Carrots are one of my favorite vegetables to put away for winter. No shelling, husking, or peeling! With the help of a pressure canner, carrots could hardly be easier!
We dug a whole wagon full of carrots. It had rained the night before so the ground was soft and muddy. I went down the row with a fork, loosening the carrots and the children pulled them out! I plant the Danver Half Long variety. They are short carrots and great for clay soil. And so sweet and good!!!
We swished the carrots in a bucket of water to take the worse of the dirt off. Any job with water is a favorite with my children! You'll have to imagine how wet and dirty they were when we were finished as I didn't think to take a picture! After cutting off the carrot tops (which were fed to the chickens) I used a stiff brush and clean bucket of water to do the final cleaning. Last year I had a whole bunch of tiny carrots. I hated the thought of scrubbing each one individually so I dumped them in the washing machine and ran it through the cycle (without detergent, of course!)
Since the carrots were fresh and tender, there was no need to peel or scrape. A food processor made quick work of slicing the carrots.
The final result: 36 pint of sliced carrots! All ready for adding to soups and casseroles this winter!
We planted carrots also this year, and I'm so looking forward to finally harvesting them. Canning season is here...lol
ReplyDeleteI was just able to put up 16 pints of dill pickles, and 5 quarts of bread and butter. I was able to do a quick batch of 9 more quarts of green beans. And we're all just getting started right...heehee
Have a lovely day, your carrots look wonderful.
Blessings, Fine Linen
I planted a bunch of carrots this year, and I am going to be canning them for the first time this year.
ReplyDeleteI am so glad you mentioned using the food processor! I could have wasted hours slicing them by hand just because I don't think sometimes! :-/
Love your blog!
We've tried carrots, but have never had success getting them to grow! I think we have clay soil - maybe next year we'll try that variety.
ReplyDeleteI LOVE my pressure canner, too! I like that I can listen instead of watch for the water to boil over. Or stop boiling and then wonder how long it's been not boiling!
The picture of your kids is so sweet. Gina, where do you get your seeds from? Do you get them from a catalogue & order them early? Just trying to plan my garden for next year.
ReplyDeleteMum In Bloom -
ReplyDeleteI get my seeds at various places - mail order, local garden centers, even Walmart! This year I ordered some heirloom seeds from Baker Creek and have been very pleased (except for the broccoli). Check out this post to read more about ordering seeds. http://homejoys.blogspot.com/2009/01/january-month-of-armchair-gardener.html
Happy Gardening, Gina