Want a Unique Carrot Recipe? Make Carrot Almond Jam

This jam is an extension of a failed recipe for Passover carrot candy from an ancient cookbook put out by a home for the aged in Worcester, Massachusetts. I've abandoned ship on making the candy, but this jam is an unusual and sweet treat unto itself. I also dig this one because all of the produce isn't super seasonally dependent. Not only will this add veggie power to your breakfast toast, but it's fah-bu-lous mixed with cream cheese as a frosting for carrot cake. If you can't find tamari almonds, just roasted and salted ones will work.

INGREDIENTS

 1 1/2 pounds carrots, trimmed, peeled and shredded (about 41/4 cups)
1 teaspoon grated fresh ginger
2 1/2 cups sugar
1/ 2 cup water
1/ 2 cup chopped tamari almonds
1 thin-skinned orange
1 lemon

INSTRUCTIONS

Combine the carrots, ginger, sugar and water in a large Dutch oven. In a food processor, grind the nuts and add them to the pot. Wash the orange and lemon and cut them into quarters. Chop them — seeds, skins, and all — in the food processor, and then stir them into the pot as well. Put the pot over medium heat, cover and let it come to a boil. Stir, turn the heat to medium-low, cover again and let simmer for 40 minutes, stirring occasionally, allowing the carrots to get tender.

HOW TO STORE IT

Spoon the jam into clean jars and refrigerate for up to 3 months. Or spoon into sterilized canning jars, packing very tightly to eliminate the air bubbles inside (you can also stick a chopstick or long skewer into the jar to pop the bubbles before canning). Process for 15 minutes. This will keep for up to 1 year on the shelf.

Image credits (from top to bottom): Angie Cao

Excerpted from Can It, Bottle It, Smoke It by Karen Solomon, published by Ten Speed Press.