Home canning is beneficial for any gardener who wants to grow her own food and reap the benefits year- round. Canning carrots is a good way to preserve a large harvest and provide fresh vegetables for months. Learning how to can carrots is easy and ensures the best flavor from your crops. With this helpful excerpt from the United States Department of Agriculture’s Complete Guide to Home Canning, you’ll learn the hot and raw pack process for canning carrots. Use this and our other canning resources to stock up after your harvest.
The following is an excerpt from the USDA Complete Guide to Home Canning covering how to can carrots.
Carrots — Sliced or Diced
Quantity: An average of 17-1/2 pounds (without tops) is needed per canner load of 7 quarts; an average of 11 pounds is needed per canner load of 9 pints. A bushel (without tops) weighs 50 pounds and yields 17 to 25 quarts – an average of 2-1/2 pounds per quart.
Quality: Select small carrots, preferably 1 to 1-1/4 inches in diameter. Larger carrots are often too fibrous.
Procedure: Wash, peel, and rewash carrots. Slice or dice.
Hot pack — Cover with boiling water; bring to boil and simmer for 5 minutes. Fill jars, leaving 1-inch of headspace.
Raw pack — Fill jars tightly with raw carrots, leaving 1-inch headspace.
Add 1 teaspoon of salt per quart to the jar, if desired. Add hot cooking liquid or water, leaving 1-inch headspace.
Adjust lids and process following the recommendations in the Image Gallery.