Canning carrots is a great way to preserve carrots, take advantage of store sales, or just can the carrots from your own garden!
Learn how to can carrots with a pressure canner for easy sides, soups, and more!
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Last November I found an amazing deal on organic carrots and I grabbed up 100 lbs. A few days later they were all safely canned into quart mason jars and ready to be consumed.
Flash forward to today and I'm down to my last few jars! We use these carrots all the time.
A jar of carrots, a jar of potatoes, a jar of green beans, and some roast chunks makes a really easy soup for a fast dinner on busy nights!
I even toss them over a raw roast with a few uncooked potatoes before cooking for a perfect Sunday lunch.
And if you just want to have them on their own, sauteed in butter then glazed with honey is a wonderful side dish for most any meal!
So when you're looking for great deals on food and you see those carrots on sale, grab them up and get to canning!
RELATED: Pressure Canning Supply Recommendations from a Veteran Canner
Canning Carrots in a Pressure Canner
Carrots are a great thing to have on hand for soups, roasts, stews, and even by themselves as a side dish! And since they usually go on sale in the fall, this is a great time to stock up and can enough for the whole year!
As with all vegetables, carrots have to be pressure canned. If you have never done that before, it can be a little overwhelming and even scary to thing about trying!
Rest assured, it is a simple process that you can quickly master. Read my step by step guide on pressure canning if you are new to the process - this post will not be as in depth :-)
How to Can Carrots
Ingredients
- 2-3 pounds carrots per quart
- Salt
- Water
- Pressure Canner
- 5-7 Quart jars
- Canning Tools
Instructions
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Wash carrots really well. Peel if desired, we leave ours if the carrots are organic.
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Slide, dice, or leave whole if no more than 1 1/2 inches thick.
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Pack carrots into hot, clean jars. Leave 1 inch headspace.
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Add 1 tsp salt to each quart jar. This is optional, but I recommend it. The carrots are very bland without and salting them after they have been canned does nothing.
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Ladle boiling water over carrots, leaving 1 inch headspace.
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Remove air bubbles with canning knife. DO NOT use a metal utensil as it can cause the jar to break under pressure.
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Add lids and rings.
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Process pints for 25 minutes, quarts for 30 minutes at 10 pounds pressure in a pressure canner.
Recipe Notes
Pressure cookers and pressure canners are not the same thing. Read my full pressure canning guide here.
Canning Carrots FAQ
We've had a few questions about our home canned carrots and I wanted to add them to the post!
Are Canned Carrot Mushy?
Not any more mushy than boiled carrots are! So, if you've ever had carrots in soup or as anything where they are cooked in water or broth, then you will know what to expect.
I've actually found that home canned carrots are fall less mushy than the carrots end up being in soup... so, there you go.
Do You Have to Peel Carrots Before Canning?
Generally, I like to peel them because I don't like the texture of canned carrots with the peels still on.
However, it's up to you.
I had one reader who was very concerned that I didn't insist on peeling before canning. Something about botulism. The only problem with that is that the entire point of pressure canning is to kill botulism and other bacteria.
If we don't believe it kills those things, then why even do it? But we do, so the peels are fine if you want to leave them! :-)
How Long Will Canned Carrots Last?
We don't usually have them on the shelf for more than a year, because we eat them all... However, home canned carrots, when properly canned in sterile jars in a pressure canner, should last at least 5 years.
If you store them in direct sunlight that time will be reduced. But if you store them in the pantry, you should be fine.
PIN THIS FOR LATER
Jeffery Johns says
When canning carrots does it make a difference if you were to add sugar or cinnamon to the process?
Victoria says
Hey Jeffery, great question! I really need to add this to the post. You can add sugar and/or cinnamon to your carrots without needing to change anything about the processing time or weight. I would probably remove the salt from the recipe though. Enjoy!
Clara says
What about pints? How many minutes at 10 lbs presser?
Victoria says
Hi Clara, great question! Pints are 25 minutes at 10lbs. I am adding it to the recipe too.
Thanks for stopping by!
Janet says
Can carrots be canned using water bath in canning pan
Victoria says
Hi Janet! So, you can technically can carrots in a water bath (like the jars will seal) but the temperature won’t get to the recommended level to kill bacteria. It’s not recommended to water bath can vegetables… having said that, people did it for generations, so you’ll need to make your own decision on what you’re comfortable with.
I personally only pressure can meat and vegetables.
Brenda Brown says
What if you do not have a pressure canner all you have is a pressure cooker will it work if so what is the poundage and minutes to cook them
Victoria says
Hi Brenda! Some pressure cookers are also made to be canners, some are not. You would need to read the manual for your specific pressure cooker to find out if it would work for you.
If yours is a pressure cooker and canner, then the weight and time would be the same and the directions given. Enjoy!
Lorrie says
Canning unpeeled carrots, organic or not, is never recommended. Botulism is most likely to be found in root vegetables so carrots, potatoes, etc. must always be peeled before processing. Although botulism is an unlikely danger, posting otherwise is irresponsible and a potential recipe for disaster.
Victoria says
Hi Lorrie, thank you for your comment.
The entire reason for pressure canning is to kill botulism and other bacteria. If you were going to only water bath can vegetables (not recommended) then I could see worrying about the peelings. However, it is currently “recommended” that canning whole unpeeled potatoes is fine… as long as they are pressure canned. So, I’m going to stick with the fact that pressure canning’s purpose is to kill botulism and other bacteria, and not worry about it :-)
However, feel free to peel yours if you are concerned!