Back in the 1960s, my dad bought an iron pot of the rosin and used it often to cook potatoes outside on the grill whenever he had the grill going for steaks or burgers. I remember them as being very tasty. My dad only cooked outdoors or if he had caught fish or shot a deer and he liked to try new things. Guess I got my adventuresome spirit from him.

Teresa

FYI - I just checked the price of rosin flakes at chemicalstore.com - 10-pounds for $58.00, and from on-line information you need 10-25-pounds. Those are pretty expensive taters....;-)

-Grainlady

Must be a regional thing.....I've NEVER heard of such a method, and I descend from a well-established potato culture....

But I am very familiar with mussels (see other thread) although my grandparents may not have been.

I've never heard of rosin potatoes either, I think it may be one of those regional things (like mussels apparently are).

I can tell you this, if Dad had rosin and potatoes, he'd have tried it. My stepmother would have turned up her nose and demanded that they go to McDonald's for fries!

OK, yeah, I'd try it. Outdoors. But not at that price for rosin, I'm too cheap. Also the reason I've never had deep fried turkey, because I keep thinking how much all that oil would cost...

AS for fires, well heck, that's what homeowner's insurance is for, we might as well get some of those premiums back.(grin)

Annie

I'm sure that back in the 50s-60s it wasn't that expensive. And I think I recall that it was reusable. Eventually though, you would use up all the rosin because some of it clung to the potato skins. I remember the texture of the potatoes being more creamy than the texture of plain baked potatoes and they had a slightly different flavor. Maybe some of the flavors of the rosin seeped into the potatoes while they were cooking? As the oldest, I was not allowed to help with this cooking chore. Dad did it all and brought them to the table. The rosin would get harder as it cooled, but the potatoes stayed hot for a long time. BTW, our state is known for pine products, maybe that is why it wasn't too expensive then?

Teresa

nope. I'm from the same "region" and I've never heard of them. Unless you mean "east" TN and NC. They sometimes relate more than middle and east TN.

Nothing much to add except I love rosin potatoes too!
I've never made them though.

You definitely can use the rosin over again. Information at the Mast store where I saw the rosin said that you sacrifice the pot because once the rosin liquifies the pot can't be used for anything else. I think it's interesting they call them baked because you droop the whole potato into the molten rosin. I'm including an article I sent Tracy after we got home last night.

Rosin Baked Potatoes

Have you ever had rosin baked potatoes? Cooking potatoes in rosin produces the finest baked potato you will ever eat. The extreme heat of molten rosin produces a remarkably light and fluffy potato.

How to bake potatoes in rosin?

Place 10 to 25 lbs rosin in a large iron kettle. This sounds extravagant, but the rosin may be used repeatedly.

Heat rosin to the boiling point. Hot rosin is flammable. So be very careful and keep the flame away from molten rosin.

Slowly lower potatoes one at a time into the rosin using a large slotted wooden-handled spoon.

Allow them to remain in the simmering rosin until they float to the top.

Remove potatoes and place at once diagonally on foot-square sheets of heavy brown paper. Twist the ends of the paper and serve the potatoes in the wrapping.

Why is it so delicious?

The hot resin seals the skin of the potato, allowing it to cook very quickly while holding in the moisture and other nutrients.

jude

Isn't that the same stuff they make into varnish or shellac ?????

Rita

Shellac comes from a lac beetle....varnish contains some pine resins.
I've had rosin baked potatoes....and frankly couldn't tall any difference between them and any other good baked potato.
And concerning the dangers of boiling rosin and deep frying turkeys, there s the "stupid factor" to consider. I have seen women driving at 60 MPH with her elbows putting on eye make up.....and a man with a paperback book propped on the steering wheel while he was driving.
And I know of someone who set their house on fire by laying a dish towel over the stove burner.
As my insurance man said when I backed over my son's brand new bike..."Sorry Linda, we can't insure for stupid".
The danger of course with rosin baking is the flash point of the rosin.
Wonder how putting some well washed potatoes in with the frying turkey would be? How different from rosin baked? And I wonder why one doesn't explode now and then, like they do in the oven....or is it the pressure of the bubbling rosin that keeps that from happening..
Linda C

I'm assuming that you don't eat the potato peel?

Moe loves baked potatoes. But he also likes the peel. I rub russet potatoes with butter, sprinkle with salt and bake half way, about 20 to 25 minutes before turning and poking with a fork. The perfect baked potato.

Ann

Just found this old topic. I make these about twice a year. It is dangerous. I can write up the instructions if anyone is interested.

Rosin and violins.?

I'd love to read how you make it, ricjablonski. I grew up have the yummiest hash, Cole slaw and rosin baked potatoes at the local Gun Club. It was an all day affair while the grow ups shot skeet and drank bourbon. Still trying to figure out the hash recipe as well.

I'll write up the process. I might be a while. Get ready for some sicker shock as a 25KG bag of rosin is currently around $275.00

I'm looking forward to that! And fully expect to buy - but never use - $275 worth of rosin. It's in my nature.

Lindac, that brought back memories! When I was a child, my father did all the shopping and put away the groceries. One day, a horrible stench filled the house and kept getting worse. He called the exterminator and after going up and under the house, he found a maggot filled steak on top of the frig that my father had forgotten to place in the freezer. When he asked the cost of the services, the guy replied "I don't know how much to charge for stupid…"