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Publication #FCS8308

Preparing Carrots: Sliced or Diced for Canning1

United States Department of Agriculture, Extension Service2

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 Table 1 or Table 2 according to the method of canning used.

Tables

Table 1. 

Table 1. Recommended process time for Carrots in a dial-gauge pressure canner.

Canner Pressure (PSI) at Altitudes of
Style of Pack
 Jar Size
 Process Time
 0-2,000 ft
 2,001-

4,000 ft


 4,001-

6,000 ft


 6,001-

8,000 ft
Hot and Raw


 Pints
 25 min
 11 lb
 12 lb
 13 lb
 14 lb
Quarts
 30
 11
 12
 13
 14
*After the canner is completely depressurized, remove the weight from the vent port or open the petcock. Wait 10 minutes; then unfasten the lid and remove it carefully. Lift the lid with the underside away from you so that the steam coming out of the canner does not burn your face.



Table 2. 
Table 2. Recommended process time for Carrots in a weighted-gauge pressure canner.

Canner Pressure (PSI) at Altitudes of
Style of Pack
 Jar Size
 Process Time
 0-

1,000 ft


 Above 1,000 ft
Hot and Raw


 Pints
 25 min
 10 lb
 15 lb
Quarts
 30


 10
 15
*After the canner is completely depressurized, remove the weight from the vent port or open the petcock. Wait 10 minutes; then unfasten the lid and remove it carefully. Lift the lid with the underside away from you so that the steam coming out of the canner does not burn your face.



Footnotes

1. This document is Fact Sheet FCS 8308, a series of the Department of Family, Youth and Community Sciences, Florida Cooperative Extension Service, Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences, University of Florida. Publication date: May 2003. Revised: July 2005. Reviewed: August 2008. This document was extracted from the Complete Guide to Home Canning, Agriculture Information Bulletin No. 539, USDA. It was originally published on CD-ROM as part of HE 8150, Guide 4: Selecting, Preparing, and Canning Vegetables and Vegetable Products. Please visit the EDIS Web site at http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu

2. Reviewed for use in Florida by Amy Simonne, assistant professor, Food Safety and Quality, Department of Family, Youth and Community Sciences, Cooperative Extension Service, Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences, University of Florida, Gainesville FL 32611.

The Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (IFAS) is an Equal Opportunity Institution authorized to provide research, educational information and other services only to individuals and institutions that function with non-discrimination with respect to race, creed, color, religion, age, disability, sex, sexual orientation, marital status, national origin, political opinions or affiliations. For more information on obtaining other extension publications, contact your county Cooperative Extension service.

U.S. Department of Agriculture, Cooperative Extension Service, University of Florida, IFAS, Florida A. & M. University Cooperative Extension Program, and Boards of County Commissioners Cooperating. Larry Arrington, Dean.