Pressure Canning Dry Packed French Fry Cut Potatoes
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In rebel home canning land, we all know how to preserve our home-canned potatoes the BEST way. Dry pack canned! This method gives the best fried potatoes you could ask for. They fry up so beautiful and crisp you won’t want them another way. And if you can them as french fries… game over. One fry in some beef tallow and you have the crispest fries without having to double fry. If I had enough jars, I’d can every last potato I dig out of my garden every year; they’re that good.
Now. Your canning books and the national center for home food preservation are gonna disagree… simply because they didn’t test it. Does that make this method illegal? Nope! Does it make it unsafe? Also, nope! This is where that almighty discernment and critical thinking using that squishy organ in your noggin comes in to play. If you don’t like it… don’t do it. It’s really that easy.
French fries aren’t the only way I can dry packed potatoes. I also do a variety of recipes and potato shapes:
- breakfast potatoes / potatoes o’brien
- hashbrowns
- german potato salad
- diced potatoes
- herbed chunks
- small whole potatoes
What is Dry Pack Canning?
This method has been done for years and years and years. It’s just recently been re-popularized and then was tested by Diana Devereaux (The Canning Diva) and lab testing showed no botulism growth. Now, I know some are gonna say… BUT BUT BUT they actually inoculate the jars with botulism for our SaFeTy so we know the process inactivates the spores. I don’t know how I feel about that considering they’re inoculating said testing jars with massive amounts of botulism spores far beyond what our jars could every possibly be contaminated with and then declaring things are unapproved. Okayyyyyyyy. I’m skeptical at best.
Most of the safety issue people find is with the thermal process. They believe the thermal process cannot happen unless extra water is present within the jar… i.e. canning by the rules. How would a root vegetable, like potatoes, not be able to conduct heat with the water within its fibers since they’re 70% or more water. And why are we “allowed” to pack raw meat with no extra liquid but vegetables are danger-danger?? Just food for thought. Maybe look into it because the arguments set forth regarding dry pack canning being unsafe just aren’t holding up to me. And also research botulism and understand it; it’s rather helpful to know it, respect it, and know how to prevent it than to live behind a veil of fear.
But, again, I advocate that you do what works for you. Because at the end of the day, if you are canning food you are afraid of, you’re not going to eat it and you’re wasting your time, your hard earned money, and food.
I don’t just dry pack can my taters either. I dry pack can most root crops, like carrots, beets, and turnips, and fresh green beans! They are amazing!
What Potato Varieties Work Best for Canning?
ANY POTATO YOU HAVE. Seriously. Whatever you grow, can buy in bulk, find on sale, they all work. I prefer red skin potatoes, but have canned kennebec, russet, and a random yellow variety, likely yukon golds. The only issue I’ve had is the high starch varieties, like russets, turn a grayish color after canning. The other varieties stay a beautiful gold to white. Do I care? Nope. Cause gray taters fry to crispy brown just as easy as white ones. Experiment with different types of potatoes and see what you and your family enjoys!
Should I Peel Potatoes to Can?
You’re going to get my opinion here, but first I’ll tell you what you’re supposed to do. Current approved methods state to peel potatoes. This allegedly removes the risk of botulism getting into the jar *insert gigantic eye roll here*. Can you imagine thinking that peeling a potato, fingering it to death with your hands, and then putting it into a jar isn’t transferring any bacteria or spores? Are we sterilizing the peeler blade and our hands between every swipe of the peeler? I bet not. So, this is a false sense of security and the approval probably came from the NCHFP assuming most Americans peeled their potatoes, so why waste time and precious funding to test them with peels, too. Just say to peel them and be done with it.
I do not peel potatoes I grow myself. I know where they came from and how they were handled. If I get potatoes from the store or from somewhere else that I don’t know, I scrub the devil out of them, wash, and peel. Since I don’t peel the potatoes I grow, I choose to soak them in lukewarm water to loosen the dirt, scrub very thoroughly, and then allow the potatoes to soak in a vinegar solution for about 15 minutes while I prepare to start processing them. For me, vinegar just ensures another level of cleanliness which is next to Godliness when you’re canning and ye ole botchy-lizm doesn’t much care for anything acidic, mmhmmm.
Why Soak Potatoes Before Canning?
You’re going to see in the recipe that I say to soak the french fries at minimum two separate times for about 1 hour each time, rinsing very well between and after. This soaking helps remove excess starch. If you skip this step, you will have an unsightly starch blob, which is an unappetizing looking very thick gel that will settle at the bottom of your jar. You will have to rinse your potatoes prior to using them instead of being able to dump the jar and go and they’ll probably discolor and look horrifying. Soaking also helps with discoloration from oxidation. As you work and cut the potatoes, keep them submerged in water. Some folks will use a little citric acid or ascorbic acid in their water with the potatoes, but I’ve found this entirely unnecessary because the water and the soaking does the job just fine. You will soak the potatoes until the water is clear… meaning you add new water and on the final soak the water doesn’t get crazy cloudy anymore. For normal, lower starch varieties, usually 2 soaks is plenty, but 3 soaks ain’t gonna hurt nobody.
To soak the french fries, you will first cut them working one whole potato at a time, and add them to a large bowl or pot big enough to hold them and keep them submerged. Cover them with cold water. Let them sit for about 1 hour, or longer if you get distracted like me.
After 1 hour, drain the french fries and rinse them thoroughly. Add them back to the pot and cover with fresh water. Soak another hour.
Look at the water. Is it really cloudy still or is it looking pretty clear? It doesn’t have to be perfectly clear but it should be less cloudy than the first soak. Use your judgement. Drain and rinse them very well again and allow to drip and dry for a bit while you prep your jars. You want all the excess water off, so you can either lay them on towels to dry them or just let them drip dry for an hour in a strainer. Your choice. After soaking, they really don’t oxidize anymore. It’s magical!
I have been known to process my potatoes late at night, cover them with water, and allow them to soak overnight, too. Then complete a second soak the next day. It all works!
Enough flapping, let’s can some french fries!
Equipment
- Pressure canner
- Stock pot or large bowl
- French fry cutter
- Wide mouth pint or quart canning jars
- Canning lids and bands
- Jar Lifter
Ingredients
- Potatoes
- Fat of choice (butter, lard, tallow)
Step 1: Wash Potatoes
Plan on 1-1.5 pounds of potatoes for each quart jar.
Start by scrubbing your potatoes and washing them thoroughly. Peel if you’d like (see above to make a decision for yourself).
Step 2: Cut French Fries
Using a french fry cutter of choice, cut your french fries and add them to a large pot or bowl and cover with water. Keep french fries submerged in water to prevent oxidation as you work.
Step 3: First Soak
Make sure all french fries are submerged in cool water and allow to soak about 1 hour. After this time, drain and rinse thoroughly.
Step 4: Second Soak
Add french fries back to the bowl and cover with fresh water. Allow to soak 1 more hour. After soaking time, look at the soaking water. Does it look really cloudy still? You may want to do another soak, but if it’s pretty clear, they’re ready to can. Drain the french fries, rinse well, and set aside to drain excess water off,.
Step 5: Prep Jars
While the french fries are draining, wash jars and lids in hot, soapy water. Set aside.
Step 6: Pack Jars
Wide mouth jars are easiest for packing french fries. Pack jars to 1-inch headspace with french fries. Tap bottom of jar on the heel of your hand to settle the fries to add more. Pack them as tightly as you can. They can be a bit above the headspace, because we’re dry canning potatoes, they will shrink quite a bit so I normally fill them to the tippy top. Do your thing here.
After packing, add a pat of butter, lard, tallow, or my favorite, bacon fat to each jar. I do not season as I prefer to do this after I open the jars to cook them so it gets evenly distributed, but you can add up to 1 teaspoon of salt per quart jar. Halve it for pints.
Wipe rims and add lids and bands. Tighten rings to lid manufacturer’s specification.
Step 7: Pressure Canning
Place jars in a pressure canner and pressure can for a processing time of 35 minutes pints or 40 minutes quarts at your elevations recommended weight for low-acid food.
After canning time, allow pressure canner to completely depressurize before removing jars and setting aside to cool for 18-24 hours. Any jars that did not seal should be refrigerated and used within the next few days. I wouldn’t recommend reprocessing because they’ll be mashed potatoes after another round.
After cooling time, remove rings, test seals, wash and label jars, and store in a cool, dark area away from direct sunlight.
The canning process renders these shelf stable and they will keep as long as the seal is good. Aim to use your canned goods within 2 years for best nutritional value and benefit, but they will last far longer than that.
Happy Canning!
Equipment
- Stock pot or large bowl
- Wide mouth pint or quart canning jars
- canning lids and bands
- jar lifter
Ingredients
Ingredients are PER QUART JAR, resize to fill your canner
- 1 pound Potatoes
- 1 tsp Fat of choice butter, lard, tallow
Instructions
- Start by scrubbing your potatoes and washing them thoroughly. Peel if you'd like.
- Using a french fry cutter of choice, cut your french fries and add them to a large pot or bowl and cover with water. Keep french fries submerged in water to prevent oxidation as you work.
- Make sure all french fries are submerged in cool water and allow to soak about 1 hour. After this time, drain and rinse thoroughly.
- Add french fries back to the bowl and cover with fresh water. Allow to soak 1 more hour. After soaking time, look at the soaking water. Does it look really cloudy still? You may want to do another soak, but if it's pretty clear, they're ready to can. Drain the french fries, rinse well, and set aside to drain excess water off
- While the french fries are draining, wash jars and lids in hot, soapy water. Set aside.
- Wide mouth jars are easiest for packing french fries. Pack jars to 1-inch headspace with french fries. Tap bottom of jar on the heel of your hand to settle the fries to add more. Pack them as tightly as you can.
- After packing, add a teaspoon of butter, lard, tallow, or my favorite, bacon fat to each jar. I do not season as I prefer to do this after I open the jars to cook them so it gets evenly distributed but you can add up to 1 teaspoon of salt per quart jar.
- Wipe rims and add lids and bands. Tighten rings to lid manufacturer's specification.
- Place jars in a pressure canner and pressure can for a processing time of 35 minutes pints or 40 minutes quarts at your elevations recommended weight for low-acid food.
- After canning time, allow pressure canner to completely depressurize before removing jars and setting aside to cool for 18-24 hours.
- After cooling time, remove rings, test seals, wash and label jars, and store in a cool, dark area away from direct sunlight.
- The canning process renders these shelf stable and they will keep as long as the seal is good. Aim to use your canned goods within 2 years for best nutritional value and benefit, but they will last far longer than that.
I haven’t made these yet but will be making them very very soon. Your writing is humorous and your tips are fabulous, especially when it comes to the “rules” as in dry canning potatoes. You are now my favourite canning website. Thanks for making it funny and interesting!!! Corn will be next.
Golly, thank you so much! I’m glad you’re here!
Oh and you love Jesus too!!! I’m all in.
Why do you have to add the butter,or fat. What does it do
it helps with flavor and keeps the potatoes from sticking together as well as adds the fat/oil straight to the pan when you dump them out. You don’t HAVE to use it, but it does make a difference!
I love this recipe!!! I have been using it for over a year and they are amazing!! It’s so nice to have canned french fries available and easy to make!
Thanks girl!!
Greetings, Ruby, from Ontario.
My morning began with a look outside at the snow piling up – Bible study cancelled – change of plans. How to dry can the 10lbs of potatoes bought yesterday? I looked at the instruction last year but had not actually done it.
Your site was the first google brought up mentioning ‘dry packed’. And what a treat reading and exploring your website! You have been blessed with health, strength, purpose, and a good dose of humour.
So the potatoes are soaking in the kitchen sink waiting to be processed for dry pressure canning, with a big bag of carrots looking on. Only the French fry cutter is missing from my pantry. Would this work with hand cut potato wedges, I wonder? Time will tell. I do intend to use the dry can method for the carrots. What’s the worst that can happen!?
I’ll be back to your site just for the entertainment of your common sense attitude toward life in general, food in particular. It’s great to connect with someone else who cooks ‘from scratch’.
The recipe rating is based on how thorough your instructions are, making me confident of success – based on past experience in reading about and doing pressure canning.
Blessings of the Lord!
Hand cut wedges are great too! I’m actually canning those right now :D This guideline for canning french fries actually works for any shape of potato you desire – hashbrowns (shredded or cubed), skinny fries, steak fries, big fries, whatever shape you want!