Carrot Cake Jam

This carrot cake jam is sweetened with crushed pineapple and spices. This sunny Fall/Winter jam tastes just like carrot cake. It makes a perfect gift for any occasion.

When I first found this recipe in one of Ball’s canning books, I was skeptical. Would it really taste like carrot cake? Well, all I can say is that every person who has tasted it says, “yes.”

I love the way this carrot cake jam tastes, the way it smells and the way it looks on the shelf. If you’re looking for those Fall and Winter flavors of cinnamon, cloves and nutmeg, then reach for a jar of this amazing jam. It’s great on toast, biscuits, or mixed into your favorite batch of pancakes.

• carrots: peeled and finely grated
• pears: peeled, chopped and cored
• pineapple: canned, including juice
• lemon juice: bottled
• ground cinnamon
• ground nutmeg
• ground cloves
• granulated white sugar
• pectin: Ball Classic Fruit Pectin or 1 package (1.75 oz/57 g) Bernardin Original Pectin

As long at the jar hasn’t been opened, canned Carrot Cake Jam can be stored at room temperature for up to two years. Once it’s opened, store it in the fridge and use it within one month. Tuck the jam onto one of the shelves in the main compartment. You can also freeze the jam using freezer safe jars or containers.

Yes, you can absolutely make jam without added pectin. The process involves using fruits high in natural pectin (like citrus, apples, or berries) and boiling them with sugar for a longer time to evaporate water, allowing the mixture to thicken naturally. A common method includes adding lemon juice to create an acidic environment that aids gelling.

Water-bath canning is only for produce that is HIGH in acid. Such as, tomatoes, berries, fruit, sauerkraut, and pickled vegetables. It’s great for making jams, jellies, and pickled veggies. Their natural acidity, in addition to time in the boiling water bath, helps preserve them safely without having to use high pressure.

Water-bath canning in NOT for meats, seafood, poultry, chili, beans, corn, or other low-acid vegetables that require a higher temperature (240 degrees F) to raise the heat inside the jars above the boiling point of water (212 degrees F) and hot enough for a long enough period of time to kill harmful bacteria. Low-acid food requires pressure canning.

• A boiling water canner: This is a large, deep pot usually made of aluminum with a fitted lid. It needs to be deep enough so that your jars can be completely submerged with at least 1 inch of water above the tops. A boiling water canner is not required, but any stockpot needs to work similarly.
• A rack that fits inside the canner: It is essential that the jars are elevated above the direct heat at the bottom of the pot. Don’t allow jars to sit directly on the bottom of the canner because they can crack from the heat.
• Canning jars: I usually use Mason, Ball or Kerr brands. They come in many sizes but for this recipe you may want to use 1/2 pint or 1/4 pint jars. You can use regular or wide mouth jars depending on your preference. Canning jars can be reused. Just be sure to check them each time for chips or cracks.
• Clean, rust free, non-dented metal bands: These screw onto the threaded rims of the jars. They hold the lids in place until the food is processed, sealed, and cooled. The bands can be reused but don’t keep them on the processed jars when storing.
• Metal canning lids: These come in two sized, regular and wide mouth. You MUST use brand new lids every time you process food. With the newer lids, you do not need to warm them first. Just be sure to clean the jar rim with vinegar first.
• Canning funnel: This is a wide-mouthed funnel that keeps food from spilling while you are filling the jars. This item can be reused.
• A stainless steel ladle: A soup ladle works well for filling the canning jars.
• A jar lifter: This is an essential item. These are specialized tongs that fit around the base of the canning jar rims to safely grab and lift the hot jars straight up and out of the canner after processing or to lower them into the canner of boiling water.
• Stainless steel stockpot: You will need one large enough to hold and cook a big batch of food before you ladle them into the canning jars for processing in the canner.

For detailed instructions on how to use the water-bath method for canning, check out these two websites:simplycanning.com/water-bath-canning and almanac.com/water-bath-canning-beginners-guide

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Carrot Cake Jam

Recipe by janet @ mykitchenandkin.com

0.0 from 0 votes

Course: Canning, Breakfast, Kid FriendlyCuisine: AmericanDifficulty: Easy

Servings

6

8 ounce jars

Prep time

35

minutes

Cooking time

10

minutes

Total time

45

minutes

This carrot cake jam is sweetened with crushed pineapple and spices. This sunny Fall/Winter jam tastes just like carrot cake. It makes six 8 ounce jars, a perfect gift for any occasion.

Cook Mode

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Ingredients

US Metric

• 1 1/2 cups 1 1/2 finely grated peeled carrots

• 1 1/2 cups 1 1/2 chopped, cored, peeled pears

• 1 3/4 cups 1 3/4 canned pineapple, including juice

• 3 Tablespoons 3 bottled lemon juice

• 1 teaspoon 1 ground cinnamon

• 1/2 teaspoon 1/2 ground nutmeg

• 1/2 teaspoon 1/2 ground cloves

• 6 Tablespoons 6 Ball Classic Fruit Pectin, or 1 package (1.75 oz/57 g) Bernardin Original Pectin

• 6 1/2 cups 6 1/2 granulated white sugar

Directions

• Prepare canner, jars and lids.
• In a large, deep stainless steel saucepan, combine carrots, pears, pineapple with juice, lemon juice, cinnamon, nutmeg and cloves. Bring to a boil over high heat, stirring frequently. Reduce heat, cover and boil gently for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally.
• Remove from heat and whisk in pectin until dissolved. Bring to a boil over high heat, stirring frequently.
• Add sugar all at once and return to a full rolling boil, stirring constantly. Boil hard, stirring constantly, for 1 minute. Remove from heat and skim off foam.
• Ladle hot jam into hot jars, leaving 1/4 inch (0.5 cm) headspace. Remove air bubbles and adjust headspace, if necessary, by adding hot jam. Wipe rim with vinegar. Center lid on jar. Screw band down until resistance is met, then increase to fingertip-tight.
• Place jars in canner, ensuring they are completely covered with water. Bring to a boil and process for 10 minutes. Remove canner lid. Wait 5 minutes, then remove jars, cool and store.

Notes

• The processing time is listed for altitudes of 1,000 feet or less. Add 1 minute to the processing time for each 1,000 feet of additional altitude.
• If using liquid pectin, bring to a boil, simmer 20 minutes, add pectin, bring to a boil, add sugar and bring to a full boil. Take off heat.
• Turn this delicious jam into a conserve by stirring in 1/4 cup chopped pecans or walnuts immediately after completing the 1 minute boil. Stir thoroughly and remove from heat.

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