Canning potatoes with their skins on
This year we had quite a drought and I have many tiny potatoes to deal with. Is it ok to can them with their skins on? I really don’t want to peel them as there is not much to them. I would like to can them whole or just halved. Any suggestions?
Jennifer Grahovac
Wooster, Ohio
Yes, it’s fine to can those little potatoes with the skins on. I do it all the time. When you go to use them, if the skin seems too “tough,” just squeeze it off like you’d skin a grape. The potato pops right out. I use these as fried, creamed, or potatoes au gratin. They’re great in stews and soups too, added when the rest of the recipe is nearly finished cooking. — Jackie
How to tell when vine fruits are ripe
How do you know when they are ripe? Same with squash and watermelon ?
Draza
Tomatoes are ripe when they begin to feel a bit soft when you squeeze them gently. To make sure, just eat one! With winter squash and pumpkins, they are ripe when the skin reaches the correct color for the variety and your thumbnail can’t easily pierce the skin. For them to taste best, wait a month or more before eating them as the starch in the flesh converts to more sugar so they taste better after curing. Watermelons are usually ripe when the spot where the skin touches the ground turns yellow and the closest tendril on the vine turns brown and dry. — Jackie
