Canning French Fries

No ratings yet

If you love homemade French fries but don’t always have the time to make them fresh, pressure canning is a great way to keep a stash of fries ready to go. The process allows you to preserve the fries in jars, so whenever you’re craving a crispy, golden batch, all you need to do is cook them up. While pressure-canned fries may be a little different than freshly cut fries, they hold up wonderfully when fried or baked, offering you the convenience of homemade fries with minimal effort.

Prep Time1 15

Cook Time45

Soaking Time3

Total Time5

Course: Side Dish

Cuisine: American

Keyword: Canning Potatoes, Pressure Canning Potatoes, Raw Pack Potatoes

Servings: Yield Varies, See Notes

Equipment

Pressure Canner I use an All-American Brand 930.
Wide Mouth Quart Mason Jars
Jar Lifter
Canning Funnel
French Fry Cutter Optional, but it really helps get evenly sized fries

Ingredients

Potatoes peeled and cut into fry shapes
Water for soaking
Salt 1 tsp per quart or ½ tsp per pint
Boiling water

Instructions

Prepare the Potatoes: Begin by peeling your potatoes. You can leave the skins on if you prefer, but for traditional fries, it’s best to peel them.
Once peeled, cut the potatoes into uniform, fry-shaped strips. Aim for fries about ½ to ¾ inch wide. This size works best for canning and gives you that perfect fry texture after canning and cooking.
Soak the Potatoes: To ensure the best texture, soaking the potatoes in water helps to remove excess starch. Place your cut potatoes in a large bowl, and cover them with water.
Change the water three times, allowing each water change to soak for about an hour. You can also soak them overnight for the best results.
After the final soak, drain the fries well, and give them a quick rinse in cold water to remove any remaining starch.
Pack the Jars: Sterilize your canning jars by running them through the dishwasher or placing them in hot water.
Add 1 teaspoon of salt per quart jar or ½ teaspoon per pint jar.
Begin packing the raw fries into the jars. The fries should be packed firmly but not squished. Leave about 1-inch of headspace at the top of the jar. Make sure that the fries are upright to fit as many as possible.
Fill with Boiling Water: Bring a pot of water to a boil. Carefully pour the boiling water into the jars over the fries, ensuring the fries are completely submerged. Leave the 1-inch headspace as required.
Use a spatula or a non-metallic utensil to remove any air bubbles by gently running it along the inside of the jar. Wipe the rims of the jars with a clean towel to ensure a good seal.
Pressure Can the French Fries: Place your jars in the pressure canner. Follow the manufacturer's instructions for your pressure canner to ensure safety and proper processing times.
Process the jars at 10 pounds of pressure for 35 minutes for pint jars or 40 minutes for quart jars, adjusting pressure to altitude (see notes).
After the processing time is up, turn off the heat and allow the pressure to release naturally. Once the pressure has fully released, remove the jars from the canner and let them cool on a towel-lined surface.
Label and Store: Once your jars are cool, check the seals to ensure they’re tight. Any jars that don't seal properly can be refrigerated and used within a few days.
Label your jars with the date of canning, and store them in a cool, dark place.

Notes

Don’t skip the pre-soaking steps! Without soaking, there will be too much starch in the jars.

Be sure to maintain 1-inch headspace when packing and filling the jars.

Yield

A canner load of 7 quarts requires about 20 pounds of potatoes, and a canner load of 9 pints requires about 12 to 14 pounds of potatoes. Large baking russets work the best in this recipe.

Add 1 tsp of salt per quart, and ½ tsp per pint. You’ll also need roughly 2 cups boiling water per quart, and 1 cup per pint.

I find that a single quart jar is just right for a quick side for two people, or a pint for one person. With my family of four, I usually open two quart jars for dinner.

Shelf Life

For shelf life, I’ve found that potatoes are best when used within 8 to 12 months of canning. They’re still good as long as the jars are sealed, but quality starts to degrade with potatoes faster than many other home-canned products. Just my personal experience, the authorities will tell you that they maintain peak quality for 18 months.

Altitude Adjustments

With pressure canning, the canning time stays the same, but the pressure goes up as altitude increases. Here are the altitude adjustments for canning raw pack potatoes:

For dial gauge pressure canners:

- 0 to 2,000 feet: 11 lbs pressure

- 2,001 to 4,000 feet: 12 lbs pressure

- 4,001 to 6,000 feet: 13 lbs pressure

- 6,001 to 8,000 feet: 14 lbs pressure

For weighted gauge pressure canners:

- Above 1,000 feet: 15 lbs pressure

- 0 to 1,000 feet: 10 lbs pressure

To Serve Your Canned French Fries:

When you're ready to enjoy your homemade fries, the process is simple. Here’s how to do it:

Drain and Rinse: Remove the fries from the jar, drain off the liquid, and give them a quick rinse under cold water to remove excess starch.
Cook: Fry the fries in hot oil until golden brown and crispy. A 375 degree fryer for 7 to 10 minutes is just about right if deep frying. If cooking in the oven, bake them in the oven at 425°F for 25-30 minutes, flipping halfway through. Gently tossing them in a bit of oil before baking will give them a nice crispy outside.

Nutrition