Carrot Jam: 6 Cooking Recipes

Jam is a common version of homemade preserves. Most often, at the heart of such a treat, there are berries or fruits, but vegetables also make good desserts. For these purposes, you can use carrots. This jam is unusual, but tasty.

Composition and calorie content

The energy value of 100 g of the product is 170 kcal. The carbohydrate content in carrot jam is 43.8 g, protein is 0.8 g, and fat is 0.2 g.

Vitamin composition is represented by vitamins PP, E, K, C, B. Carrot contains fiber and minerals such as copper, potassium, iron, phosphorus, nickel, iodine, fluorine, chromium, zinc. But the most useful substance in the jam is beta-carotene, which is necessary for the synthesis of vitamin A. After thermal treatment of the root crop, almost all useful substances are preserved.

What is useful carrot jam

Not always there is a significant difference in assessing the benefits of raw and boiled vegetables. After cooking, the level of alpha and beta-carotenes (powerful antioxidants) in carrots increases by 14%, lutein (carotenoid, important for the retina) - by 11%.

The list of positive qualities of carrot jam:

1. Low calorie content. The energy value of the product is low, because it can be consumed even if there is excess weight. But because of the high glycemic index in diabetes, you should use a treat with caution.
2. Pleasant and soft consistency. Carrot dessert can be consumed by children and the elderly who find it difficult to chew solid foods.
3. Fast digestion. The delicacy contains a small amount of fiber, because it is easily absorbed by the body. In addition, boiled root crops are absorbed much better than raw.
4. A large number of antioxidants. In boiled carrots, their level is higher than in raw carrots, therefore, with regular and moderate use of dessert, it is possible to slow down the aging process, to prevent the development of cancer, dementia, Alzheimer's disease.
5. Elimination of symptoms of vitamin deficiency. During heat treatment, some beneficial substances are destroyed, but most of them are preserved.
6. Improving vision, strengthening the retina and improving performance. Carrots and dishes prepared from it are as useful for the organ of vision as dill or blueberries. These products are recommended for conjunctivitis, myopia, as well as those who work in offices and spend a lot of time at the computer. Useful components of jam favorably affect the whole body, restore the ability to work.
7. Lowering cholesterol and normalizing the work of the cardiovascular system. The body is freed from excess cholesterol, blood vessels are cleaned.
8. Improving well-being with anemia, colds, thyroid disorders. The composition of carrot jam contains iron, ascorbic acid and iodine. During heat treatment, these substances are not destroyed. A carrot-based treat helps fight colds. It is also used for prevention.
9. The correct development of the fetus during pregnancy and ensuring the active growth of the child in the future. For children in school age, women during the period of bearing the baby, and all people, beta-carotene is very necessary to maintain overall health. It has a positive effect on the lungs and reduces the likelihood of developing cancer processes.

How to choose carrots for jam

To make the dessert beautiful, tasty and healthy, you must responsibly approach the choice of vegetables. The best options include varieties "Moscow Winter", "Karotel", "Nantes".Carrots of other varieties are also suitable, the main thing is that it be orange, medium in size and with a small core. With these characteristics, the root crop usually has a pronounced sweet taste.

Washed vegetables are dried, peeled, cut into pieces of the required shape and size. You can grind them as you like, however, the smaller the pieces, the faster the jam is prepared. For example, it can be triangles, rhombuses, hearts. If you want pieces of vegetable to look appetizing in a jar, you should give them a certain shape.

Peeling carrots is recommended on the day of collection. Vegetables are thoroughly prepared, damaged areas are removed. No need to wash carrots for a long time, because in this case, ascorbic acid is partially lost. Cooking it too long is also impossible, the pieces should remain moderately hard, and not turn into mashed potatoes.

How to cook carrot jam: recipes

A large number of recipes for the preparation of carrot-based desserts have been developed. To add variety and get an even more unusual taste, fruits and other vegetables are added to the carrots. For starters, you can cook a classic carrot treat.

Classic recipe

Ingredients for Jam:

• 1 kg of granulated sugar and carrots (it is advisable to take a young vegetable);
• 0.45 liters of drinking water;
• 1 tsp (without slide) citric acid.

Cooking process:

1. First boil the syrup. Prepare a saucepan of the required size (it is advisable to use enameled dishes), fill it with water and pour sugar.
2. Liquid with sugar is constantly stirred, brought to a boiling state and complete dissolution of sugar. Usually 5 minutes is enough, you don’t need to cook the syrup longer.
3. The vegetable is ground on a grater or using a food processor and sent to boiling syrup.
4. After 10-12 minutes, put the pan aside and insist the contents for at least 10 hours.
5. Next, the carrots in sugar syrup are put on the stove again and cooked until the mass thickens. After completing this stage, the vegetable becomes translucent.
6. Citric acid is introduced, after which the jam is poured into jars. They must be sterilized in advance.
7. After 24 hours, the jam is stored in a cool place.

Carrot and Lemon Jam

This recipe is popular among carrot lovers and those who prefer to periodically cook unusual desserts, adding new products to the composition. Through the use of lemon, the taste of the finished product becomes more saturated.

Ingredients:

• 350 g of fresh vegetable;
• 1 medium-sized lemon;
• 1 tbsp. Sahara.

Cooking process:

1. Prepare carrots. Wash thoroughly, peel, then chop, giving the slices of the vegetable the desired shape.
2. Carrots are poured into a container of a suitable size, sugar is the next layer.
3. When the juice began to stand out, put the pan on the stove and heat the contents, stirring it slightly.
4. Lemon is cut into small slices (the peel is not removed), the ingredient is sent to the pan. When heated, lemon juice is gradually released, therefore, additional liquid is not required.
5. Cook carrots with lemon until cooked and sugar is completely dissolved for 20 minutes, if necessary - longer. In this recipe, the main ingredient should be soft.
6. Products are ground using a blender. The result should be a mushy dessert. Without waiting for the jam to cool, it is poured into jars. Glass containers are filled only after sterilization.

Lemon can be replaced with orange. The main thing is that citrus fruit is present in the composition. The cooking process in this case is no different.

Dish with carrots and lemon zest

Ingredients:

• 1 kg of granulated sugar and root crops;
• one lemon;
• 1 tbsp. purified water.

Cooking process:

1. The vegetable washed in cold water (you can use a toothbrush for these purposes) is boiled and cooled.
2. While preparing the main ingredient of a healthy treat, the zest is thinly cut from a lemon. The straws are poured over with boiling liquid, boiled a little with water and sugar (these ingredients are used in small quantities) until it becomes soft. Usually this process takes about an hour.
3. Boiled carrots are peeled and cut into circles or in any other way.
4. The crushed vegetable is poured into a container covered with enamel.
5. Lemon is cut into half rings of small thickness and also sent to the pan. Carrot-lemon mixture is covered with granulated sugar.
6. Zest is added to the container along with the liquid. The contents of the pan are mixed and cooked with medium heat, stirring regularly.
7. Carrots should become transparent, and the syrup should thicken. Ready jam is poured hot on prepared jars (sterilized and dry), tightly screw the lids and cool. Then the delicacy of carrots and lemon peel is sent for storage in a cool place.

Spice Carrot Jam

Ingredients:

• a kilogram of carrots and the same amount of sugar;
• a little citric acid - 2-3 g;
• a mixture of vanilla, ginger, saffron, cardamom (ground spices).

Cooking process:

1. Vegetables are washed thoroughly from dirt in cold water and peeled. It is recommended to use a special knife, as he cuts a thin layer.
2. Carrots are cut into beautiful, but small pieces. It can be bars, circles and their halves or any other figures. If desired, the vegetable can be grated in the same way as a Korean carrot.
3. To prepare the jam, an enameled pan of the required volume is selected. A bowl will fit if it is deep. The container is filled with carrots and covered with sugar.
4. After 8-12 hours, when the carrot juice has stood out in sufficient volume, pour a little water (30-60 ml) into the pan. Carrots are sent to the stove and with minimal heating after boiling, boil for 5-10 minutes. The foam that forms on the surface is removed. The jam is allowed to cool at room temperature, then it is boiled another one to three times for 5-10 minutes.
5. When the jam is placed on the stove for the last time, a solution of citric acid is poured before boiling (prepared with the addition of 1 tbsp. Liquid) and spices.

Dessert is ready when the droplet keeps well on the surface and does not drain, and the carrot has become transparent and darker.

Jam is stored in small jars corked with tin or plastic lids. According to the same recipe, a carrot and apple treat is prepared. Carrots in sugar are infused with sweet and sour apples. The peel is not removed.

Carrot and apple jam

Ingredients:

• carrots - 0.2 kg;
• apples (you must choose ripe and juicy) - 0.3 kg;
• sugar - 0.4 kg;
• small lemon.

Cooking process:

1. Washed apples are cut, core removed. They are cut into cubes or slices. It is advisable to leave the peel, because it is very useful. However, in cases where the peel is too thick, apples can be peeled.
2. Carrots are cleaned from the ground, washed thoroughly under running water. The peel is cut, the vegetable is crushed using a large or medium grater.
3. The base for jam is combined with sugar. Then the carrot-apple mixture is actively mixed so that the juice stands out.
4. Lemon is ground with a blender along with the peel (if this is not possible, you can use a grater). The ingredient is added to the prepared mixture, it will give a unique flavor to the finished product.
5. The pan is sent to the stove.After the contents boil, it is boiled for 40-50 minutes.
6. A thick treat is stored in the refrigerator under a nylon cover or rolled up in small jars for the winter.

Carrot and Geranium Jam

Ingredients:

• 830 g carrots:
• 5-6 leaves of geranium;
• 970 g of granulated sugar;
• 550 ml of drinking water;
• 12 ml of tartaric acid.

Cooking process:

1. The cleaned root crops, previously washed under running water, are crushed on a coarse grater. The vegetable is boiled 4 times with minimal heating for 10-12 minutes. Each time, wait for the carrots to cool completely. Such manipulations allow you to get a tasty product without a specific smell.
2. Water is combined with sugar in a container with a thick bottom. The pan is placed on the stove and the syrup is cooked until thickened.
3. Next, boiled carrots and geraniums fixed with a thread are added to the syrup.
4. Jam is boiled until the ingredients are translucent. When the dessert is ready, the geranium is removed, the heating is stopped and tartaric acid is added.

The treat can be consumed after cooling. If you plan to roll up the jam, its cooling is not expected.

Jam storage rules

A delicacy prepared on the basis of carrots is stored for 12 months, that is, until the next season. Thick paper, nylon and metal covers are allowed. To keep the jam better and longer, it is recommended to give preference to metal options. If possible, long-term storage should be avoided, since the taste of the product and the level of the content of useful substances can change over time.

For storage of carrot jam choose a cool and dark place. For example, cans can be put in a cupboard or taken to the basement. In order to provide protection against moisture, a thin layer of oil is applied to the top of the cans. In the selected place, the temperature should be constant, then the dessert will not be sugared, its consistency will remain unchanged. Optimum values ​​are from 0 to + 20 ° C.

Recommendations for the preparation of carrot desserts

It’s easy to cook carrot treats, but you need to know some of the subtleties:

1. The color of the vegetable in the jam will be more saturated if the skin is scraped off with a sharp knife. You need to remove only a thin top layer, then the carrot in the dessert remains bright.
2. If the jam vegetables are cleaned in advance, it is recommended to place them in a dry bowl and cover with a damp cloth, but not more than 3 hours. Thanks to these simple steps, the jam base will stay fresh longer.
3. If the carrots are young, leave the peel. But in such cases, it should be washed more thoroughly, preferably with a toothbrush.
4. It is important to choose a pan of optimal size. Carrot desserts are prepared in containers that are almost completely filled with ingredients.
5. So that beneficial substances are preserved in the vegetable, and not transferred to the liquid during cooking, it is dipped in boiling water and boiled under a closed lid.
6. To get the most useful product, do not expose it to prolonged heat treatment. You can speed up the process by grinding the main ingredient. Time will be spent much less, while the root crop will become quite soft.
7. The taste and color of carrot dessert will be more pleasant if you take a young and ripe sweet vegetable variety.
8. You can experiment with the composition and replace additional ingredients with other products. For example, instead of apples, lemons or oranges, take berries.

Applying recommendations on the selection and preparation of ingredients, you can get a product that will not leave anyone indifferent. Carrot treats can be consumed separately with tea or added to cream, pies and other dishes.

If you want to please loved ones with something unusual, you can make carrot jam.The vegetable contains a large number of nutrients that are partially preserved during heat treatment. Desserts with carrots in the base have a positive effect on the body, contribute to improving well-being. In addition, carrot jam can be prepared all year round!

Interesting facts about carrots

1. Initially, the carrots were purple. They began to grow it in Afghanistan, and then in Rome and Ancient Greece.
2. Scientists developed a culture with orange fruits in the 16th century in the Netherlands. According to legend, such work was done for the Oran royal family. It was the orange color that was dynastic. It is not known how this actually happened, but even carrots were often depicted in paintings of that time.
3. The vegetable is useful both raw and boiled. In the process of cooking, only part of the nutrients is destroyed. With moderate use, a cooked product is better absorbed.
4. In Russian zoos, the color of flamingo feathers can be preserved through the use of carrots.
5. They eat not only fruits, but also tops. The upper part of the culture is also useful and is the basis for tea, salads, soups, main dishes.
6. In Alaska, the world's heaviest and longest carrots were grown. The record was set by a British farmer. The weight of the root crop is 8.61 kg, length is 5.84 m.
7. In Germany, coffee was made from vegetables. For these purposes, it was fried. Some villages still have a drink recipe.
8. The basis of carrots is water - 90%.
9. The root of the culture copes well with cleansing the teeth and provides a gentle massage of the gums. Using it, you can avoid the development of periodontal disease and caries.
10. In Europe, by law, only fruits can be used as the basis for jam. Since carrot jam made in Portugal is supplied to European countries, carrots are classified as fruits there.
11. The small town of Holtville (California) is recognized as the world capital of carrots, where festivals are organized every year.
12. Since ancient times, juice obtained from carrots was given to frigid women. Men also took this beneficial compound, which acted almost like Viagra. In addition, with the help of this product, the fair sex can improve the condition of the skin and nails, strengthen the hair and get rid of the problem of their loss.
13. Carrots are a unique vegetable. Antioxidants are found in many products, and they are usually destroyed by heat treatment, but not in carrots! In it, their level in the process of cooking only increases, and twice. These substances are very important for the body, their main function is the activation of redox processes at the cellular level, which to some extent reduces the risk of tumor formation.
14. Root juice is saturated with volatile, which are a natural antiseptic. It has many substances useful for the heart, which makes it an indispensable product in the prevention of cardiovascular diseases. Surprisingly, only 1 glass of juice per day with regular use can significantly reduce the risk of heart attack (by 44%) and stroke (by 50%).
15. Beta carotene is needed for those who want to get a beautiful tan. This substance enhances the production of melanin and neutralizes the harm of ultraviolet rays. The main thing is to prevent overdose, otherwise the skin may turn yellow.