Carrot Cake Jam

CARROT CAKE JAM

Makes about 6 (8 oz) half pints
Sweetened with crushed pineapple and spices, this sunny fall jam tastes just like carrot cake. It makes a perfect gift for any occasion.

LEVEL OF EASE: Medium
PRESERVING METHOD: Waterbath Canning

• YOU WILL NEED:

  • 1-1/2 cups finely grated peeled carrots
  • 1-1/2 cups chopped cored peeled pears
  • 1-3/4 cups chopped pineapple, including juice
  • 3 Tbsp lemon juice
  • 1 tsp ground cinnamon
  • 1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
  • 1/2 tsp ground cloves
  • 6 Tbsp Ball® RealFruit™ Classic Pectin
  • 6-1/2 cups sugar
  • 6 (8 oz) half pint glass preserving jars with lids and bands
• 
  

  DIRECTIONS:

  
  
  1. PREPARE boiling water canner. Heat jars and lids in simmering water until ready for use. Do not boil. Set bands aside. 
  2. COMBINE carrots, pears, pineapple with juice, lemon juice, cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves in a 6- or 8-quart saucepan. Bring mixture 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 mixture to a full rolling boil that cannot be stirred down, over high heat, stirring frequently. 
  3. ADD sugar all at once and return to a full rolling boil, stirring constantly. Boil hard for 1 minute, stirring constantly. Remove from heat. Skim foam if necessary. 
  4. LADLE hot carrot cake jam into hot jars leaving 1/4 inch headspace. Wipe rim. Center lid on jar. Apply band and adjust until fit is fingertip tight.
  5. PROCESS in a boiling water canner for 10 minutes, adjusting for altitude. Remove jars and cool. Check lids for seal after 24 hours. Lid should not flex up and down when center is pressed.
  
  
  
  
  
  ©2016 Hearthmark, LLC dba Jarden Home Brands. All Rights Reserved. Distributed by Hearthmark, LLC dba Jarden Home Brands, Daleville, IN 47334. Hearthmark, LLC is a subsidiary of Jarden Corporation (NYSE: JAH).

! and Ball®, TMs Ball Corporation, used under license. " and Kerr®, TMs Kerr Group Inc., used under license. All other trademarks used herein are the property of their respective owners. 

Licorice Caramels

I dislike licorice but love these licorice flavored caramels. Don't pass up on these! -Amy

Licorice Caramels (from Allrecipes.com)
Prep Time: 10 Minutes
Cook Time: 30 Minutes
Ready In: 3 Hours
Yields: 64 servings
"Caramels made with sweetened condensed milk and corn syrup are flavored with anise extract and colored black."

INGREDIENTS:
1 cup butter
2 cups white sugar
1 (14 ounce) can sweetened
condensed milk

1 cup corn syrup
1/8 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon anise extract
black paste food coloring
DIRECTIONS:
1. Line a 9x9 inch dish with buttered foil.
2. In a large saucepan over medium heat, melt butter. Stir in sugar, milk, corn syrup and salt. Bring to a boil, stirring frequently. Continue to heat, without stirring, to 242 to 248 degrees F (116 to 120 degrees C), or until a small amount of syrup dropped into cold water forms a firm but pliable ball. Remove from heat and stir in anise and food coloring. Pour into prepared pan. Let cool completely, several hours.
3. To cut, turn out of pan and peel away foil. Cut with a buttered knife. Wrap pieces in waxed paper or candy wrappers.

Caramel-Dipped Apples

This is my favorite recipe for caramel as well as caramel-dipped apples. -Amy

Caramel-Dipped Apples

Bon Appétit | October 1999

(http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Caramel-Dipped-Apples-102427)

Making the caramel requires the use of a clip-on candy thermometer, which should be tested for accuracy before starting. Attach it to the side of a medium saucepan of water, and boil the water for three minutes. The thermometer should register 212°F; if it doesn’t, take the difference into account when reading the temperature.

Yield: Makes 12 apples
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Ingredients

* 1 1-pound box dark brown sugar
* 16 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature
* 1 14-ounce can sweetened condensed milk
* 2/3 cup dark corn syrup
* 1/3 cup pure maple syrup
* 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
* 1 teaspoon robust-flavored (dark) molasses
* 1/4 teaspoon salt


* 12 chopsticks
* 12 medium Granny Smith apples
* Assorted decorations (such as chopped nuts, dried apricots and dried cranberries, toffee bits, mini M&M's and candy sprinkles)
* Melted dark, milk and/or white chocolates


* Whipping cream (if necessary)

Preparation

Combine first 8 ingredients in heavy 2 1/2-quart saucepan (about 3 inches deep). Stir with wooden spatula or spoon over medium-low heat until sugar dissolves (no crystals are felt when caramel is rubbed between fingers), occasionally brushing down sides of pan with wet pastry brush, about 15 minutes.

Attach clip-on candy thermometer to side of pan. Increase heat to medium-high; cook caramel at rolling boil until thermometer registers 236°F, stirring constantly but slowly with clean wooden spatula and occasionally brushing down sides of pan with wet pastry brush, about 12 minutes. Pour caramel into metal bowl (do not scrape pan). Submerge thermometer bulb in caramel; cool, without stirring, to 200°F, about 20 minutes.

While caramel cools, line 2 baking sheets with foil; butter foil. Push 1 chopstick into stem end of each apple. Set up decorations and melted chocolates.

Holding chopstick, dip 1 apple into 200°F caramel, submerging all but very top of apple. Lift apple out, allowing excess caramel to drip back into bowl. Turn apple caramel side up and hold for several seconds to help set caramel around apple. Place coated apple on prepared foil. Repeat with remaining apples and caramel, spacing apples apart (caramel will pool on foil). If caramel becomes too thick to dip into, add 1 to 2 tablespoons whipping cream and briefly whisk caramel in bowl over low heat to thin.

Chill apples on sheets until caramel is partially set, about 15 minutes. Lift 1 apple from foil. Using hand, press pooled caramel around apple; return to foil. Repeat with remaining apples.

Firmly press decorations into caramel; return each apple to foil. Or dip caramel-coated apples into melted chocolate, allowing excess to drip off, then roll in nuts or candy. Or drizzle melted chocolate over caramel-coated apples and sprinkle with decorations. Chill until decorations are set, about 1 hour. Cover; chill up to 1 week.