On Sun 10 Apr 2005 05:08:21p, heather wrote in rec.food.cooking:

> Wayne Boatwright wrote:
>> On Sun 10 Apr 2005 04:07:34p, h.e. sea wrote in rec.food.cooking:
>>
>>
>>>Resin baked potatoes are a South Carolina Low Country specialty, and I
>>>remember them from my childhood visits to Murrells Inlet, but no matter
>>>how hard I search on the internet, I can't find a way to make them. I
>>>have found a couple of old news articles which mention something about
>>>a worker accidentally dropping a potato in pine resin which was being
>>>boiled to make turpentine, but this doesn't sound very safe.
>>>Has anyone else had resin baked potatoes or know how I can make them at
>>>home?
>>>
>>>Thank you so much for any help you can offer me,
>>>Heather
>>
>>
>> It's "rosin" not "resin". You'll find plenty of hits searching for
>> "rosin potatoes". These were very popular when I lived in Memphis in
>> the 1950s. Here'a an example...
>>
>> In a cast iron kettle (or rosin cooker) put 2 to 5 pounds raw rosin and
>> bring to boil. Scrub potatoes completely. Idaho Bakers are preferred.
>> Drop in potatoes. When done, they come to the top. Remove with tongs
>> and wrap in 5 or 6 thicknesses of newspaper. Roll up and twist each
>> end. To serve, slice open newspaper and potato together with a sharp
>> knife. Be careful, overheated rosin could possibly combust and burn.
>>
>
> Ah-ha! That's where my memory went wrong. It's rosin, not resin. Thanks
> so much for the recipe and the correction! =) Now, does anyone know
> where I get resin... hmm
> And I always remember eating the skin, but the idea of that now that I
> know how to make them does not seem safe.
> Thanks,
> Heather

Both Lehman's Hardware and The Vermont Country Store used to carry the
rosin and the kettle, but neither appear to have them on their websites.
You might give a call or send an e-mail. I don't know of another source.

--
Wayne Boatwright *¿*
____________________________________________

Give me a smart idiot over a stupid genius any day.
Sam Goldwyn, 1882-1974