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1:47 pm
February 17, 2012
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farmboy
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We still have some taters left but they are starting to sprout. I picked the sprouts off but not sure if that really helps. I don't have a real root cellar yet but have what I call a cool room in the basement which is dark and about 50 degrees.
I am thinking next year of canning some but wondering if they turn to mush? I was happy to see that when I cooked some small cubes in bean soup that they were still solid and not spongy even after freezing and cooking again. What about drying slices, anyone do that?
I have also seen conflicting stories about whether you should have onions in the same storage area. One place suggested putting dried herbs in with them to keep from sprouting- lavender,sage and rosemary.
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2:11 pm
February 17, 2012
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kaijafon
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before you dry them you have to cook them. I tried it without but they turn black.
I just chopped up some, boiled them until tender then dehydrated them. They still look good.
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8:42 pm
February 17, 2012
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catinhat
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They at least have to be blanched before dehydrating, and it's recommended that you put them in some lemon water too (a dip in that) to keep them from darkening. Mine are not sprouting yet, but I have a root cellar and it's staying right around 35 down there. However, we had a massive bumper crop of them, and I still have quite a lot, so I'm going to try deydrating some and canning some too. I'm thinking cooked/drained/dipped cubes to dehydrate, because I could make those into potato soup. I've heard that canned ones can have a starchy 'slimy' feel to the outside, so I'm going to peel and slice, and let them sit in water in the fridge overnight before canning to decrease the starch a little. I've heard that if you drain the canned ones they fry up nicely, but haven't tried any of it myself just yet.
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9:16 pm
February 17, 2012
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Hussy
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Post edited 9:17 pm – February 17, 2012 by Hussy
http://www.youtube.com/results…..38l1.4l5l0
Here is a whole page of videos about dehydrating potatoes. I did some and have used them in soup. My husband thinks they are better than fresh. Very easy. I didn't cook them all the way but did use lemon juice on some. The ones I blanched and didn't use lemon juice were just as beautiful as the ones that I did use lemon juice on. You want to cook them about half way between blanch and fully cooked. Or at least I did.
I'm going to do some cabbage next.
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5:44 pm
February 19, 2012
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farmboy
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Thanks ladies. I have lot's of time to investigate before my next crop. Anyone know if it's better to can or dry them when they are fresh out of the ground? That's when they are the most solid. I grew only Yukon Gold last year, this year will probably add some red and hopefully finish my cool room better.
I'm hoping to can some homemade stew too.
When I was a kid my mother used to buy box mixes of scalloped and au gratin potatoes with dried taters in them.
Cat, I don't know if it's true, but one site said that taters should be not kept in areas below 38 degrees.
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7:09 pm
February 26, 2012
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catinhat
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Farmboy, I find that when my potatoes first come out of the ground they cook very, very fast because the water content is higher. I think that if I pressure canned them fresh they would disintegrate more in the jar, because they tend to fall apart more easily anyway when they are so fresh.
When you store potatoes at colder temps, they say the starches convert to sugars. When you bring them back into a warmer space, they convert back in a few days. I keep a bucket of potatoes in my basement (temps in the 50's), and that seems to make it all OK.
Hope that helps.
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