Pressure Canning Carrots is quite easy and it only requires two ingredients. Carrots are a popular and nutritious vegetable that can be enjoyed fresh or cooked. However, if you have a surplus of carrots and want to preserve them for later use, pressure canning is one of the best ways to do so.
Why Carrots Must be Pressure Canned
Unlike some fruits and vegetables, such as apples or tomatoes, carrots are a low-acid food. Low-acid foods mean they are susceptible to bacterial growth, including Clostridium botulinum, which can cause botulism. Botulism is a rare but serious illness that can cause muscle weakness, paralysis, and even death.
To prevent the growth of harmful bacteria, low-acid foods must be processed at high temperatures for a specified time. This is where pressure canning comes in. Pressure canning allows you to heat low-acid foods to a temperature of 240°F (116°C), which is hot enough to destroy any harmful bacteria present. By using a pressure canner, you can safely preserve your carrots.
Benefits of Pressure Canning Carrots
- Longer Shelf Life: Pressure canning helps to extend the shelf life of carrots for up to a year or more, allowing you to enjoy the taste and nutrition of fresh carrots long after the growing season has ended.
- Convenient Storage: Pressure-canned carrots require no refrigeration or freezing, which frees up valuable space in your freezer or refrigerator. This is particularly helpful for those who have limited space in their kitchen.
- Nutrient Retention: Pressure canning carrots allows you to preserve their nutrients and flavor better than other preservation methods. This is because high-pressure steam can penetrate the food, kill bacteria and other harmful organisms, and create a vacuum seal that locks in nutrients and flavor.
- Versatility: Preserved carrots can be used in a variety of recipes, such as stews, soups, and casseroles. This makes it easy to add nutritious and tasty ingredients to your meals throughout the year.
- Cost-Effective: Canning your carrots can be a cost-effective alternative to purchasing canned carrots at the grocery store. Additionally, preserving your carrots allows you to control the quality and ingredients used in the canning process.
Choosing the Right Carrots
When selecting carrots for canning, it is important to choose fresh, firm, and blemish-free carrots. Look for carrots that are a bright orange color and have a uniform shape and size. Avoid carrots that are soft, wilted, or have cracks or blemishes, as these can indicate that the carrots are past their prime. Carrots have to be peeled before pressure canning.
Ball's Canning Carrots Recipe
This is a pressure canning recipe only. This recipe comes from Ball Complete Book of Home Preserving on page 389. This recipe will yield 3-quart jars. You will need about 9 pounds of carrots. It is 2 to 3 pounds of carrots per quart jar.
Supplies
Ingredients
- 9 lbs Carrots (You will need 9 pounds of Carrots. This will yield about 3 quart jars.)
- salt (optional) (1/2 tsp per pint jar or 1 tsp per quart jar)
- Hot Water
Step-by-Step Canning Instructions
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Prepare your Pressure Canner according to Manufacturer instructions.
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Clean jars and lids with warm soapy water. Ensure the jars do not have any chips or bubbles in the glass. Heat jars in hot water.
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Wash carrots and drain
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Peel Carrots and wash again.
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Leave baby carrots whole. Slice or dice larger carrots.
Raw Pack Method
- Bring water to a boil in an electric water kettle or a large pot on your stove. Reduce to a simmer, keeping your water hot.
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Pack your raw carrots as tightly as possible (do not crush your carrots) into your hot jar, leaving 1 inch of headspace (Measure with your headspace measurer).
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Add 1/2 tsp of salt per pint jar or 1 tsp of salt per quart jar if desired.
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Ladle or pour hot water over carrots leaving 1 inch of headspace.
Hot Pack Method
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In a large pot, combine carrots with water to cover.
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Bring water to a boil over medium-high heat.
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Reduce heat and boil gently for 5 minutes, until tender-crisp.
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Drain, reserving the cooking liquid for packing (or use fresh boiling water)
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Pack hot carrots into a hot jar, leaving 1 inch of headspace.
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Add 1/2 tsp of salt per pint jar or 1 tsp of salt per quart jar if desired.
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Ladle hot cooking water (or fresh boiling water) over carrots leaving 1 inch of headspace.
Continued Instructions for Both Raw and Hot Pack Recipes
- Remove air bubbles from the jars using your de-bubbler.
- Clean your jar rim with a damp paper towel.
- Place the lid and band on your jar. Adjust to fingertip-tight.
- Using your jar lifter place your jar into your prepared hot pressure canner.
- Repeat until all carrots are used.
- Adjust the water level if needed in the canner, lock the pressure canner lid, and bring it to a boil over medium-high heat. Vent steam for 10 minutes, then close the vent. Continue heating your pressure canner to achieve 10 lbs of pressure (Make sure to adjust for your altitude) and maintain that pressure for the entire cooking time.
- Process Pint Jars for 25 minutes and Quart Jars for 30 minutes. Set a timer so it is much easier to remember how long you need to pressure can for.
- Turn off the heat when the timer is complete. Let pressure return to zero naturally. Wait 2 minutes after the pressure gauge reads 0, then open your vent. Remove your canner lid (making sure to lift it away from you so you don’t get burned by the steam).
- Leave jars in the pressure canner for 10 minutes after you remove the lid. Using your jar lifer carefully move the jars onto a wire rack or kitchen towel to allow them to cool. When moving the jars try not to tilt them to the side as this could affect the seal of the jars. Allow your jars to cool for 12-24 hours before handling.
- Once cool, remove the canning rings from the jars. Wash your jars off to ensure there is no food residue on the outside of the jar from processing. Label your jar with the name of the recipe and date. This will help you remember what recipe you used to can and the date will allow you to use the oldest canned goods first.
Don’t stop at carrots, be sure to check out our other pressure canning recipes and try your hand at preserving a variety of fruits and vegetables. With practice and experimentation, you’ll discover just how easy and rewarding pressure canning can be!
Recipe Card
Canning Carrots
Equipment
- Water kettle or pot of hot water
Ingredients
- 9 lbs Carrots You will need 9 pounds of Carrots. This will yield about 3 quart jars.
- salt (optional) 1/2 tsp per pint jar or 1 tsp per quart jar
- Hot Water
Instructions
- Prepare your Pressure Canner according to Manufacturer instructions.
- Clean jars and lids with warm soapy water. Ensure the jars do not have any chips or bubbles in the glass. Heat jars in hot water.
- Wash carrots and drain
- Peel Carrots and wash them again.
- Leave baby carrots whole. Slice or dice larger carrots.
Raw Pack Method
- Bring water to a boil in an electric water kettle or a large pot on your stove. Reduce to a simmer, keeping your water hot.
- Pack your raw carrots as tightly as possible (do not crush your carrots) into your hot jar, leaving 1 inch of headspace (Measure with your headspace measurer).
- Add ½ tsp of salt per pint jar or 1 tsp of salt per quart jar if desired.
- Ladle or pour hot water over carrots leaving 1 inch of headspace.
Hot Pack Method
- Combine carrots with water to cover.
- Bring water to a boil over medium-high heat.
- Reduce heat and boil gently for 5 minutes, until tender-crisp.
- Drain, reserving the cooking liquid for packing (or use fresh boiling water)
- Pack hot carrots into a hot jar, leaving 1 inch of headspace.
- Add ½ tsp of salt per pint jar or 1 tsp of salt per quart jar if desired.
- Ladle hot cooking water (or fresh boiling water) over carrots leaving 1 inch of headspace.
Instructions Continued for recipes using either the raw pack or hot pack method
- Remove air bubbles from the jars using your de-bubbler.
- Clean your jar rim with a damp paper towel.
- Place the lid and band on your jar. Adjust to fingertip-tight.
- Using your jar lifter place your jar into your prepared hot pressure canner.
- Repeat until all carrots are used.
- Adjust the water level if needed in the canner, lock the pressure canner lid, and bring it to a boil over medium-high heat. Vent steam for 10 minutes, then close the vent. Continue heating your pressure canner to achieve 10 lbs of pressure (Make sure to adjust for your altitude) and maintain that pressure for the entire cooking time.
- Process Pint Jars for 25 minutes and Quart Jars for 30 minutes. Set a timer so it is much easier to remember how long you need to pressure can for.
- Turn off the heat when the timer is complete. Let pressure return to zero naturally. Wait 2 minutes after the pressure gauge reads 0, then open your vent. Remove your canner lid (making sure to lift it away from you so you don't get burned by the steam).
- Leave jars in the pressure canner for 10 minutes after you remove the lid. Using your jar lifer carefully move the jars onto a wire rack or kitchen towel to allow them to cool. When moving the jars try not to tilt them to the side as this could affect the seal of the jars. Allow your jars to cool for 12-24 hours before handling.
- Once cool, remove the canning rings from the jars. Wash your jars off to ensure no food residue on the outside of the jar from processing. Label your jar with the name of the recipe and date. This will help you remember what recipe you used to can and the date will allow you to use the oldest canned goods first.