I have been spending 12 hour days in the kitchen. I got yellow squash for 79 cents a pound, tomatoes for 16 cents a pound, Candy Snap grapes for 28 cents a pound, yellow bell peppers for 45 cents a pound, and baby carrots for 16 cents a pound.
Out of all my produce, the baby carrots by far were the easiest thing to process. These are pre-washed and pre-cooked, and no blanching necessary. Considering I also bought 60 pounds of chicken and am still canning that up too (I got a good deal) I’ll make this post short, which is all that’s required because of the ease.
I like canning the baby carrots not just because it’s a cinch, but because I really love those Cracker Barrel honey baby carrots. I did these carrots two ways though – some with honey and others with beef broth and onion. I’m using 1 1/2 pint jars because that’s the perfect serving size for my family of four. For the longest time I couldn’t find these sized jars, and even heard they stopped making them, but my husband found some so we grabbed a bunch. There aren’t canning guidelines for canning with 1 1/2 pints I know of, so I went with the safest option and processed my jars for the quart time.
With my first batch of honey carrots, I made a water/honey solution in a pot, but then I just started wearing down so the next batch I put boiling water, honey and salt in each jar. I went with the same approach with the beef and onion – I put beef bouillon and onion in the jars and skipped the salt because the bouillon has sodium. This isn’t a recipe, but more like a technique.
Because I canned 32 jars, I used half re-usable lids, and half one-time use lids. I’ll use the jars with re-usable lids first so I can rotate those. If you are looking for a shelf-stable, easy side, put up some baby carrots and even play with your own flavorings.
Honey Carrots
Fill your jars with baby carrots. For 1 1/2 pint jars, add 3/4 tsp salt and one TBSP of honey. Fill jars with boiling water leaving one inch of head space. De-bubble, seal and place in canner. Process for 10 pounds of pressure for 30 minutes.
Beef and Onion Carrots
Fill your jars with baby carrots. Add 2 tsp beef bouillon (or more if desired) and either dried minced onion, or a fresh slice of onion. Fill jars with boiling water leaving one inch of head space. De-bubble, seal, and place in canner. Process for 10 pounds for 30 minutes.
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