HELP!!! 120 lbs of potatoes, what do I do now!!

[pippenwycks]

OK, so this may be a dumb question but the CIty Mouse needs help!! What can I do with all these potatoes??

 

Today I found organic potatoes on sale at the food Co-op 99cents for a 10 lb bag!!! They over bought and so did I!! Then mom, bless her, found the same deal later and bought me two more bags!! Now I have 120 lbs of potatoes and no idea what else to do with them. I have used every jar I have to can them and still have bags and bags of potatoes left. I tried to dehydrate some but they turned black...yuck. I looked it up and a web site said to dip them quickly in boiling water then dehydrate so that's what I did but it did NOT work. Can they be dehydrated??? and if they can how?? Peel, don't peel, sliced, cubed????? I bought some mylar bags and oyygen absorbers and thought I could put them in those but everything has to be dried to go in them...doesn't it?? ( I haven't used them yet) Can they be frozen?? or will we be eating potatoes three meals a day for the next three months?

ANY help would be most appreciated...for now I'll be trying to figure out how to make potato tea, potato cereal, potato toast......

 

Thanks,

 

Pip

[sassenach]

First you would peel them and slice 1/4" wide slices, dices, blanch with colander and boiling water... HOW MANY MINUTES BLANCHING ReQuired??? Maybe someone can say . 6 minutes?

then spread out on trays and dry in dehydrator.

That is one heck of a lot of potatoes!

[dogmom4]

I've seen somewhere online that you can freeze them. I think it was frozen as mashed maybe?

[kappydell]

I have dried potatoes - peel, slice or dice no more than 1/4 inch thick. Or you can grate them as for hash browns. I use a big-holed grater and make a pile. Steam blanch until slightly translucent 3-6 min depending on how thin you sliced...). I go by looks. Then should still hold togther, just look a little translucent. Sorry, its the only description I have. Then dry until hard & crisp. Dont worry if you over-blanch, I've even dehydrated canned (fully cooked) potatoes and they did fine. I use slices for scalloped potatoes, cubes in soups, and (oh yeah, I almost forgot) grated in hash browns and potato pancakes. They dry down nicely. I always was fond of spuds....

[pippenwycks]

Wow !!THANK YOU SOOOOOO MUCH!!! I'll start peeling and blanching right away...hopefully I'll be done before Christmas (This should say SPUD instead of THUD...hehe) Wish me luck!!

My OH is calling me the crazy spud lady!! So he is the couch potato, and kids are tater tots right??... I know that's aweful but I have potatoes on the brain and in the kitchen, and livingroom, and mud room, and...

 

Thanks everyone!!!

 

Pip

[Jeepers]

You can mash them and freeze them.

 

Or you can mash them and make dehydrated mashed potatoes. Don't add milk or butter, just potatoes.

 

Yes, your food will have to be dried before using the Mylar bags and oxygen absorbers.

 

You are going to be seeing potatoes in your sleep!

[themartianchick]

Keep in mind that you dont have to do something with all of them... Keep them in a cool dark place and they can last for quite awhile. Get you potatoe recipes ready... Potato salad as a side dish for lunch, potato panckes for breakfast once a week. Bake up a couple of loaves of potato bread, or make pierogies...They sell frozen pierogies in the grocery store, so I know that those can be frozen.

 

Make your own version of the KFC bowls with mashed potatoes, gravy, popcorn chicken bits, corn and shredded cheddar. I know that it sounds like a heart attack on a plate, but it is fun comfort food that pleases everyone on a cold night.

[Annarchy]

Keep in mind that you dont have to do something with all of them... Keep them in a cool dark place and they can last for quite awhile. Get you potatoe recipes ready...

 

In the "Wagons Ho" adventure...

 

Mt_Rider posted:

Potatoes don't like it as cold and not wet. In fact they must be 'cured' in an airy/DARK place for a couple weeks before storing. These were stored in well ventilated wooden-slat bushel baskets. Not so many that the weight would press on the lowest taters. [squish effect is not good] If these got too cold, down past 35 degrees, the starches can turn to sugars. But allegedly, if you bring them into a warmer environment [70 degrees] for a couple weeks, the process will reverse. shrug.gif The temperatures down here should remain pretty steady.

 

I'm sure once she sees this, she will offer more suggestions.

 

Congratulations on the potato score!

[Amishway Homesteaders]

Keep in mind that you dont have to do something with all of them... Keep them in a cool dark place and they can last for quite awhile. Get you potatoe recipes ready... Potato salad as a side dish for lunch, potato panckes for breakfast once a week. Bake up a couple of loaves of potato bread, or make pierogies...They sell frozen pierogies in the grocery store, so I know that those can be frozen.

 

Make your own version of the KFC bowls with mashed potatoes, gravy, popcorn chicken bits, corn and shredded cheddar. I know that it sounds like a heart attack on a plate, but it is fun comfort food that pleases everyone on a cold night.

 

 

Thats what what I came in to say.........................

Store them!

NOW seeing you said they were organic potatoes that means they may not have been sprayed to stop them from sprouting (like store bought ones do)?

So you may have to go into your stored potatoes and snap them off from time to time.

 

Also again organic potatoes have a habit of turning 'green skined' IF they get any sunlight while in stoage so keep them covered! If they do just make sure you peel them before using.

 

BUT wow ! Good score!

[Violet]

Go to this website :

http://nchfp.uga.edu/how/dry/csu_dry_vegetables.pdf

 

If you will bookmark the site you will have most food preservation questions answered by searching. It is the best site there is as far as I am concerned. We use it at work.

 

Yes, you must blanch potatoes long enough so they don't turn black.

 

 

 

http://nchfp.uga.edu/index.html

 

Freezing

 

New Irish Potatoes

Preparation – Select smooth new potatoes directly from the garden. Peel or scrape and wash. Water blanch for 3 to 5 minutes, depending on the size.

 

Cool, drain and package whole or sectioned, leaving 1/2-inch headspace. Seal and freeze.

 

French Fried Potatoes – Select mature potatoes which have been stored 30 days. Wash, peel and cut into 1/3-inch sticks lengthwise, then crosswise into 3/8-inch strips. Rinse in cold water. Dry thoroughly. Fry small amounts in deep, hot fat (360ºF) about 5 minutes until tender but not brown. Drain on paper towel. Cool. Package, seal and freeze.

 

At serving time, finish browning in a hot oven (475ºF).

 

 

 

I make mashed potatoes and freeze them. I thought doing 20 lb. was a lot at one time.

 

You can make a soup base with potatoes, celery, carrot, onion, etc. and can it. If you want firm potatoes add Pickle crisp to the jars of potatoes. Use same amount as for pickles. The amount on the side of the jar.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[pippenwycks]

Success!!! My first batch of dehydrated potatoes came out perfectly thanks to all of your great advice!!! Only 115 lbs to go!! LOL And yes aparently I am dreaming of potatoes in my sleep...I woke up about 4 am and thought if I took the dehydrated potatoes and ground them up into flour I would have potatoe flour to use!!! That will be on the list too. I think I may need another dehydrator!!

 

Jeepers - What a great idea!! I'll do that next...

Themartianchick - Awesome!! We love pierogies so that will definately be on the list too!!

 

Annarchy & Amishway - I had thought about storing some of them but just assumed most would have to be preserved in some way. I don't have a root celler but had thought maybe I could use the shelves in the corner of the garage. It's the inside corner so it stays cool but being the inside corner it wouldn't get so cold it would freeze and I can cover them with burlap to keep light out. That should do it. I know potatoes can be stored I've just never tried it. Of course I've never had this many potatoes either!! I'll have to work it out when I get home from voluntary slavory (work). Thanks!

 

Violet - Genius!! I never would have thought of the soup base!! Super idea and the french fried potatoes too!!! The web sites are excellent and I have them bookmarked for future use. Great resource thanks so much!!

 

 

This weekend 'm going to try the mylar bags with the dehydrated potatoes. My experiment for the weekend.

 

 

THANKS SO MUCH to ALL of you!!

 

Youngest son just called and asked what's for dinner tonight.....uhhh potatoes!!!!

[Ambergris]

I've had some luck dehydrating cooked potatoes, but never with raw potatoes or blanched potatoes.

[kappydell]

pippenwycks - you cant be the crazy spud queen, I am. I once told my DH that if we had kids, I was going to name the boy 'spud' (self explanitory) and the girl 'peruna' (Finnish for potato).

You can, however, be the spud princess.

[Amishway Homesteaders]

............................ So we had to run to the store real quick - out of heavy cream for scallop Cauliflower (supper side dish to go with fish fry) and -

There on the sale rack was a bag of potatoes for 99 cents!

So Lori sees them and says " I know we have lots of potatoes at home , but what can you make with these?"

"DRIED" was my reply!

"Then we could make scalloped potatoes like in these $$$ boxes at the store!"

I should have kept my mouth closed because she bought them and now I have to dry them, and then find a recipe for scalloped potatoes starting with dried?

 

[dogmom4]

You can make a soup base with potatoes, celery, carrot, onion, etc. and can it. If you want firm potatoes add Pickle crisp to the jars of potatoes. Use same amount as for pickles. The amount on the side of the jar.

 

Do you have a recipe Violet?

[Violet]

There are some in the Ball Blue Book if you have one.

 

Otherwise, just follow the guidelines for canning soups here : http://nchfp.uga.edu/how/can_04/soups.html

[kappydell]

How 'bout some dry potato recipes? Here are my favorites....

 

SCALLOPED POTATOES

3 cups dried potatoes, slices or dices

6 TB butter

3 TB flour

1 ½ c milk

1 c shredded cheese

Salt and pepper to taste

Put potatoes in shallow baking dish. In small saucepan, over low heat, melt butter. Blend in flour gradually to make a paste and stir well. Gradually stir in milk to make a white sauce. It will be thick.

Mix cheese into hot white sauce and stir until melted. Pour sauce over potatoes and mix gently. Bake at 400 degrees for 30-40 minutes.

 

100-SERVING SCALLOPED POTATOES (Military cookin’ at it’s best!!)

5 ½ pounds dehydrated potato slices

4 gal and 2 qts boiling water

3 TB salt

¼ cup plus 1/3 TB cooking spray

2 1/4 c melted butter

2 ¼ c flour

6 5/8 cups nonfat dry milk powder

8 ½ qts warm water

1/3 tsp white pepper

1 TB ground paprika

Add potatoes to boiling salted water, cover and bring to a boil in a gigantic pot. Lower heat and simmer 15-25 min until potatoes are tender. Drain well. Lightly spray each large baking dish with cooking spray. (The recipe specified ‘steam table pans’). Put potatoes in each sprayed pan; the steam table pans take 4 ½ qts of cooked drained potatoes in each. Set potatoes aside.

Blend butter and flour, stir until smooth using a wire whip. Reconstitute milk in warm water. Heat milk to just below boiling. DO NOT BOIL. Add milk to flour mixture, stirring constantly and add pepper.

Skimmer 10-15 min until thickened. Stir as needed. Pour 3 qts sauce over each steam table pan of potatoes. Sprinkle 1 tsp paprika over each pan. Bake 30 min or until lightly browned in 325 degree oven.

Portion is 2/3 cup, 89 cal, 10 g carbs, 2 g protein, 5 g fat, 12 mg cholesterols, 285 mg sodium and 65 mg calcium.

 

AND FINALLY, A SHELF STABLE SCALLOPED POTATO MIX (3 cups or four servings of ¾ cups)

Sauce:

2 TB nonfat dry milk

2 TB flour

2 TB cornstarch

1 tsp onion powder or 1 TB dried onion bits

1/8 tsp pepper

This makes one 6-TB package of sauce mix.

Pack 3 cups dehydrated potatoes, with a packet of 6 TB sauce mix, and another one of 1/3 c nonfat dry milk. Seal as air tight as possible.

Directions:

3 TB margarine, butter, or other good flavored fat

2 ¾ c boiling water

Scalloped potato mix

Pour potatoes in med size ungreased casserole, sprinkle sauce mix and nonfat dry milk on top.

Dot with butter, stir in boiling water. Bake at 400 degrees for 30-35 min or until tender; or you can bake at 350 degrees for 40-45 min or 325 degrees for 50-55 min. This will help you coordinate with whatever else you are baking.

 

HAMBURGER HELPER WITH POTATOES & MEAT

3 c dehydrated potatoes

1/3 c nonfat dry milk

One 6-oz package sauce mix

¼ tsp pepper

½ tsp salt

1 tsp beef bouillon granules

Combine milk, sauce mix, pepper, salt and bouillon in a baggie, and store with potatoes. Directions:

Brown 1 pound ground beef in skillet, drain fat. Stir in 2 ¾ c water and jar ingredients. Heat to boiling, then lower heat, cover and simmer stirring occasionally for about 25 min or until potatoes are tender.

Makes 4 cups.