Carrot Jam Apricot-Style
A clever jam that mimics apricot using carrots and a bit of lemon. It is jarred to keep, a small reserve of sweetness in a time that sorely lacks it.
A clever jam that mimics apricot using carrots and a bit of lemon. It is jarred to keep, a small reserve of sweetness in a time that sorely lacks it.
Sugar, you see, we counted it lump by lump, and apricot was just a pre-war memory. A neighbor tipped me off: you grate carrots, let them melt very slowly with the little sugar you have, a squeeze of lemon to wake it up, and the color, the sweetness, almost the taste of apricot comes back as if by magic. I kept a jar on the shelf, for the morning when you wanted to believe, for the time of a slice of bread, that nothing had changed. It was a small thing, and it was a lot.
- •Carrots — one pound (sweet flesh, base)
- •Sugar — the little you have (preservation and sweetness)
- •Lemon — one, if you can find it (acidity, evokes apricot)
- •Water — a splash (cooking)
Carrot Jam Apricot-Style
A clever jam that mimics apricot using carrots and a bit of lemon. It is jarred to keep, a small reserve of sweetness in a time that sorely lacks it.
Why this dish? With sugar severely rationed, every spoonful is stretched with what the market offers: the carrot, sweet and abundant, becomes a fake apricot jam that is jarred for lean days. A typical bit of ingenuity from the Parisian kitchens Vercors frequented.
Sugar, you see, we counted it lump by lump, and apricot was just a pre-war memory. A neighbor tipped me off: you grate carrots, let them melt very slowly with the little sugar you have, a squeeze of lemon to wake it up, and the color, the sweetness, almost the taste of apricot comes back as if by magic. I kept a jar on the shelf, for the morning when you wanted to believe, for the time of a slice of bread, that nothing had changed. It was a small thing, and it was a lot.
Ingredients (period version)
- Carrots — one pound (sweet flesh, base)
- Sugar — the little you have (preservation and sweetness)
- Lemon — one, if you can find it (acidity, evokes apricot)
- Water — a splash (cooking)
Ingredients
- Carrots — 500 g (sweet base and color)
- Sugar — 250 g (sweetness and preservation)
- Lemon (juice + zest) — 1 to 2 (acidity and set)
- Water — 150 ml (cooking)
- Vanilla pod (optional) — 1 (flavor (today's luxury))
Method
- Peel and finely grate the carrots (or cook and mash them).
- Place them in a heavy-bottomed saucepan with the water, cook for 10 minutes until tender.
- Add the sugar, lemon juice and zest, and vanilla if using.
- Cook over low heat for 25 to 30 minutes, stirring often, until it coats a spoon.
- Pour into a scalded jar, seal, and turn upside down to create a vacuum. Keeps for several weeks in a cool place.
How it was made : Faced with sugar rationing, housewives multiplied 'fake jams' using sweet vegetables (carrot, beet, pumpkin) or garden fruits, with lemon or apple added for set. It was as much about taste as about the pantry: anything that could be preserved provided security for the next day.
The contemporary twist : Serve it on toasted sourdough bread with a little fresh goat cheese: the carrot becomes chic again, as a sweet-and-sour condiment.
Vercors · Charactorium