How to Prevent Color Loss in Home-Canned Beets and Carrots
This page may contain affiliate links. More Information.
One of my canning students recently asked a great question; why do carrots and beets lose their vibrant color during the canning process? After canning both last year, she was disappointed with how dull they looked and wanted to know how to make them brighter and more appealing this year.
If you just want the recipes… Here are the pages for you. 😁
Here’s a video and article below what I shared about color loss. It all has to do with heat, ph, and canning methods.
Links Mentioned
- CanningSchool.com – check out our online canning courses and tutorials
- What is Siphoning in Canning? What causes Liquid Loss?
Color loss in Beets
Beets are prone to color loss. One thing I did not mention in the video above is that the pigment in the beets is affected by heat. It can break down in a pressure canner. I’ve had it happen often. Some color loss is almost inevitable. However, there are several ways to minimize this:
Leave the Taproot and Stems Intact
When boiling beets for peeling, leave at least 3 inches of the stem and the taproot attached. Cutting these too short exposes the beet and causes more color to bleed into the water. I’m pretty generous with the tap root especially.
Don’t over process
Because that pigment in the beets is sensitive to heat, over processing can cause color loss. Now this doesn’t mean shorten the time or lower the pressure! You do need to follow the canning recipe. But no need to go longer or higher pressure.
- Follow the times exactly—don’t process longer than necessary. You do need to process for the full time… just not longer.
- Stick to the proper pressure for your altitude. Pressure requirements should be in your recipe and will depend on the altitude where you live. Here are some general guidelines. Altitude adjustments.
Cool Down Naturally
After removing jars from the pressure canner, let them cool at their own pace. Avoid trying to speed things up with a fan or other methods. Rapid cooling often leads to liquid loss, which can further drain the beets’ color.
Harvest at the Right Size
If you grow your own beets, aim to harvest them when they’re about 3–4 inches in diameter. Larger beets tend to lose more color, though they’re still perfectly fine to eat.
I found this one out the hard way. One year I let my beets grow longer than I usually do. They were pretty large when I finally harvested them. The color in those jars was really light! Almost pink. They were fine and we did eat them but it is just not as appealing on the plate.
I wondered if it was the size, so for my next batch I intentionally filled some jars with beets harvested smaller, and some jars with beets that were much larger. It happened again.
Color Loss in Carrots
Carrots generally hold their color well. At least I have not had any issues with them. Here are a couple of tips to keep them looking their best:
Avoid Over processing
Over processing can cause color to bleed out. This does not mean you can process for a shorter time, or lower the pressure. You do need to follow the canning recipe. But no need to go longer or higher pressure.
- Stick to the recommended processing times. Over processing can cause more color to fade, so be careful not to go longer than needed.
- Stick to the recommended pressure for your area. Pressure requirements should be in your recipe. Here are some general guidelines. Altitude adjustments.
Proper cool down canning methods
How you cool down your canner and jars makes a difference. After removing jars from the pressure canner, let them cool at their own pace. Don’t speed up the process with fans, cool water or any other trick.
Variety Matters
Some carrot varieties are naturally more vibrant than others. If you’re growing your own or buying them fresh, keep this in mind.
Try Pickling
Remember I said PH levels can help beets especially maintain more color? Pickling is a perfect example. Pickling has added acid with affects the ph. That and the fact that water bath is just a gentler process… color is maintained better.
Plain beets and carrots are both processed in a pressure canner. If you wonder why check this article on choosing the correct canning method.
However, If you pickle either one of these vegetables… they are processed in a water bath which will result in better color retention.
And both are delicious! Here are some more recipes for pickled vegetables.
A Note About Photos
It’s worth mentioning that internet photos can sometimes set unrealistic expectations. Many images online are heavily edited to enhance colors, which might not match what your canned vegetables look like in real life.
It’s actually becoming more and more common for people to use AI tools to create images that are not even real photos.
While I do edit my photos for sharpness, I avoid over-enhancing them. I want to keep them as realistic as possible. So you know what to expect. That said, I’ve realized I don’t have many “after” photos of canned beets on my site—I’ll work on that so you can see what to expect.
Final Thoughts
If your carrots or beets lose some color, don’t worry—they’re still safe and delicious to eat. The change is purely cosmetic.
I hope these tips help you keep your jars looking as good as they taste! If you give any of these ideas a try, let me know how it goes.
