Carrot Cake Jam

Processing: Boiling Water Canner 10 minutes
Storage: 12 months+
Yield: 6 cups per batch

  
Our favourite Easter gift, spread this fabulous jam onto cakes with cream cheese frosting, or simply enjoy on your toast!
  
Ingredients:
1 ½ cups grated carrots
1 ½ cups finely diced pears
1 ¾ cups crushed pineapple
¼ cup lemon juice
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
½ cup sultanas (optional)
3 tablespoons powdered pectin (i.e. 50g JamSetta)
4 cups white sugar
2 cups brown sugar
   
Simmer carrots and fruit until soft.
Wash carrots and pears, drain and peel. Grate carrots and core then finely dice pears. Measure into a large pan and add crushed pineapple (including any juice), lemon juice, cinnamon, nutmeg and sultanas (if using). Bring to a boil then simmer, covered, for 20 minutes or until very soft. Gently mash to break down pear, keeping some fruit pieces and carrot visible.
   
Prepare jars.
Cover jars with water and bring to a boil, boiling for 10 minutes. Once the time is up, turn the heat off and leave jars in the hot water until ready to fill.
   
Make jam.
Whisk pectin into carrot mixture. Bring to a boil, as high as possible, and then add the sugar all at once. Bring to as high a boil as possible (rolling boil) and boil hard for 1 minute. Then turn the heat off and rest for a minute and skim foam from the surface (if any).
  
Prepare lids.
Place lids into a bowl of boiling water. Remove the lids from the water when you are ready to place them onto the jars to seal.
 
Ladle hot jam into hot jars.
Immediately ladle the hot jam into hot jars, leaving a 1/4 inch (0.5cm) headspace. Remove bubbles, check headspace is correct, then wipe rims with damp paper towel then seal.
 
Process jars in a boiling water canner for 10 minutes.
Process in a boiling water bath canner for 10 minutes (start timer once water returns to a full boil). When time is up, turn heat off and rest jars in water for 5 minutes before placing onto a towel-covered bench overnight to cool.
 
Next day: check for seals.
Check jars have sealed before labelling and storing in a cool, dry and dark place for up to 12 months. Jar lids should not flex up or down when pressed.
 

FLAVOUR IDEAS:

• Use 6 cups white sugar (with no brown sugar);
• Spices: you can omit, add extra or substitute with different spices;
• Carrot Cake Conserve: add a tablespoon chopped walnuts into each jar.