Long-weekend potato salad
My mom, Susan Lensing, could literally preserve anything. One day in December, just before the holidays, she arrived at my house in Cape Town with a jar of her latest discovery, preserved potato salad, which could be stored on the pantry shelf for up to two months. “Mom, you can keep that recipe,” I said immediately, little knowing that I would lose her less than two months later. It was then that I opened the salad and ate it with longing and guilt… the recipe I hadn’t wanted could be found nowhere, but a friendly tannie in Montagu shared hers with me.
Makes 5 jars (750 ml each) Preparation time 30 minutes Cooking time 25-30 minutes
YOU NEED
• 4 kg potatoes
• 12 eggs
• 2 jars (750 g each) mayonnaise
• 1 can (385 g) condensed milk
• 2 handfuls fresh coriander leaves, chopped
• 3 red onions, finely chopped
• 5 empty, clean glass jars
(750 ml each) with lids
THIS IS HOW
Peel the potatoes and cut them into cubes of about 2 cm x 2 cm. Place them in a large saucepan and cover with cold water. Add a good pinch of salt. Bring to the boil, then allow to simmer for 12-15 minutes until the potatoes are just cooked but not soft. Drain the potatoes and let them cool slightly.
Heat water to boiling point in a saucepan and use a slotted spoon to place the eggs into the water. Boil them for 8 minutes until hard. Let the eggs cool before shelling and cutting them into slices. Mix the remaining ingredients into the cooked potatoes. Add the egg and mix thoroughly. Season the salad well with salt and freshly milled black pepper.
Heat water to boiling point in a large saucepan and place the 750 ml glass jars with lids in the water. Boil the water for 1 minute, then carefully remove the hot jars from the water and divide the potato salad between them. Seal each jar with a warm lid – make sure that you close the jars tightly. Turn the jars upside down and carefully place them in the pot of boiling water. Let the jars stand for 1 minute, then remove them from the saucepan and stand them upside down until cold. They can be stored in your pantry cupboard for up to two months. >