How to Cut Sprouts to Resprout for Kennebec Potatoes

The part of the potato plant that you normally eat baked, mashed or fried is the plant's tuber. If you've ever left a sack of potatoes in a dark drawer or cupboard only to find they have sprouted from the eyes, you have a good understanding of how this vegetable grows. Some potato farmers deliberately allow their potatoes to sprout, in a process known as chitting. This, they believe, gives them a jump start on the growing season. Kennebecs are white potatoes with thin, white skin. These are late-season potatoes that require 110 days from planting to harvest.

Knife
Egg carton

Instructions

- 1
  Cut large, sprouted Kennebec potatoes into smaller pieces, the size of an egg. Each piece should have at least one sprout; two are better.
- 2
  Leave the pieces in a dark place that remains between 60 and 65 degrees Fahrenheit to callus over. The area should be humid and well-ventilated. Leave the pieces for two days.
- 3
  Rub the sprouts off the Kennebec potato pieces with your fingers. Cutting them may damage the potato and cause mold.
- 4
  Place each piece into a slot in an egg carton, with the sprouted area pointing up.
- 5
  Leave the egg carton in a place that remains at least 60 degrees Fahrenheit and is out of direct sun. Within six weeks, the potato pieces will sprout. When the sprouts reach 1 inch in height, plant the Kennebecs in the garden.

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