• 2 pounds grated carrots
  • 4 cups granulated sugar
  • 1 teaspoon each ground cinnamon, ground nutmeg, and ground ginger
  • ½ teaspoon each ground allspice, ground mace and ground cloves
  • Zest and juice of one lemon
  • Zest and juice of two oranges
  • 1 box SureJell

Over the years I have shared with you on my blog and in many of my TV segments some of my favorite cookbooks, kitchen gadgets, and cookware. I actually love sharing anything I feel will encourage you to connect with your families in the kitchen, will help you save time and will help you to nourish your families.

After all cooking and eating together is the quickest and easiest way for families to connect.

In all of my years searching for unique, helpful and fun cooking tools I have never felt so inclined to start an annual best kitchen appliance award.

This year I thankfully (and I do mean thankfully!) stumbled upon a new product that ended up being a life saver and ultimately deserves this award!

What could it be?

Ta-da!

Today I’m going to share with you not only my spiced carrot marmalade recipe from my cookbook, You Never Cook Alone, but my FAVORITE find this year! And nope, this is not a paid advertisement. This is a recommendation from a gal who was up to her eyeballs in jam. And that could have been a very sticky experience had I not found this incredible kitchen appliance.

My son Nathaniel and daughter-in-love Amanda sure do love my spiced carrot marmalade.

Everyone says it tastes like carrot cake and that’s why they asked if it would be too much trouble for me to make it for their wedding favors — favors for their 120 + wedding guests. Too much trouble? Certainly not for my kids. No siree.

My first reaction was pure excitement. What a wonderful idea and what a sweet way to thank their guests for celebrating with us by giving to them a homemade treat made with love. I mean who doesn’t love homemade jam or jelly, right? And the beautiful amber color of this marmalade, oh, it would be so pretty.

My second reaction was:

120 + jars?

Lord knows I love to cook, but is it possible to make that many jars in a day or two? Would it take me a week? A month? A YEAR?  Good Heavens, I surely hoped not, but I honestly had no idea.

An expert jam or jelly maker I am not. I actually don’t call myself an expert in anything, well, unless it has something to do with chocolate.

Sure many folks love my jams, but canning is not something I often do. Sometimes when making marmalade I tend to overcook it and then am left with a-less-than-spreadable mixture which has to be warmed up.

As one can imagine, less-than-perfect jars of marmalade would be unacceptable for my son and daughter-in-love’s wedding guests, so I immediately made a phone call to my friends at the Ball Canning Company.

Sweet Kelsey answered and I said, “I need your HELP!” (No, really. That’s exactly what I said.) Weddings can be very stressful you know.

Kelsey assured me that she had just what I needed to make this job super easy and stress free.

Thank goodness. There was hope after all.

I eagerly awaited my new Fresh Tech Automatic Jam and Jelly Maker. It arrived at my doorstep in just a couple of days, and boy, WAS IT just what I needed!

I can honestly say, with the utmost assurance, that making jam or jelly has never been easier and I am happy to report that my mom and I made a whopping 135  jars in ONE DAY. How ’bout that?

This little guy right here. He does ALL the work for you. There’s no need to stand over the hot stove to stir, stir and then stir some more because he does that for you. Simply close the lid, press the JAM button, and 21 minutes later you will have the perfect jam. There’s no guessing as to how long you need to cook your jelly or jam for and there is no need for thermometers. It’s takes even less time to make jelly! Nope. Just close the lid, walk away, and do something sweet for yourself.

My new Fresh Tech Automatic Jam and Jelly Maker came with simple instructions and a pretty recipe book filled with delicious, traditional recipes. You know, those tried and true recipes and then some very unique recipes like pretty yellow jam with beautiful pieces of green jalapenos in them.

Here’s a really neat video showing just how easy the Automatic Jam and Jelly maker is to use. The only difference with my recipe is that, unlike fruit, I cooked my grated carrots ahead of time and added warm autumn spices like you would find in carrot cake.

 

 

There is nothing fancy about these ingredients and they make the best spiced carrot marmalade.

Here’s what you need:

This marmalade took no time to prepare, came out perfectly spreadable and everyone loved it. I am so thankful to Ball for making a product that not only helped our family create a special wedding favor for all of our guests, but gave us a treasured memory. My mom and I both enjoyed making the marmalade together. It was fun and easy with the automatic jam & jelly maker.

The Ball Complete Book of Home Preserving is great for anyone interested in making their own homemade jam and jellies at home, too. Be sure to order your own Automatic Jam & Jelly Maker TODAY! Start making memories with your family in the kitchen and saving money in the process.

Here’s how easy my carrot marmalade is to make:

Place the grated carrots in a heavy saucepan and cover them with water. Simmer the carrots over medium-high heat for 20 minutes, or until they’re just tender. Drain off all excess water.

While your carrots are simmering away, measure your sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, allspice, mace, and cloves into a large bowl.

While you wait for your carrots to soften, sterilize your canning jars and lids. This prevents harmful bacteria from growing in your marmalade and allows you to store it for a longer time. To sterilize your equipment, place your jars and lids into a deep pan filled halfway with water. Bring the water to a boil for about 5 minutes. Turn off the heat and allow the jars to sit for a couple of minutes. Then, using tongs, carefully remove the jars and lids.

Drain the carrots well. Make sure the center piece is in the automatic jam maker and add fruit (or in our case grated cooked carrots). Add in the sugar,  orange and lemon zest and juice and spices. Add the pectin next, close the lid, press the JAM button and wait 21 minutes.

Spoon the marmalade into the sterilized jars, carefully wiping off any excess that spills onto the outside of the jars. Run a damp paper towel along the inside lip of the jar so that it stays nice and clean. Place the lid on your jar and close. Place the sealed jars back in the boiling water for a couple of minutes. Carefully remove with tongs and allow the marmalade to cool. You will begin to hear a “popping” sound. That is a good thing. It means that your jars have properly sealed. Do not panic if all of the jars have not made a popping sound.

This was by far my favorite kitchen appliance this year and what a wonderful year it was!

This is the perfect gift for a baby shower, wedding or any party favor. Just simplify your life by purchasing the Ball Automatic Jam & Jelly Maker! It will be a most enjoyable experience, I promise!

xo Elise