Carrot Jam

Carrot jam was a wartime recipe but it had also appeared in Mrs Beeton’s Book of Household Management in 1861 as ‘Carrot jam to imitate apricot preserve’. It is delicious served with war and peace pudding, but also with the cabbage pudding or hackin pudding.

500 g (1 lb 2 oz) carrot purée, made from boiled carrots

500 g (1 lb 2 oz) raw sugar

juice of 1 lemon

zest of ½ lemon, grated or cut into fine strips

5 apricot kernels

2 tablespoons brandy

Put the carrot purée in a large saucepan and bring to the boil. Add the sugar, lemon juice and zest and apricot kernels. Boil until the mixture has thickened and gels quickly when spooned onto a cold plate.

Remove from the heat and take out the apricot kernels if you can spot them. Stir the brandy through the jam and decant into sterilised jars. Close the jars and turn them upside down to cool.

The jam has a hint of apricot; it was marketed as mock apricot jam.

This jam doesn’t keep long and must be stored in the fridge.