Excerpts

CARROT-GINGER JAM  Scant 2 pounds carrots 1 orange 1 lemon 6 ounces fresh ginger 2 cups water 1 cup orange juice 4 cups granulated sugar 6 to 8 tablespoons fresh lemon juice Pinch of ground ginger (optional) Pinch of ground cayenne or Aleppo or Maras pepper (optional) Yield: 7 half-pint jars   1. Place 3 or 4 small plates in the freezer. 2. Peel, trim, and grate the carrots, using a food processor. Remove from the food processor bowl and set aside. You will have about 6 cups. 3. Halve and seed the orange and lemon. Cut the citrus into chunks, add to the food processor bowl, and pulse until pureed. Remove from the food processor bowl and set aside. 4. Peel and slice the ginger. Add to the food processor bowl and pulse until pureed. You will have about 1 cup. 5. In a large preserving pot, gently combine the carrots, orange and lemon, ginger, water, and orange juice. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, then decrease the heat to low and simmer for 10 minutes. Turn off the heat and let it sit, uncovered, for 1 hour. 6. Add the sugar and 3 to 4 tablespoons of the lemon juice and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Turn off the heat and let sit, uncovered, for 30 minutes. 7. Place a baking sheet on the counter near your stove. Heat a kettle of water. Set two stockpots on the stove and fill them with enough water to cover the jars by 1 to 2 inches. Bring the water to a boil over medium-high heat. Sterilize the jars (see page 32) in the water bath. 8. Taste the jam and stir in the remaining 3 to 4 tablespoons of lemon juice as needed. If the ginger is too mild, add a pinch of ground ginger or hot pepper. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat; then decrease the heat to low and simmer the jam for a few minutes longer, until it thickens and passes the plate test (see page 30), achieving a soft set and mounding on the plate. It should be syrupy, not dry. Remove the pot from the heat. 9. Bring the water bath back to a boil. If the jars have cooled, warm them in the water bath or in a 200°F oven. Simmer the lids in a saucepan of hot water. Place the jars on the baking sheet. 10. Ladle the jam into the jars, leaving 1⁄4-inch headspace. Wipe the rims clean and set the lids on the mouths of the jars. Twist on the rings. 11. Using a jar lifter, gently lower the jars into the pots. When the water returns to a boil, decrease the heat to an active simmer, and process the jars for 15 minutes. Turn off the heat and leave the jars in the water for 1 to 2 minutes. 12. Using the jar lifter, transfer the jars from the pots to the baking sheet and let sit for at least 6 hours, until cool enough to handle. Check to be sure the jars have sealed (see page 34). Label and store the sealed jam for 6 months to 2 years. Once open, store in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks. Excerpted from Jam Session: A Fruit-Preserving Handbook by Joyce Goldstein All rights reserved by the original copyright owners. Excerpts are provided for display purposes only and may not be reproduced, reprinted or distributed without the written permission of the publisher.