Yes, carrot jam is a thing. It’s been made in the Middle East since at least the 12th century. In Iran, carrot jam is flavoured with cardamom, rose and sometimes saffron. In this Persian inspired easy carrot jam recipe, I’ve used all three. It’s wonderful eaten just as it is on toast, but it also makes a delicious accompaniment to salty cheese.
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Easy Carrot Jam (Moraba-ye Havij)
It’s jam, but not as you know it. It’s more like soft candied carrot. You can still use it in exactly the same way as jam, though it doesn’t spread as you’d expect. The texture is more like a coarse marmalade. Indeed, carrot marmalade was quite a popular recipe in WW2.
It’s this quality that makes Persian carrot jam (moraba-ye havij) so easy to make. Unlike traditional British jam, you don’t need to worry about a setting point. You just keep cooking until most of the liquid has disappeared.
The recipe requires citrus to temper any sweetness and add additional flavour. In traditional Persian jam, either limes or oranges are used. I’ve made mine with the zest and juice of two limes and a lemon.
Saffron is entirely optional, but if you have some to hand, it does add a depth of colour and some extra floral notes. The flavours of cardamom and rose shine through and transform this rather mundane vegetable into something decidedly exotic. Some sort of alchemy occurs during the cooking process, turning a base of carrot into gold.
When it comes to the all important rose flavour, you can use rosewater, rose extract* or my rose syrup. I used the latter, of course. Use whole cardamom pods for this recipe, but just crush them lightly so that the seeds can properly infuse the jam. I leave the pods in when potting the jam up and just warn everyone in advance, but you could fish them out beforehand if you prefer.
The quantity in the recipe below makes five small jars.
Carrot Jam’s Potted History
Mrs Beeton, way back in 1861, wrote a recipe for carrot jam which looks and behaves more like you’d expect a jam to do. But this Persian inspired easy carrot jam appeals to me more. An Arab in Andalusia recorded the first known recipe. It used honey rather than sugar and was flavoured with ginger and cloves.
The Shakers brought carrot jam to the US in the 1770s and they used sugar. I have a recipe from Mrs M Grieve in A Modern Herbal published in 1931, so it looks like carrot jam was a ‘thing’ in the UK until relatively recently. I’ll forgo Maude’s inclusion of margarine, however.
Carrots for Breakfast?
In Iran, carrot jam is often eaten for breakfast along with bread and fresh cheese. I tried some of my easy carrot jam with salty feta cheese in a warm pitta bread and it was delicious. I’ve been having it for lunch rather than breakfast, but I feel I’ve got a glimpse of the real deal.
Easy Carrot Preparation
The only conceivable part of this recipe that might not be easy is grating this number of carrots. Hopefully, you have a food processor* to do this for you. You can find out more about my Von Shef 1000 on my Granny’s apple pie post. It’s what I use for anything more than one carrot. Grating them all by hand is just one step too far.
Other Unusual Carrot Recipes You Might Like
- Air-fryer carrot falafel
- Carrot, cabbage & cheddar mini muffins
- Carrot cake flapjacks
- Carrot top pesto
- Creamy carrot pasta sauce
- Moroccan carrot dip
- Carrot pickles
For more carrot inspiration take a look at my carrot category. Whether you’re looking for soups, salads, sides, bakes or something else, you’ll be sure to find something you like.
Keep in Touch
Thanks for visiting Tin and Thyme. If you make this easy Persian carrot jam, I’d love to hear about it in the comments below. And do please rate the recipe. Have you any top tips? Do share photos on your preferred social media site and use the hashtag #tinandthyme, so I can spot them.
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If you’d like more jam recipes and other preserves, follow the link and you’ll find I have quite a lot of them. All delicious, of course.
Choclette x
Easy Carrot Jam – PIN IT
Easy Carrot Jam – The Recipe
Easy Persian Carrot Jam (Moraba-ye Havij)
Equipment
Ingredients
- 800 g carrots coarsely grated
- 8 cardamom pods lightly crushed to open the pods a little
- 500 ml water
- 500 g golden caster sugar
- 2 limes organic or at least unwaxed
- 1 lemon organic or at least unwaxed
- pinch saffron threads (optional)
- 1 tbsp rose water or 2 tbsp rose syrup or 4-6 drops rose extract
Instructions
- Place the carrots, cardamom pods and water in a large pan. A preserving pan is ideal but any large saucepan is fine.
- Bring to the boil and simmer for 5 minutes with the lid on.
- Add the sugar and saffron if using and stir until the sugar has dissolved.
- Finely grate the lime zest and stir in.
- Bring to the boil again and boil without a lid for 15 to 20 minutes when most of the liquid should have evaporated and the carrots soft.
- Add the juice of the limes and lemon about ten minutes after adding the sugar.
- Add the rosewater, rose syrup or rose extract* a couple of minutes before turning off the heat.
- Spoon into sterilised jars whilst hot and cover.
- Will keep in the fridge for several weeks.
Notes
Nutrition Estimate
Sharing
I’m sharing this exotic easy carrot jam recipe with Recipes Made Easy for #CookBlogShare.
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Amanda Woods says
made this jam today as I had so many extra carrots from the garden.
it was delicious and easy to make. I can’t believe carrots can taste like this
Choclette says
I’m quite envious of your garden carrots Amanda. We’ve never been particularly successful at growing them. Glad you like the jam and thanks for your feedback. The flavours aren’t the most obvious ones to go with carrots, but it works really nicely.
Emily posey says
Can you hot water bath this and make it shelf stable?
Choclette says
Hi Emily. I haven’t tried extending its shelf life with a water bath, but in theory it should work.
Marie Walker says
Hi
How much ground cardamom should I use in place of the pods?
Choclette says
Hi Marie. Cardamom is quite a strong spice, so it’s better to err on the side of caution. I’d go with ¼ tsp of ground cardamom. Hope that helps.
Emma Ruston says
How long does this store for as there is not the usual amount of sugar for a jam recipe?
Choclette says
Hi Emma. You’re absolutely right. Carrot jam won’t keep as long as traditional British jam. Unopened jars will keep in the fridge for a couple of months though.
C says
Bad proportions
I have made carrot jam that was delicious, this waS not. Very disappointed
Choclette says
Oh no! Sorry to hear you didn’t like it. It’s always disappointing when a recipe doesn’t turn out as expected. What proportions do you think I should have used?
Najla says
Love this jam, made it twice, first time I added too much lemon juice and zest by mistake, then added sugar and cooked it more, still was lemony so I put it as a topping for cheesecake, it was fabulous.
Second time made it as your recipe, just cooked it an hour longer, it came yummy and soft, I top my pancakes with almond butter and carrot jam, great start to my day.
Choclette says
Thanks for letting me know Najla, so glad you liked it. Love the idea of it as a cheesecake topping and as a pancake topping too.
Catherine says
Can I ask if the carrot jam will keep out of the fridge? I’m thinking of making some for gifts. Thanks!
Choclette says
Hi Catherine, it will keep for a week or even two out of the fridge, depending on where you store it. The cooler and darker the place the better. Make sure your jars and lids are properly sterilised and you seal your jars well. I stored mine in a cupboard for a month and they were fine, but I wouldn’t be happy about giving those ones to anyone else – just in case.
Sally says
Thank you for your kind guidance. I enjoy the jam variety. This one seems excellent. My mother used to put red chillie powder and it is dantastic. Of course an acquires taste
Choclette says
Thanks Sally. Chilli powder sounds like a lovely addition. Your mother was clearly a woman of taste.
Louise Lester says
Fantastic recipe! I made this for a girl’s luncheon prior to lockdown here in California. It was a hit! I served it on crackers with fresh ricotta and goat cheese. Each gal was gifted a small jar to take home….one of them served it alongside grilled sausages and said it was a delicious condiment.
Choclette says
Sounds like a most delicious way to use the carrot jam and a lovely thing to gift too. I know it goes well with cheese, but now I need to try it with sausages.
Tamsin Peskett-Hall says
I made this for VE Day (socially distanced) celebrations, as carrot jam felt like an appropriate nod to wartime recipes. Absolutely delicious! The Middle Eastern flavours work so wonderfully. I’ve taken to eating it with Greek yogurt, although my favourite combination has been spreading it on sourdough toast, topped with clotted cream!
Choclette says
Ooh how wicked. I totally want to try this with clotted cream on toast now. Glad you liked it. And yes a clever idea for VE day, though I suspect Middle Eastern flavours might have seemed rather odd then.
Jo Allison / Jo's Kitchen Larder says
The sound of your carrot jam as well as your lovely lunch of warm pitta with feta and said condiment is making me really hungry. What a great and unusual recipe! I love a good chutney and would love to try your jam with all its wonderful flavours.
Choclette says
I thought it might last us quite some time, but it’s so good we’re going through it more rapidly than I’d anticipated.
Kat (The Baking Explorer) says
I’ve never heard of carrot jam before – I’d love to try it!
Choclette says
This is one of the reasons I love blogging so much. There’s always something new to learn or try.
Edinburgers says
Really like the sound of this. Our little one is mad about carrots so might need to try this out and see what he thinks. Also I had no idea carrot jam was a thing 🙂
Choclette says
Yay, glad to have enlightened you 😀 Let me know if your little one gives it the thumbs up or down if you do make it.
Anna | Once Upon A Food Blog says
This looks like one of those simple but slightly unusual recipes that I love to try. I also love that you don’t have to look for a setting point – I always start making jam way too late and am up at midnight still waiting for the darn stuff to set!
Choclette says
Oh I hear you Anna. I have spent many an impatient hour waiting for jam to set. This isn’t really what I’d call ‘jam’, but it is really delicious.
Jacqui Bellefontaine says
Gosh its years since I made carrot Jam but seeing your picture I Can just remember the taste again and it is rather good. I shall have to think about making it again now. Thank you for the reminder and sharing on #CookBlogShare
Choclette says
Oh, you’ve made carrot jam Jacqui. I’m so impressed. Was yours more of a jammy jam?
Katie says
Love the sound of this. I remember my grandmother telling me she used to make carrot jam. The cardamom sounds delicious. I can imagine using this with cheese as you suggest
Choclette says
My grandmother was a brilliant cook, but I don’t remember her making jams of any kind. I’d definitely have been up for some carrot jam. It’s really delicious stuff. It’s really good to hear your grandmother used to make it.
Galina V says
That carrot jam sounds so tasty! I’d love to try it. I imagine it’s wonderful with cheese and crackers.
Choclette says
I’ve only had it with bread and cheese so far, but yes I’m pretty sure it would be good with crackers too.
Janice says
What a lovely way to preserve carrots and so unusual.
Choclette says
It’s really good Janice. CT is going through it really fast.
Jill's Mad About Macarons says
I absolutely love your deliciously exotic touch to something so healthy. Love the look and sound of this, Choclette!
Choclette says
I’m not sure it’s desperately healthy as it has a ton of sugar in it, but it is desperately delicious 😀
jenny paulin says
what a stunning recipe and I love the look of your fragrant carrot jam. My OH would love this served alongside a slab of cheese. Thank you for mentioning my recipe x
Choclette says
Love the sound of your carrot balls Jenny. CT is quite enamoured with the carrot jam – alongside a slab of cheese, naturally.
Mandy says
I love the sound of this Choclette. I have made pumpkin jam before which was amazing and would love to give this one a go.
Choclette says
I’ve made pumpkin butter, but not jam. I bet it tastes really good too.
Kavita Favelle says
Oh what a fascinating recipe! I’ve never had carrot jam but I love carrot halwa, a sweet Indian dessert that my mum makes now and then. Lovely!
Choclette says
Oh, I remember trying to make carrot halwa when I was a teen. I can no longer remember what I thought about it or even how successful it was, so I reckon I ought to try making some.
angiesrecipes says
Candied carrots sound even better than a real jam…wonder if it would be also nice to add some ginger in it? Love that pocket sandwich!
Choclette says
I’m not so sure rose and ginger would go together very well, but ginger and cardamom would and I expect that would be very nice too.