So I’m there with my 5 lb. bag of carrots thumbing though a myriad of canning books looking for something to get excited about when as luck would have it, excitement came knocking at my door.
By way of a friendly neighbor carrying a paper bag swelling it seemed with these:
Of those carrots and apples, I made this:
Another thing that happens around this time of year: I start to get antsy about using up all of my freezer-preserved produce in anticipation of the coming season. Rhubarb and strawberries’ days are numbered in the late winter months because they are some of the first things to spring forth in the new season. These two happenings combined prompted me to make this:
Without further ado:
Carrot Apple Butter with Cardamom
adapted from the Joy of Jams, Jellies & Other Sweet Preserves
4 pounds carrots
about 4 cups water
3.5 lbs. tart apples
4 cups sugar
teaspoon vanilla extract
1 tablespoon ground cardamom seeds
1/2 pint mason jars (approximately 5)
1. Peel and slice carrots thinly. Put into preserving pot and barely cover with water. Bring to the boil and then simmer, covered, until tender.
2. While carrots are simmering peel, core and slice apples thinly. When carrots are just tender, add apples and continue to simmer until both are very soft.
3. While the carrots and apples are simmering, break open the cardamom pods. Take out the black seeds inside and discard the green casings. The seeds will be easy to grind with a mortar and pestle. They are quite sticky, so I stay away from an electric spice grinder when I am grinding them.
4. When the carrots and apples are soft, put them through the medium screen of a food mill.
5. Put milled carrots and apples, sugar, and ground cardamom into the preserving pot. Heat at first on medium-low until the sugar dissolves. Once sugar has dissolved, raise heat a bit, stirring more frequently as the butter thickens.
It is done when it becomes a shade darker, a bit glossy and a spreadable thickness. You should be able to drag your stirring spoon across the bottom of the pot and form a clean line, the butter hovering on either side for a second or two before it folds itself back over the bottom of the pan. Mine took about 30 minutes. While the butter is cooking, prepare your canning pot and jars.
6. When butter has reached sufficient thickness, remove from heat and stir in vanilla extract.
7. Fill half pint jars, leaving 1/4 inch headspace. Wiggle the jar a bit and run a spatula around the insides to get rid of air bubbles.
8. Hot water bath process for 10 minutes.
