family. But, I've found that I can put them in recipes (say, fry them or make a cream sauce and bake them in that) and everyone is happy as a clam.
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Post by catinhat on Feb 12, 2012 18:34:09 GMT -5
Thank you both. The next time I'm in the supermarket I'm going to look and see if there is anything in canned potatoes besides potatoes. If they have citric acid or that pickle crisp stuff (I can't remember the real name for it) in them, I will ask my extension office friend about whether or not that would help w/the slime. My neighbor buys canned potatoes to make potato salad and her potato salad is good, but sometimes home-canned is fairly different from storebought.
Sandra, it sounds like cubed canned potatoes would work for potato soup? Or do you think dried ones would be better?
Finally, if I make instant mashed potatoes, I want to leave them pretty plain, right? No butter or milk, just a little salt?
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Post by Valerie on Feb 12, 2012 18:46:18 GMT -5
When rehydrating those dried mashed potatoes, what is the ratio for potatoes/water or milk?
I have a bunch but haven't used them because I didn't know how.
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Post by Granny Smith on Feb 12, 2012 18:59:58 GMT -5
Valerie, it's been a while since I used any of the mashed potatoes, about 2 years, but I think it was equal parts potatoes and boiling water, then stir in a little butter and as much milk as you need to make them creamy.
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Post by eyeofthestorm on Feb 12, 2012 19:10:49 GMT -5
[quote author=catinhat board=offgrid thread=7204 post=48067 time=1329089649 Sandra, it sounds like cubed canned potatoes would work for potato soup? Or do you think dried ones would be better? [/quote]
I think either would work, but I'd only add in canned p`otatoes at the last minute. Just heat them through.
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Post by meemo on Feb 12, 2012 19:43:43 GMT -5
I can lots of potatos for soups and stews. I have drained them and browned them in butter. My menfolks didnt mind them at all. I never use the canning liquid. That seems to help them taste better. If I have time I peel and cut them the way I'm goin to can them. Cover with water and let them sit overnight. The next day you can lift out the potatoes with a strainer and a lot of the starch will be settled on the bottom. Dont dump or stir them up. Just dip. I usually do that with either store bought taters or some I've had stored. Really fresh ones right out of the garden dont need soaking.
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Post by catinhat on Feb 12, 2012 21:59:43 GMT -5
Meemo, I was wondering about that very thing after reading what Sandra said about them being a bit slimy - thanks!
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Post by Valerie on Feb 13, 2012 9:24:55 GMT -5
Valerie, it's been a while since I used any of the mashed potatoes, about 2 years, but I think it was equal parts potatoes and boiling water, then stir in a little butter and as much milk as you need to make them creamy. That would make sense. First rehydrate them, then turn them into mashed potatoes. Thanks!
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Post by ~CalicoPrairie~ on Feb 13, 2012 10:22:49 GMT -5
Canning: they can get a sort of, IDK, slime(?), I think from the starch. So, just dumping them out and heating them may not go over with the family. But, I've found that I can put them in recipes (say, fry them or make a cream sauce and bake them in that) and everyone is happy as a clam. I've never dehydrated, but I've canned too and will concur with what Sandra has said about the slimyness of the end product. It's weird and, for me, hard to get past. Oh--frying them sounds like a great idea, but the texture is too weird for soups or mashed potatoes.
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Post by catinhat on Feb 13, 2012 11:50:44 GMT -5
Thank you all! Here is my plan, after sleeping on it. I still have the 3 turkeys in the freezer that I need to partially thaw and part out. (I wanted to wait until I'd used all the parts from previous turkeys, and I'm nearly there.) When I part them out, I will wrap breasts and thighs and put them back into the freezer. I'll can up the meat from the legs and wings and backs, along with all the stock I'll get from that.
That should leave me with a considerable amount of freezer space, because parts pack much more tightly than whole birds, plus I'm reducing the volume a good bit. So I'll make mashed potatoes by the vat and freeze them. Then I'll can some potatoes for frying up at a future time. I think I'll can up some cubed potatoes too, just because now, I'm curious. I think that if I were to make a soup base (chicken broth thickened with a white sauce and add rinsed canned potatoes (but not their water) to it, it'd be OK. I will at least give it a try. Same with dehydrating - I just want to experiment, I guess.
Thanks again for all the input!
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Post by Cyngbaeld on Feb 13, 2012 14:11:56 GMT -5
I prefer to can the waxy types of potatoes, like the reds and yellows. Baking type tend to get too mushy.
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Post by Valerie on Feb 13, 2012 15:18:27 GMT -5
That's what I would think, too, Kim, just based on the texture and amount of starch of the potato. The baking type do well boiled, then mashed, then dehydrated.
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Post by catinhat on Feb 13, 2012 15:40:28 GMT -5
These are Kennebec - a mid-range sort of potato, so I guess we'll just see what happens.
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