Who Knew Carrots Could Be As Yummy As Candy?

I love fall!  It's absolutely my favorite season. I love the way the September sunlight slants across the landscape with a golden hue unlike that of any other time of year.  It is a time of harvest, of preparing for the cold winter months ahead.  I feel like nesting and storing nuts like a squirrel.  When I was first married, Grandma Zetta decided I needed to learn a few useful skills, so she taught me how to bottle peaches.  I lived in a very small mobile home with almost no counter space.  Boxes of peaches, bags of sugar and empty bottles were stacked on every available surface.  I was hot, sticky and whiny, but my no-nonsense grandmother stuck with me.  I was so proud to see those golden jars lined up on my tiny kitchen table.  I will always be grateful that she cared enough about me to teach me.

Have you ever noticed how all the fruits and vegetables in the produce aisle seem to blend into a pleasing patchwork of colors and textures?  I love how pretty and orange the little bags of baby carrots look nestled next to the green onions.  I decided I wanted to bottle some glazed baby carrots.  I bought four one pound bags, enough for 8 pints.  Bottling carrots is so easy if you don't have to peel or cut them! =D

Aren't they pretty?  They'll look nice next to the green beans I bottled a few weeks ago.  If you are new to canning, get yourself a copy of the Ball Blue Book--Guide to Preserving.   It'll teach you step by step what you need to learn.  And it's full of time-tested recipes that will give you the same feeling of accomplishment that I had over 35 years ago.  35 years?  Yikes! 

You will find a glazed carrot recipe on page 77 of the Blue Book.  They are as yummy as candy...and better for you. =D