Carrot Cake Jam with canned pears?

15 years ago

Hi all - I know I once said what's the point of canning grocery store produce or already-canned items, but I've got a lot of crushed pineapple to use (opened it to make Hawaiian Chicken). I've also got 2lb of carrots. I figured I'd use up the pint of pineapple and a bag of carrots making carrot cake muffins for Scout Sunday at church tomorrow, just pulled out my recipe and it doesn't use pineapple! Found another one that only uses 1/2C.

So I figured I'd make Carrot Cake Jam while I'm at it - but I don't have any pears! Can I use canned pears in light syrup? This pineapple has been sitting (opened, poured into mason jar) in my fridge all week, the carrots even longer, I'd like to use them up!

Thanks.

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Comments (6)

2ajsmama
Original Author
15 years ago
Or apples? Applesauce? And no added pectin?
Linda_Lou
15 years ago
I would use fresh apples instead since it is cooked for a while before canning it. The canned pears will have sugar unless you have them water packed. Still, I would use apples.
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2ajsmama
Original Author
15 years ago
Apples worked great - 2 apples weren't quite 1.5C so I added a handful of raisins. 4.5C of sugar to start, took a little longer than 20 minutes (more like 30-35) to get the apples looking translucent, I was running out of liquid even with the pan covered, so I added a pint of homemade apple pectin and another cup of sugar. Brought it to 220 (actually was trying a little higher, my thermometer is off), but smelled burning sugar so pulled it off the burner and did a saucer test. Looked like a soft set. I'd been simmering the jars since they were cold out of the basement, so I processed for 10 minutes since jars weren't sterilized (would that have been necessary b/c of density with this jam, if I had had sterilized jars?).

Made 4 half pints and almost filled a 12-oz jar that I didn't process since others were boiling by the time I got that one filled. That last one tastes caramelized but not burnt, is very thick and gooey - but good gooey, not like the strawberry-blackberry jam I made with Ball NS pectin. next time I think maybe some apple juice, less apple pectin? Or just less boiling?

So, what do I do with this confection besides eat it by the spoonful right out of the jar (it's that good!)? Oh, I also put a few tsp of ground walnuts into the last 3 jars (stirred into the pot b4 filling). So technically those are a confit, not a jam, but I labeled them "jam" anyway b/c no one else in my family knows what a confit is.
dgkritch
15 years ago
Sounds like it would be good on toast or bagels with cream cheese!!
2ajsmama
Original Author
15 years ago
That's just what I had this morning! DD didn't think it sounded like PBJ material, but she licked the spoon (I broke a plastic one, it set up so stiff!) and thought it was good. So I put a spoonful b/t some graham crackers for her school snack. Now she wants me to make "Carrot Cake Newtons" with it - so I'm going to try LindaLou's cereal bar recipe. Just think I might have to thin it out so it doesn't bake up hard.
daniel_jes
15 years ago
That sounds pretty good. Quite a unique recipe. Check out this recipe I found on making a carrot cake with cream cheese icing.

Here is a link that might be useful: National Carrot Cake Day