permaculture

["John D'hondt" <dhondt@eircom.net>]

One possible potato storage method was used in the war years in German 
occupied countries. For this potatoes were squashed into a fine pulp that 
was then stir washed repeatedly in clean water in a galvanised tub. The 
starch granules sink to the bottom quite fast so that with 4-5 washings 
almost pure starch remains. Most of the water can be decanted easily and 
what is left will keep almost forever when dried under even primitive 
conditions.
Not a nutrient dense food but in an emergency it could be a life saver. The 
first washings were fed to pigs.
john

Subject: [permaculture] Processing Potatoes for longer term storage


> Ok,  I left a little hint in an earlier email that claims potatoes can be 
> civilization makers, and kept for longer term storage (so you don't live 
> harvest to harvest (pay check to pay check) but have reserves for the bad 
> year.)
>
> Let us celebrate Bill Mollison and quote from Page 81 of Ferment and Human 
> Nutrition Tagari 1993
>
> "The dried potato is pre- Columbian in origin, and originated on the 
> altiplano (high plains,) of the Andes where conditions are ideal for 
> natural freeze-drying.  On mid-winter nights frosts are severe, with 
> minimum at -2 to -14C (28 to -6F) and the sunny days 26-35C(78-95F) 
> humidity is 15 to 39% at dawn, and 12-18% at midday.  Papa seca dried 
> whole potato is made by boiling, the skins rubbed off cut up and again 
> boiled to a thin gruel, which is then sun-dried to a crisp brown sheet, 
> ground or milled into flour.  It is stored for months."
>
> Bill mentions that Vitamin C is reduced by this processing.
>
> Also
>
> "Potato Cheese   In Saxony, potatoes boiled and beaten with sour milk are 
> made into a sort of cheese, which packed in well-sealed vessels is kept 
> many years (from an old book the title page missing; it might be worth a 
> try)  I imagine 6-15% salt would be essential."
>
> Bill leaves us the detective work to get good at it by trial and error or 
> to hunt down recipes and instructions that work.
>
> In modern times there are freeze-dry-vacuum machines that can reduce a 
> runny mash potatoes into cream white dried flakes or fine powders.  This 
> is what was stored in such large quantities in the 1970's.  I remember my 
> mother making mash potatoes from powders then.  Potato flours or mash 
> potato mix vary in quality. These may be able to retain more Vit C on a 
> single cook cycle basis.  Vacuum packs of the stuff is available in O2 
> barrier bags, packed with O2 absorbers.
>
> I will write about long term rice storage another time.
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