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Carrots

© Pier Jones

Carrots are a terrific spring or fall garden vegetable-easy to plant, easy to grow, easy to harvest, and easy to put up. They are economical, too, if caught this time of year at your grocery store or farmer's market. Take advantage of their availability and have some on your shelves to enjoy later.

Carrots can be canned, frozen, dried, and pickled. Freezing is my least favorite way to preserve them, as their texture can become a bit mushy. Be sure that you select only fresh, tender carrots for processing; ones that are too large may be tough or woody, characteristics which will only be enhanced by the processing. You'll need approximately 2-3 pounds of carrots for each quart of carrots that you want to put up.

Canned Carrots

Raw Pack

Wash and scrape or peel the carrots, and wash them again. Slice, dice, julienne, or leave small ones whole, and pack tightly into hot, sterilized jars, leaving 1 inch headspace. Cover with boiling water, to within 1 inch of the top of the jar. If you want, you can add ½ teaspoon salt to each pint, or 1 teaspoon to each quart. Remove air bubbles and wipe rims of jars and apply lids, according to manufacturer's instructions. Process at 10 pounds pressure; 25 minutes for pints, 30 minutes for quarts.

Hot Pack

Wash and scrape or peel the carrots, and wash them again. Slice, dice, julienne, or leave small ones whole, place them in a pan, cover with water, and bring to a boil. If you're canning whole carrots, boil them for 5 minutes. Pack into hot, sterilized jars, leaving 1 inch headspace, using the liquid to cover them. If you want, you can add ½ teaspoon salt to each pint, or 1 teaspoon to each quart. Remove air bubbles and wipe rims of jars and apply lids, according to manufacturer's instructions. Process at 10 pounds pressure; 25 minutes for pints, 30 minutes for quarts.

Freezing Carrots

If you are going to freeze carrots, the smallest, most tender ones work best. Wash, scrape or peel, and wash again, then slice or dice them 1/4 inch thick. The smallest ones may be frozen whole. Blanche by dunking them in boiling water, 3 minutes for slices, 5 minutes for small whole carrots. Drain. When cool, pack the carrots in freezer containers or canning jars which are freezer safe. Label and freeze.

Drying Carrots

Wash, scrape or peel, and slice thinly (1/8 inch or less), or dice into small pieces. Blanche by steam or boiling water for 3 to 4 minutes. Drain and pat dry. Spread on dehydrator trays and dry

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