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Pressure canning carrots is one of those preserving jobs I like to tuck into the end of canning season. By the time the tomatoes, corn and beans are mostly dealt with, I am usually ready for something easy.
And carrots really are easy. Peel them, slice or dice them, pack them into jars with hot water and process them in a pressure canner. For plain carrots, pint jars process for 25 minutes and quart jars for 30 minutes, with the pressure adjusted for your elevation.
I think vegetables like carrots are a great place to start if pressure canning still feels a little intimidating. There aren’t a lot of ingredients or steps. Once you’ve done a few batches, the whole process starts to feel much more normal.
If you’re filling the pantry this fall, you might also like my raw pack green beans or these easy canning recipes for beginners.
Why We Pressure Can Carrots
For me, preserving isn’t about trying to put every single thing we grow into a jar. I want to preserve the foods we’ll actually pull off the shelf and use.
Carrots are one of those foods.
Once they’re canned, most of the work is already done. I can drain a jar and add the carrots to dinner, toss them into soups or stews, or warm them with butter and seasonings.
They’re especially nice to have during winter when the garden feels very far away.
also like that pressure canning carrots doesn’t take all day. Pints process for 25 minutes and quarts for 30 minutes. Compare that to something like pressure canning chicken broth, and carrots can feel like a pretty manageable little canning day.
What You Will Need
You don’t need much for this one.
f you’re slowly building up your canning supplies, don’t feel like you need a kitchen full of special equipment. A good pressure canner and a few basic canning tools will get you through a lot of vegetables.
I use much of the same setup when I’m canning sweet corn.
homestead kitchen
Get My Freezer Plans
If cooking from scratch sounds good in theory but feels hard to keep up with, these freezer plans are meant to help. They focus on simple prep, realistic portions, and meals you’ll actually use, so your freezer becomes a quiet support on busy days, not another project to manage.
Pressure Canning Carrots Raw Pack Method
This is the pressure canning carrots recipe I would use when I want to keep the process straightforward.
The raw pack method means you don’t need to cook the carrots before putting them into the jars. You pack the raw carrots into the jars and cover them with boiling water.
Make sure you know your elevation before you start. Processing time stays the same, but the pressure changes depending on your elevation and the type of pressure canner you use.
- Prepare the pressure canner. Add the amount of water required by your pressure canner and begin heating it according to the manufacturer’s directions.
- Prepare your jars. Wash your jars, lids and rings and get everything ready before you start filling.
- Wash and peel the carrots. Give the carrots a good wash first. Peel them, then wash them again.
- Slice or dice the carrots. Cut them into the size you want to use later.
- Heat your water. Bring a separate pot or kettle of fresh water to a boil.
- Fill the jars. Pack the raw carrots tightly into the jars while leaving 1 inch of headspace.
- Add salt if you want it. Salt is optional. You can add up to 1 teaspoon per quart jar for flavour. For pints, use half that amount.
- Add boiling water. Pour boiling water over the carrots, keeping 1 inch of headspace.
- Remove air bubbles. Run a bubble remover around the inside of each jar. Check the headspace again and add more boiling water if needed.
- Wipe the rims. Use a clean cloth to wipe around the rim of each jar.
- Add the lids and rings. Centre the lids and screw the rings on fingertip tight.
- Load the pressure canner. Place the jars into your prepared canner and lock the lid in place.
- Vent the canner. Follow the instructions for your pressure canner, including venting it before bringing it up to pressure.
- Process the jars. Process pint jars for 25 minutes or quart jars for 30 minutes at the pressure required for your elevation and canner type.
- Let the canner depressurize. When processing is finished, turn off the heat and allow the pressure canner to cool and depressurize naturally. Don’t try to rush it.
- Remove the jars. Once the canner is fully depressurized, open it according to your canner’s instructions and carefully remove the jars.
- Let them sit. Place the jars somewhere they can sit undisturbed at room temperature for 12 to 24 hours.
- Check the seals. Once cooled, check each seal. Remove the rings, label the jars and move them to storage.
Pressure Canning Carrots Time and Pressure
This is probably the part you’ll come back to while you’re standing in the kitchen, so here it is nice and clear.
Pressure canning carrots in pints takes 25 minutes. Quart jars take 30 minutes. Both raw pack and hot pack carrots use the same processing times.
For a dial-gauge pressure canner:
| Elevation | Pressure |
| 0 to 2,000ft | 11lbs |
| 2,001 to 4,000ft | 12lbs |
| 4,001 to 6,000ft | 13lbs |
| 6,001 to 8,000ft | 14lbs |
For a weighted-gauge pressure canner:
| Elevation | Pressure |
| 0 to 1,000ft | 10lbs |
| Above 1,000ft | 15lbs |
Tips for Pressure Canning Carrots
There isn’t much to this process, but a few little things make canning day easier.
Cut them for how you’ll use them. Don’t automatically slice every carrot into rounds. Dice some if you use a lot of carrots in soups.
Keep the jars plain. I would rather season the carrots when I open them. It gives us more options later.
Prep everything first. Have the carrots peeled and cut before you start filling jars. It makes the actual canning process feel much calmer.
Know your elevation. Your processing time doesn’t change, but your required pressure can. Check this before starting your canner.
Don’t rush the cooling. Once the processing time is finished, let the pressure come down naturally.
Make a full canner load when you can. Peeling carrots is the longest part for me. Ugh. If I’m already doing it, I would rather make the job worthwhile.
How to Store Pressure Canned Carrots
Once the jars have cooled for 12 to 24 hours, check that each jar sealed.
Remove the rings before putting the jars away. Label them with the contents and date so you know which batch to use first.
Store the jars somewhere cool, dark and dry.
I love this part of preserving season. After weeks of washing, chopping, freezing and canning, the shelves slowly start filling up.
There is usually a mess somewhere else at the same time. That’s just the reality of it here. The pantry might look beautiful while the kitchen absolutely does not!!
But in time, all those little batches add up.
FAQ
Similar Recipes
Pressure Canning Carrots
Equipment
- Bubble remover
- Vegetable peeler
- Knife
- Cutting board
- Large pot or kettle
- Clean cloth
Ingredients
- 7 ½ lbs Fresh carrots
- Boiling water
- 3 tsp Salt (optional) ½ tsp per canning jar
Instructions
- Prepare your pressure canner according to the manufacturer’s instructions.
- Wash your canning jars and prepare your lids and rings.
- Wash the carrots well. Peel them, then wash them again.
- Slice or dice the carrots into your preferred size.
- Bring a pot or kettle of fresh water to a boil.
- Pack the raw carrots firmly into the jars, leaving 1 inch of headspace.
- Add salt if desired. Use 1/2 teaspoon per pint or 1 teaspoon per quart.
- Pour boiling water over the carrots, leaving 1 inch of headspace.
- Remove air bubbles. Check the headspace again and add more boiling water if needed.
- Wipe the rims of the jars clean. Centre the lids and screw the rings on fingertip tight.
- Place the jars into your prepared pressure canner.
- Close the canner and vent it according to your pressure canner’s instructions before bringing it up to pressure.
- Process pint jars for 25 minutes and quart jars for 30 minutes at the pressure required for your elevation and type of pressure canner.
- Once the processing time is finished, turn off the heat and allow the canner to cool and depressurize naturally.
- Carefully remove the jars and place them on a towel or cooling rack.
- Leave the jars undisturbed at room temperature for 12 to 24 hours.
- Check the seals. Remove the rings, label the jars and store them in a cool, dark place.
Notes
– 0 to 2,000 feet: 11 PSI
– 2,001 to 4,000 feet: 12 PSI
– 4,001 to 6,000 feet: 13 PSI
– 6,001 to 8,000 feet: 14 PSI
For a weighted-gauge pressure canner:
– 0 to 1,000 feet: 10 PSI
– Above 1,000 feet: 15 PSI
- Salt is optional and is added for flavour.
- Cut the carrots based on how you plan to use them later. Slices work well for serving as a side, while diced carrots are handy for soups and stews.
- Processing time begins once the canner reaches the correct pressure.
- If the pressure drops below the required level during processing, bring the canner back to the correct pressure and restart the processing time.
- Allow the pressure canner to depressurize naturally before opening it.
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