Homegrown carrots taste amazing and do we have a bumper crop this year!
So it’s a great time to stock up and can carrots to have for the whole
year.
If you aren’t able to grow carrots where you are, try to
find a farmers market or food to table farm that is selling fresh
carrots. You will be so glad you did. The taste is sweet and amazing.
If your family is anything like mine, you will be running back to where you found them to get more! They will be asking for more. So why not learn to can carrots for your family and enjoy the flavor all year too.
I understand, canning carrots or any food can be intimidating if you have never done it before. Rest assured, it’s not as scary as many make it out to be. Carrots are no exception.
Before we begin with the tutorial, lets talk about some questions that I am often asked canning foods.
Can Carrots be Canned Without Peeling?
Rumor has it that you may can carrots without peeling them. I’m sure others do it, but when a canning recipe calls for washing and peeling a vegetable, I highly recommend following the instructions.
Low acidic foods such as carrots, green beans and squash support a bacterial growth called botulism if not canned properly. This can be very dangerous.
Can Carrots be Canned in a Water Bath?
Since carrots a low acidic food, they cannot be properly canned using a water bath method. Virginia Tech University Cooperative Extension has this great article to go into more depth of water bath canning.
It goes back to the botulism spore and the safety factor. The University of Wisconsin also has a great printable PDF titled Canning Vegetables Safely.
I hope these articles will help to clear up some questions that you may have had when learning how to can carrots. Using a pressure canner is necessary when you plan to can carrots or any low acidic food. There is no other alternative unless you plan to pickle them.
When pressure canning carrots or canning food in general for my family, I think it safe to ere on the side of caution and follow recipes that have been tested and scientifically proven to be safe.
Select high quality foods for canning and use it at it’s peak of freshness. Ideally fresh homegrown vegetables should be canned on day one. If you are unable to can carrots this soon, refrigerate them to slow rate of quality loss -they will store for several days.
How to Can Carrots
As said earlier, canning carrots is not as difficult. You will need some canning equipment to get started though.
Canning Equipment:
- Pressure Canner (I have this one)
- Canning Lids
- Canning Jars
- Ladle
- Canning Tools
- 9 pounds fresh carrots
- Canning Salt
Prep carrots by removing carrot top and tiny tap root.
Wash under cold running water, drain. Wash again to be safe
Using a vegetable peeler, peel carrots. Slice, dice or leave whole if smaller than 1/2 inch thick. To can carrots, slice and dice
Put carrots in a large stock pot and add water to completely cover. Bring mixture to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 5 minutes.
Using a canning funnel, pack carrots into hot jar, leaving about a 1-inch headspace.
Add Canning Salt: pint – 1/2 tsp; quart – 1 tsp
Use a ladle, pour hot water from pot over carrots and salt leaving a 1-inch headspace.
Remove air bubbles using a bubble remover.
Clean jar rim with a clean cloth
Place lid on jar and tighten to finger-tight and place on rack in pressure canner. Add 2 inches water to the bottom of canner. (Don’t pour on top of jars)
Processing:
Place lid on pressure canner once full. Turn stove eye onto HIGH. Vent steam for 3-5 minutes and place weighted gauge on vent.
Bring pressure to 10 pounds (psi); Pressure can carrots for 25 minutes in pint jars and 30 minutes for quarts.
Once finished, cool canner to zero pressure, remove lid, let jars remain in hot water for 10 minutes.
Using a jar lifter, remove carrots from canner and place on a dishtowel on counter, undisturbed, for 24 hours. (Do not tighten lids if loose)
Remove rings, wipe jar with clean wet cloth, label and store.
Ingredients
- 9 lbs Fresh Carrots, Peeled
- Canning Salt
- Prep carrots by removing carrot tops and small tap root; Wash under cold running water, drain. Wash again
- Using a vegetable peeler, peel carrots. Slice, dice or leave whole if smaller than 1/2 inch thick - wash again
- Place carrots in a large stock pot and add water to completely cover. Bring water to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 5 minutes
- With a canning funnel, pack carrots into hot canning jars, leaving a 1-inch head-space
- Add canning salt: Pint-1/2 tsp; Quart 1 tsp - to each jar
- Use a ladle and pour hot water over carrots and salt leaving a 1-inch head-space; Remove air bubbles with a bubble remover
- Clean jar rim with a clean damp cloth. Center hot lid onto rim of jar and place band on tightening to finger-tight. Place jar into pressure canner
- Add 2 inches clean hot water to bottom of canner. Place lid on pressure canner once full
- Turn stove onto HIGH. Vent steam for 3-5 minutes and then place weighted gauge on vent. Bring pressure up to 10 lbs;
- Pressure can carrots: Pints - 25 minutes; Quarts - 30 minutes
- Once finished, cool canner to zero pressure, remove lid, let jars stand for 10 minutes before removing from canner
- Using a jar lifter, remove carrots from canner and place on a dishtowel on counter, undisturbed for 24 hours (Do not tighten lids if loose)
- Press center of lid to make sure sealed. Remove rings, wipe jar with clean wet cloth, label and store