Carrot Cake Jam Canning Recipe
15. June 2020
Our friend and guest blogger Chez LaRae created this festive Carrot Cake Jam canning recipe. You can follow LaRae’s amazing food adventures on Instagram and her website. LaRae is a self-taught baker, cooking and baking instructor, recipe developer, and an editor at @thefeedfeed. See LaRae's other recipe guest blog posts.
Carrot cake lovers, what if you could preserve the warm, rich flavors of this delicious cake in a jar? Freshly shredded orange carrots, chopped apples, juicy pineapples, coconut, and nuts suspended in a lovely spiced jam. Make and can this today, and enjoy the sweet taste throughout the year. Serve on English muffins, with yogurt, pancakes, waffles, alongside cheese and crackers, or with vanilla ice cream. For a real treat, make this cream cheese ice cream. And remember to affix lovely CanningCrafts' canning labels on your jars with a bit of pretty ribbon for tasty gifts for all of the carrot cake enthusiasts in your life.
Carrot Cake Jam Recipe
Recipe adapted from “Ball Complete Book of Home Preserving” 2006.
Preservation method: Water bath canning
Difficulty level: Easy
Yield: About six 8-oz jars
You will need clean jars and closures, a boiling-water canner, rack, jar lifter, canning funnel, and wooden skewer
PRINT THE RECIPE CARD
-
1 ½ cup peeled and finely grated carrots (about three carrots)
- 1 ½ cups cored, peeled, chopped Granny Smith apple (about one apple)
- 1 ¾ cup canned crushed pineapple, including juice
- 3 tbsp bottled lemon juice
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon
- ½ tsp ground nutmeg
- ¼ tsp ground cloves
- 1 package regular powdered fruit pectin (49 to 57 grams)
- 6 ½ cups granulated sugar (measured out in a bowl and ready to use)
- ½ cup unsweetened, shredded coconut
- ¼ cup finely chopped pecans or walnuts
Prepare water bath canner, lids, and jars.
Place one or two small, clean plates in your freezer for jam “frozen plate test.” See details below*.
In a large, deep stainless steel saucepan (that has a lid), combine carrots, apples, 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. At first sugar mixture will appear dry, but it will turn into a thick liquid when heated and stirred. Boil hard, stirring constantly for one minute.
Add coconut and walnuts. Remove from heat and skim off foam.
Ladle hot jam into hot jars, leaving ¼” head space. Remove air bubbles and readjust head space, if necessary. Thoroughly wipe rims with moistened cloth. Center lids on jars, screw bands down until finger-tip tight.
Place jars into canner, ensuring that they are completely covered with water. Bring to a boil and process for 10 minutes. Remove canner lid. Wait 5 minutes, then remove jars, and cool completely.
Wipe jars and affix CanningCrafts’ canning labels. Date and store in a cool, dry place for up to 12 months.
PRINT THE RECIPE CARD
These Custom Foodie's Delight Canning Labels come in 9 color options. Customize these printed labels with your name, food, saying, contact info, or weight.
Custom Foodie's Delight Kraft Canning Labels make a rustic addition to jam jars, baked goods, or sugar scrubs.
* Frozen plate test: To avoid runny jam, when you believe the jam is cooked, grab one of the plates from your freezer and plop a small spoonful of carrot cake jam at the center. Let it sit for a minute or so and then run a wooden spoon through the jam. If the jam does not run back into the line, it is set. If it is runny and saucy, boil the sauce for another minute until done.
Follow our We're Jammin' Pinterest Board for more jam recipes
Comments (49)
Can I make it without the coconut???
I made this and everyone loves it!! Thank you for being so creative!! One of my favorites that will be made again and again!!
Made this recipe, but I added jalapeño pepper, ground it up with half cup sugar….this jam is this years Christmas gift …and I’m so impressed it’s so delicious….I will be making this every year…
Thanks LOVE it
Was wondering if I could use fresh pineapple. Since you cook it anyway…
Sheila,
Yes, I think you can use fresh pineapple instead. It may change the yield some.
Alison
CanningCrafts
Hi!
Love the recipe! How do you make and print your labels?
Tianna,
The labels shown in our blog post are available for purchase on our website CanningCrafts.com. We customize, print & ship labels directly to you.
https://canningcrafts.com/products/custom-foodies-delight-kraft-canning-labels?variant=34694777864353
Alison
CanningCrafts
I made this and it is very thick but has an amazing flavor.
Could use a bit more liquid when you start cooking it. But it is nice on toast and would mKe a nice filling for cookies too.
I’ve made my first batch and it’s delicious! The jam set up perfectly, but after refrigerating an opened jar, it is THICK. I struggle to spoon the jam out of the jar. Is this normal? Or is it possibly over cooked? Any suggestions appreciated! Thank you!!!!
I dont have a stainless steel pan for something like this, does it ruin the recipe to use a non stick pan?
Hello !! Can I use frozen shredded carrots instead of fresh ?
I am looking forward to trying this for Xmas gifts. Neighbors friends. Etc….🍏🍍🎃🎄
I put this on my carrot cake scones, puts them over the top! Excellent.😋👩🍳
Hi
Can i use jam sugar instead of sugar and pectin? If yes, would you know how much?
Thanks very much
Julie,
I’ve never used jam sugar, so I’m not sure how this recipe would convert using it. Sorry!
Alison
CanningCrafts
Can this be frozen instead of canning?
Vickie,
Most jam can be frozen, but I have never frozen this recipe before. If you freeze, just make sure you leave the proper headspace if you freeze in the actual canning jars.
Alison
CanningCrafts
I made a batch and it is super sweet and grainy. Not sure what happened
Amanda,
If your jam was grainy, it sounds like the sugar wasn’t fully dissolved. Jam needs cooked & stirred continuously until the sugar is completely dissolved. You can reprocess the jars. Empty, heat & stir until the sugar is dissolved, then re jar.
This is a pretty sweet jam, so may not suit all tastes.
Alison
CanningCrafts
I can hardly wait to make this ! Can i use monk fruit sugar instead of regular sugar? Or even use splenda ? Also can the sugar be cut back a bit so it isn’t so sweet?
Can this be made in 4 ounce jars?? If so, how long do you process??
Two questions, can I use any kind of apples, like honey crisp?
Will it set if I use less sugar, since a few comments said it was thick?
Vicki,
You can use other apple varieties. Green apples like Granny Smith have more natural pectin. So it’s possible if you switch varieties & used a little less sugar, the final jam may not be so thick.
Alison
CanningCrafts
I would like to eliminate the coconut & walnuts , they will be gifts for Christmas & some family members are allergic to both , I’m not crazy about walnuts would prefer pecans !
Reveca,
You can eliminate the nuts & coconut in the jam recipe.
Alison
CanningCrafts