Canning Potatoes Question

[bernie5711]

I will start canning potatoes in the next week or two. My wife wants me to leave the skins on (red potatoes) but I spoke with a friend who says she read in the Ball canning Book that potatoes must be peeled to avoid an increased risk of Botulism. I bought the Ball canning book but I can't find anything that says potatoes must be peeled. Their recipe for White/Irish Potatoes say to peel but it doesn't say you must or your may end up with spoiled food?
Has anyone heard anything about peeling potatoes being mandatory for pressure canning?

 

[journey11]

Hitting 10 lbs pressure (11 for dial guage canners) for the recommended time will kill botulism spores. But the reason you would want to peel them is because botulism spores live in soil, and with the skins being in direct contact with the soil, leaving them on increases the odds and number of botulism spores that would be present on the potato. (This is also why you want to wash any canning veggies well first and not use those with broken/blemished skins.) Assuming something could possibly go wrong....an inaccurate guage, not processing long enough, user error, etc....removing the skins will also significantly reduce the odds that there would be any botulism spores on your potatoes to begin with.

I know, I thought the same thing too, since my red potatoes are so pretty with the skins on. I guess it's a case of better safe than sorry.

 

[MontyJ]

Journey is 100% correct. Besides, you would not be happy with the results of canning with the skins on. The skins will not stay on the potatoes very well during the canning process. Trust me on that one

 

[bernie5711]

Thanks all!

 

[bj taylor]

this information fits with what I had heard a couple years ago about not wrapping baked potatoes in foil to store in the refrigerator or on the counter. the foil allows the botulism to grow in the airtight environment they love.