Carrots

 

 One of our best crops this year

was carrots.

Because of our rocky soil (as evidenced in the above photo)

we never tried carrots after our first attempt

produced very small and extremely deformed carrots.

But when the 8 year old showed an interest in growing some

(I thought he might eat them, silly me, he just wanted them for his rabbit)

I figured what the heck.

The results were so good

we have plans to plant more next year.

 I used 2 different ways to can them but they both start with washing the carrots

  

 Peeling the carrots.

  

and cut the carrots.

 

To can regular carrots

(That is to say just carrots and water no fancy recipe)

boil a pot of water.

Add cut and washed carrots to the water.

Bring back to a boil and simmer for 5 minutes.

Fill your jars with the carrots leaving 1" of headspace.

Use the water the carrots were cooked in to fill the jars.

Make sure you have that 1" of headspace.

You can add salt now- 1tsp for quarts 1/2 tsp pints.

I choose not to use salt.

Remove bubbles, wipe the rim

and process at 10 pounds of pressure for 25 min for pints, 30 for quarts. 

 I also canned some glazed carrots.

You will need:

 

6 1/2 -7 lbs of carrots
2 cups brown sugar
2 cups water
1 cup orange juice

Cut and wash your carrots per usual.

Combine brown sugar, water and orange juice in a pot. 

Cook over medium heat, stirring until sugar dissolves. 

Keep syrup hot and pack carrots tightly into hot jars, leaving 1" headspace. 

Ladle hot syrup over carrots
(make sure you  leave 1" headspace). 

Remove air bubbles and wipe rims. 

Add hot lids and rings. 

Process pints and quarts for 30 minutes at 10 lbs of pressure for weighted gauge 
and 11lbs for dial gauge.

Makes 6 pints or 3 quarts.

I'm looking forward to eating some carrots this winter!