Homemade Carrot Jam with only 3 ingredients, an incredibly delicious and easy to make jam that is ready in way under 40 minutes from scratch. Carrots might seem like a surprising ingredient to make a jam with, but trust me, you will instantly fall in love with this jam, it's divinely fragrant.
Carrots are incredibly versatile, and we cook them in so many dishes, mainly soups, stews or casseroles, or enjoy them raw in salads, dips or just on their own.
And while I did use carrots for sweet dishes too like Carrot Cake with Cream Cheese Icing or Carrot Muffins, it's the first time I make carrot jam. Such a revelation! A what a gorgeous vibrant orange colour the jam has!
To say that I was extremely surprised at the result it's surely an understatement. It has blown my mind! What a fragrant and delicious jam this is! You really can't tell it's made with carrots, it has such a lovely delicate aroma that reminds me of peaches instead.
Given that carrots are cheap and plentiful and easily available all year round, it makes perfect sense to use them in jams too. After all, they do have a natural sweetness to them that gives the jam a boost of flavour already.
I have a lot of other jams on my blog, you check my category Preserves you find jams like Peach Jam, Strawberry Jam and many more homemade jam recipes that will delight the whole family.
This carrot jam recipe yields 2 small jars of jam plus a ramekin of extra jam that can be refrigerated and consumed within days. Whether if you sterilize the jars, they can last really well for months.
I usually go for small-batch jams, as I like to experiment with different flavour combinations, but you can increase the amount of ingredients used if you wish to make a bigger batch.
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Ingredients I used
- carrots - peel and cut them into rounds so that they can boil quicker
- lemon - I only used the lemon juice for my jam
- sugar - simple granulated sugar does the job well, there is no need for jam sugar with added pectin
Variations
I have kept this jam as simple as can be, but it's still wonderfully delicious. If you want to add even more goodness to it, you can try a pinch of cinnamon, cardamom, ground cloves or brown sugar to make a carrot cake jam instead.
How to make carrot jam
- peel and cut the carrots into slices
- add them to a pan, then cover them with water and place a lid on the pan
- set the pan on a medium to high heat and boil the carrots until they are fork tender
- remove the pan from the heat and either use a hand blender or a regular blender to blitz the carrots to a puree
- add the sugar and lemon juice and mix well
- place the pan back onto the cooker and simmer on low to medium heat for 10 minutes, making sure you keep the lid on to avoid the jam spluttering around
- transfer the jam into sterilized jars and tighten the lids well
- leave them to cook completely before storing away
Why the recipe works
- it's super easy - honestly, making jam is not as hard as you might think - it really is an easy job, and very satisfying too
- it's quick - a small batch like this one is ready from scratch in under 40 minutes
- it is insanely delicious - I kid you not, you really can't tell it's not an expensive brand jam
- it can be enjoyed as soon as it cools down, or stored away for a later use
Expert tips
Before I talk more about the recipe, one warning here! When the jam goes back onto the stove to simmer, it is crucial to place a lid on the pan. Even if you set the heat on low, the jam will still splutter badly and could burn your skin easily.
Extra care when you handle the hot sterilized jar and transfer the jam into the jar, everything is really hot and can burn you easily.
The jam might look sloppy at first, but once it cools down completely, it thickens further, so there is not need to panic here.
Recipe FAQs
The carrot jam is wonderfully aromatic and it tastes more a peach jam rather than carrots.
If you are planning to use the jam sooner rather than later, it makes perfect sense to refrigerate the jars, in which case there is no need to sterilize the jars.
Not at all, I did not use special sugar with pectin added, but regular granulated sugar and the jam turned out perfectly.
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Carrot Jam
Ingredients
- 550 g carrots ( 1.1 lb)
- 250 g granulated sugar ( 1 ¼ cup)
- 1 lemon
Instructions
- Peel and chop the carrots into slices.
- Add them to a pan and cover the carrots with water.
- Place a lid on the pan and boil the carrots on a medium to high heat until the carrots are fork tender.
- Use a hand blender or a regular blender to blitz the carrots to a puree texture.
- Add the sugar and lemon juice from the whole lemon and mix well.
- Return the pan to the cooker, and leave the jam to simmer on a low to medium heat for 10 minutes, making sure the lid in on the pan to avoid the jam spluttering around.
- Transfer the jam to sterilized jars and tighten the lids very well.
- Leave them to cool down completely before storing the jars away.
Video
Notes
- When the jam goes back onto the stove to simmer, it is crucial to place a lid on the pan. Even if you set the heat on low, the jam will still splutter badly and could burn your skin easily.
- Extra care when you handle the hot sterilized jar and transfer the jam into the jar, everything is really hot and can burn you easily.
- The jam might look sloppy at first, but once it cools down completely, it thickens further, so there is not need to panic here.
Nutrition
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