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Dried potatoes can last up to two years and are easy to make at home by blanching thinly sliced or diced potatoes and then dehydrating them in an oven or dehydrator. Other varieties, such as flakes and granules, are also available commercially.
Meat and fruit are perhaps the most common foods to dehydrate, resulting in jerky and swarm mixes with months of shelf life. Some pass by these staples for survival to also dehydrate different types of vegetables, such as dried potatoes. Made into flakes for mashed potatoes, cubes for soup and wedges for french fries, this method can help your potatoes in the final months of the harvest.
According to the US Potato Board, flakes, cubes and slices are just the most common permutations of dried potatoes. There are also shredded and granulated varieties available. A dried potato flour is made as a thickener and as a replacement for various baked goods. In any form, this food remains free of salt, fat and cholesterol.
Dried potatoes also have longevity. When stored properly, most types can last up to two years without spoiling, which is about twice as long as most other vegetables. The fresher the potatoes used to make dry varieties, the longer they will keep.
Home preparations are usually limited to sliced and diced styles. Fresh potatoes are peeled and thinly sliced about 0.125 inch (or 3.2 mm) or diced into small cubes 0.125 inch (or 3.2 mm) square. These are then blanched in boiling salted water for 5-8 minutes. After drying, the potatoes are placed on oiled racks in a dehydrator or greased cookie sheets in an oven set to the lowest temperature. A few hours may be all that is needed if using a food dehydrator, while an oven may require another hour or more. For an oven, the door is left ajar so heat can escape, which will dry out the potatoes without cooking them.
With fruit and even meat, sun drying is also an acceptable and time-honoured method. Dried potatoes and other vegetables, however, lack the high acid and sugar content needed for this process. An oven or a dehydrator are the two methods recommended by experts for dehydrating most vegetables. Food is considered done when dried potatoes take on a dry, crumbly texture, achieved with an ideal dehydrated moisture content of 10 percent.
For more ambitious varieties of dry potatoes, many are turning to manufactured styles. The process for making these other types involves grinding the potatoes into specially shaped pieces. Most people don’t have the tools necessary to shred and grind a potato into flour or small flakes. However, after the process is complete, this food should be stored in an airtight container in a dark, cool place such as the basement or closet.
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