Canning Carrots

4.41 from 79 votes

Pressure canning carrots is an easy way to preserve carrots for long term storage, and in the process, you're also preparing them for quick weeknight meals.

Prep Time1

Cook Time30

Total Time1 30

Course: Canning

Cuisine: American

Servings: servings, 7 Quarts

Author: Ashley Adamant

Equipment

Quart Mason Jar (Wide Mouth)
Pressure Canner

Ingredients

16 to 18 lbs Carrots see note
Salt optional

Instructions

Prepare the carrots: Wash, peel, and slice or dice the carrots. Peeling is required for all root vegetables.
Prepare the canner: Add 2-3 inches of water to your pressure canner with the bottom trivet. Warm to 140°F for raw pack or 180°F for hot pack.
Heat the canning liquid: Bring a separate pot of water to a boil.
Pack the jars: For hot pack, blanch 5 minutes then pack hot. For raw pack, pack raw carrots directly. Both methods use 1-inch headspace.
Add liquid and seal: Pour boiling water over carrots, maintaining 1-inch headspace. Add salt if using. Remove air bubbles, wipe rims, seal to finger tight.
Vent the canner: Seal lid, heat to high. When steam vents steadily, allow 10 minutes venting before adding weight.
Process: Bring the canner up to pressure (see altitude adjustments below) and process pints 25 minutes, quarts 30 minutes.
Cool and store: Let canner depressurize naturally. Cool jars 12-24 hours, check seals, remove rings, label and store.

Notes

Carrot Variety Matters: Use hearty storage carrot varieties for the firmest texture. Tender summer carrots and those sold with greens attached are bred for fresh eating and tend to turn mushy during canning. Look for large bulk bags of storage carrots, typically sold without tops. These are bred to hold up in root cellars and maintain their texture through pressure canning.

Peeling is Required: All root vegetables must be peeled before canning. Peels contain higher bacterial loads, and canning times have only been developed for washed and peeled root vegetables. Peeling also improves flavor by removing the bitter, earthy taste that peels can impart to the whole jar.

Yield Estimates

16 to 18 pounds of carrots yields approximately 7 quarts
10 to 12 pounds of carrots yields approximately 9 pints
A double-decker canner holding 14 quarts requires roughly 30 to 35 pounds

Raw Pack vs. Hot Pack: Both methods use the same processing times. For raw pack, keep canner water around 140°F when loading to prevent thermal shock. For hot pack, blanch carrots 5 minutes before packing and the canner can be at a simmer (180°F) or higher.

Salt is Optional: Salt is added for flavor only, not preservation. Use canning salt or sea salt rather than table salt, which contains anti-caking agents that cloud jars. Suggested amounts: 1 teaspoon per quart or 1/2 teaspoon per pint.

Storage: Properly sealed jars maintain quality on the pantry shelf for 12 to 18 months. Remove canning rings before storing. Refrigerate after opening.

Altitude Adjustments

Processing times stay the same at all altitudes, but pressures must be increased at higher elevations.

For dial gauge pressure canners:

0 to 2,000 feet: 11 lbs pressure
2,001 to 4,000 feet: 12 lbs pressure
4,001 to 6,000 feet: 13 lbs pressure
6,001 to 8,000 feet: 14 lbs pressure

For weighted gauge pressure canners:

0 to 1,000 feet: 10 lbs pressure
Above 1,000 feet: 15 lbs pressure

Nutrition