Pressure Canning Sweet Potatoes

Pre-cut sweet potatoes canned in water make an easy pantry staple - perfect for quick sides, soups, and casseroles when you need them. Makes 4 quarts.

Prep Time15

Cook Time20

Process Time1 30

Total Time2 5

Course: Pantry Staple

Keyword: pressure canning sweet potatoes

Servings: quarts

Calories: 780kcal

Author: Katie

Equipment

Pressure canner
Large pot with steaming attachment (optional)
Mason jars
Funnel
Debubbler
Jar lifter

Ingredients

8 pounds sweet potatoes white or orange
Water for steaming, adding to jars, and canning
4 teaspoons canning salt

Instructions

Steam. Wash the sweet potatoes, removing any dirt or debris from them. Add water to a steaming pot up to the recommended line. Place the steaming basket inside, and place the potatoes in the basket. Set over medium-high heat, covered. Once it starts to release steam, set a timer for 20 minutes.
Prep jars. Prepare your jars by washing them with hot, soapy water. Put them in your pressure canner, fill the jars halfway with water, and fill the canner to the recommended fill line. Place on the stovetop over medium heat with the cover set on top (not in the lock position).
Cool potatoes. Once the potatoes are steamed, move them to a heat-safe area to cool for 5 minutes (or until they aren’t too hot to handle).
Boil water. Bring a pot of water to a boil to fill the jars.
Deskin and cut. Remove the skins from the sweet potatoes and cut them into ¾ inch cubes.
Fill jars. Remove the jars from the canner and place a canning funnel over a jar. Fill each jar with sweet potatoes so there is a 1-inch headspace. Ladle in the hot water to each jar. Using a debubbler, remove any air bubbles, and then fill the jars with more water, maintaining a 1” headspace. Repeat this process until all jars are filled.
Add canning salt. Add 1 teaspoon of canning salt to each quart jar (if using pint jars, reduce the salt to ½ teaspoon).
Prep for canning. Wipe each jar with a clean, moist towel. Place the lids and rings on each jar, tightening them until they are fingertip-tight. Place jars in the pressure canner. Fill with water to the recommended line (optional: add ¼ cup of white vinegar to prevent residue buildup on the jars). Place the lid on and lock it in place.
Process. Set over medium-high heat and allow it to steam. Once the canner is venting steam, set the timer for 10 minutes. After the timer, set the dial to 10 pounds or add weight to 10 pounds. Allow the canner to come up to 10 pounds for weighted or 11 pounds for gauge (adjusting for altitude). Once the canner is at 10 pounds, set the timer for 90 minutes for quart-sized jars (65 minutes for pint jars). (If the gauge drops below the recommended pressure, stop the timer, bring the canner back up to the desired pressure, and start the timer over. For safety, the jars must be processed at the desired pressure the entire time.)
Depressurize. After the jars have fully processed, turn off the heat and remove the canner from the heat. Allow the canner to depressurize naturally by venting steam. Once the gauge reads 0 pounds of pressure, remove the weight (or set the dial to 0) and allow it to vent steam. Once the steam has vented, let it sit for 10 minutes undisturbed.
Cool. After 10 minutes, remove the lid by tilting it away from your face. Let the jars sit in the canner for 5 minutes. Move the jars to a heat-safe area and allow the jars to cool for 12-24 hours.
Check seals and store. After 24 hours, check the jars for a proper seal. Remove the rings, label the jars, and store them in a cool, dark place for 12-18 months (per your lid manufacturer’s recommendations).

Notes

I used Morton canning salt.
If you are using pint jars, process for 65 minutes at the same pressure
The sweet potatoes must be cubed, not mashed. When they are mashed, heat cannot transfer to the jars during the canning process, making them unsafe.
Steaming before canning helps release the starch and reduce cloudiness and loss of water during canning.

Nutrition