Carrot Preservation

1. Wash well and slice into desired size/shape.
2. Bring a large pot of water to a rapid boil and add carrots.
3. Cover and blanch (5-6min if blanched whole, 2-3min if sliced or diced).
4. Remove from water and cool in ice bath.
5. Drain well and allow to cool before spreading on a baking sheet. Freeze for about an hour.
6. Once the carrots have firmed up in the freezer, transfer them to one or more resealable freezer bags/containers, label and date them, and freeze for 12-18 months.

Frozen carrots are perfect for adding to soups and stews, or reheated in a saucepan as a simple and delicious side dish.

1. Wash carrots thoroughly.
2. Cut into slices or strips 1/8” thick
3. Blanch in boiling water for 3.5-5.5 min. Remove from boiling water and cool in a bowl of ice water just long enough to stop the cooking process. Do not let carrots cool to room temperature.
4. Drain carrots on a paper towel and dry at 140 degrees F (60°C) in an oven or dehydrator.
5. If necessary, turn large pieces over every 3 to 4 hours during the drying period.
6. Dry for 10-12 hours in a dehydrator (may take 20-24 hours in a conventional oven). Dried carrots should be tough or brittle.
7. Allow to cool completely before storing in moisture-proof containers. Properly stored, dried carrots keep well for 6 – 12 months.

So your carrots are dried… now what?
Carrots can be reconstituted by adding to soups and stews or dipping in hot water. If you’ve pre-seasoned the carrots, they can be eaten ‘as is’ as a healthy, snack.

1. Do your boiling water canner prep work (see under Pickling + Fermenting on our preservation page)
2. Wash and quarter carrots lengthwise.
3. Bring a large pot of water to a rapid boil and add carrots.
4. Blanch for 3-4min.
5. Remove from water and cool in ice bath.
6. Combine brine ingredients in a large pot, bring to a boil, and simmer for 5min.
7. Fill half-pint or pint jars with carrots and pour hot pickling solution into each jar leaving a 1/2 inch of headroom.
8. Place in boiling water canner and boil for 10 minutes.
9. Remove jars from the canner with tongs and allow to cool at room temperature.
10. Do a little happy dance with each pop of the seal that you hear.
11. Wait 10-14 days before opening pickles. Once pickled, sealed jars are kept in a cool dark place and will last 12 months. Once opened, a jar will last for 2+ weeks in the fridge.

Not into water bath canning? You can turn these into quick pickles simply by blanching the carrots, jarring them with pickle brine, and putting the jar in the fridge after cooling. Quick pickled carrots are good in the fridge for up to six weeks.

1. Prepare your pressure canner equipment as per the guidelines stated in your pressure canning manual.
2. Wash and slice or dice carrots.
3. Bring a large pot of water to a rapid boil and add carrots.
4. Cover and blanch for 5min.
5. Fill jars with hot carrots, and add fresh boiling water, leaving one inch of headspace.
6. Remove air bubbles and add more water if needed. Ensure carrots are covered by water and that there is still one inch of headspace at the top of the jar.
7. Wipe rims with clean, wet paper towel then place lids on jars and add screw bands. Screw the bands down fingertip tight- not too loose nor too tight. Follow lid manufacturer’s directions for tightening the jar lids properly.
8. Place filled jars, fitted with lids and ring bands, on the jar rack in the canner, and follow canner manufacturer’s instructions for processing heats, pressure, and times.
9. Once cool, remove the screw bands and check the seal. If any jars did not seal, treat the food as ‘fresh’ by either eating the food immediately, refrigerating for use within a week, freezing, or recanning (If recanned, you must repeat the entire process.)
10. Store sealed jars in a cool, dark place, where there is no danger of freezing.