Email to Cat      

Carrot Cake Jam

Source of Recipe

From "Beginner's Guide to Canning" by Diane Devereaux


Recipe Introduction

"A much-anticipated addition to your early spring meals, this carrot cake jam tastes just like eating carrot cake straight out of the pan; the only thing missing is cream cheese frosting."

List of Ingredients

â—¦ 4 cups packed light brown sugar
â—¦ 7 tablespoons ClearJel® or powdered pectin
â—¦ 4 medium carrots, peeled and shredded (1 ½ cups)
â—¦ 1 (20-ounce) can unsweetened crushed pineapple, including juice
â—¦ 1 large Granny Smith apple, peeled, cored, and finely chopped (1 cup)
â—¦ 2 pears, peeled, cored, and chopped (1 cup)
â—¦ 1 cup pecan halves, finely chopped (¾ cup), optional
â—¦ 3 tablespoons bottled lemon juice
â—¦ 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
â—¦ 1 teaspoon ground ginger
â—¦ ½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
â—¦ ¼ teaspoon ground cloves
â—¦ 1 teaspoon vanilla extract



Recipe

In a large pot, cover the jars with hot water, add 1 tablespoon distilled white vinegar, and bring to a boil. Boil for 5 minutes, then turn off the heat. In a smaller pot, add the lids and rings, 2 tablespoons distilled white vinegar, and water to cover. Boil for 5 minutes, then remove from the heat and set aside.

In a bowl, break the brown sugar apart with a spoon. Lightly sprinkle the Clear-Jel® or pectin over the sugar, then whisk to combine.

In a heavy-bottomed pot, combine the carrots, pineapple, apple, pears, pecans, lemon juice, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, cloves, and vanilla and mix well. Bring to a boil over medium heat. Reduce the heat to low and simmer for 15 minutes, stirring often to avoid scorching the jam. Add the brown sugar mixture to the pot and mix well. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, stirring until the sugar has dissolved. Boil for 5 minutes, stirring constantly, then remove from the heat.

Place the hot jars on a cutting board. Using a funnel, ladle the jam into the hot jars, leaving a ¼-inch headspace. Remove any air bubbles and add additional jam if necessary to maintain the ¼-inch headspace. Wipe the rim of each jar with a warm washcloth dipped in distilled white vinegar. Place a lid and ring on each jar and hand-tighten.

Place the jars in the water bather, ensuring each jar is covered by at least 1 inch of water. Add 2 tablespoons distilled white vinegar to the water and turn the heat to high. Bring the canner to a boil and process half-pints for 10 minutes. Be sure not to start your timer until the water is at a full rolling boil. After processing, wait 5 minutes before removing the jars from the canner.

Makes 8 half-pints



• How to Enjoy:
Fill the center of a cupcake with this delectable jam, top the cupcake off with cream cheese frosting, and serve. Need something to jazz up a boring scene? Look no further. This also makes an excellent filling for crêpes.