It’s a good thing I can laugh at myself but as I was sitting and peeling 50 pounds of potatoes, I stopped to see what a can of potatoes costs at Walmart. 78 cents for a 15 oz. Great Value can and $1.32 for a 14.5 oz. Del Monte can.
I paid $1.37/pound for the potatoes plus Azure Standard’s 8.5% transportation add on so that makes them $1.49/pound. They are organic so that counts for something.
Say there’s 60% potatoes and 40% water in the Del Monte can. I haven’t weighed the contents of a Del Monte but this article talks about the amount of weight of food vs. weight of water. My calculations seem to indicate that I’d be paying about $1.45 per pound for the potatoes in that can so that makes the contents of their can and my jars about the same per pound so long as my labor is worth nothing and propane is free. I’m ok working for free but the propane costs are real and we’re about to find out how much propane is in this area. We want to fill the tank in July but we haven’t used enough to meet the minimum required for them to come out.
I’ll gladly pay more and work for free to have home canned foods in the pantry. By the time I’m done, my legs and feet may be saying something different.
We were so lucky to have a cool day. I think our high today is in the upper 70’s so I worked hard to get all the potatoes canned today. The second batch is in the canner now and the third batch is ready to go when that one is done. Whatever doesn’t make it into those three loads, we’ll just eat over the next few weeks.
Sibyl says
Sometimes it’s more expensive to do it this way–but at least you KNOW what is in there vs mystery ingredients. I was looking the other day where someone used their table mounted apple peeler to peel their potatoes, and only had to use a knife or potato peeler for the ends. Might save some time with that. Your potatoes do look really nice though.
judy.blog@gmail.com says
I just peeled them with the knife. It goes pretty fast but the apple peeler is a great idea. I know exactly where it was in Texas but haven’t seen it here . . probably in a box still.
Donna M says
The canned potatoes you buy in the store taste terrible. So, there’s that!
Nelle Coursey says
I would welcome 70 degree heat! LOL This next week we are supposed to have a “cool” front come in and the high Monday is supposed to be 90 and the rest of the week is not supposed to get up to 100! WOO HOO! But when you consider the highs for the month of June have been 100+ every day. And the last few weeks of May were the same. I am hoping July and August will be a lot cooler!! I told one of my friends that we may have to get our coats out Monday! LOL
Sheryl says
…Your potatoes are going to taste so much better than store bought canned potatoes.