Harvesting Carrots

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!