We often hear the expression “I've never tasted anything sweeter than a carrot”. Moreover, it is issued with a kind of contemptuous mine, in order to show its own superiority over the discussed (or discussed). And I wondered - why was the carrot chosen for this?
A very decent root vegetable. No worse than beets, which can be used to make many delicious dishes.
From carrots - I'll tell you a secret - even jam can be cooked, it's very tasty, and for those who try it, the phrase “I've never tasted anything sweeter than carrots” will seem ridiculous. After all, carrots can become not only sweet, but also delicious.
Well, shall we cook?
We take:
- A kilogram of carrots;
- 400-450 grams of sour apples;
- 1 lemon;
- 700 grams of sugar (a little more, a little less - here you decide, because the jam is not for the winter, it is for quick eating). Some of the sugar can be replaced with honey;
- To taste: ginger, chili, cinnamon, cloves, allspice, coriander, cardamom, nutmeg - in a word, all those spices that make up a delicious accompaniment to sweets. You can add a little cognac, rum or calvados. You can also add a little salt to the jam.
Remember - the amount of spices will determine whether the jam is almost dessert-like or can be used as a seasoning for cheeses or meat delicacies. If you are cooking for the first time, at first it is better to try not the spicy-spicy version, but the dessert one.
How we cook:
Cut the carrots into small cubes, or rub them on a coarse grater, cover them with sugar and let them stand - let it release the juice.
As soon as there is enough juice (if there is very little, then add just a little water, a little - we are not soup cook, right?), put it on the fire to cook, and urgently clean the sour apples, and then cut them into small ones too cubes.
We send the apples to the carrots five minutes after the start of cooking and mix everything thoroughly.
Now we remove the zest from the lemon, and squeeze the lemon itself onto the juice. And this juice is also added to the jam.
Cook, stirring thoroughly, until the apples are ready - someone likes it to fall apart, someone prefers a more "heterogeneous" consistency. At the very end of cooking, add zest, spices and, if you have already decided to gourmet - cognac, rum or calvados.
After that, let it boil for a minute or two and remove.
Bon Appetit!