Moroccan · Condiment
Spiced Carrot Jam (Confiture de Carottes)
Sweet carrots make a beautiful orange jam in the Moroccan style, grated and cooked down with sugar, lemon, cinnamon and orange-blossom water until glossy and thick. Popular at breakfast and with cheese, it has a gentle earthy sweetness and a warm spice that makes it a surprising favourite once tried.
- Prep
- 20 min
- Cook
- 55 min
- Total
- 75 min
- Serves
- 20
- Level
- Easy
Ingredients
- 800 g carrots, peeled and grated
- 600 g sugar
- Juice and zest of 1 lemon
- 1 orange, juiced
- 1 cinnamon stick
- 1 tbsp orange-blossom water
- 300 ml water
Method
- 1
Soften the carrot
Simmer the grated carrot with the water and cinnamon stick for about 15 minutes until very tender.
- 2
Add sugar and citrus
Stir in the sugar, lemon and orange juice and the lemon zest until the sugar dissolves.
- 3
Cook down
Simmer, stirring often, for 35–40 minutes until glossy, thick and jammy.
- 4
Perfume
Stir in the orange-blossom water and cook a final couple of minutes.
- 5
Jar
Remove the cinnamon stick and ladle into sterilised jars, then seal.
Chef's tips
- Grate the carrots finely so they break down into a smooth, spreadable jam.
- The lemon is important — it balances the carrot's sweetness and helps the set.
- Stir often near the end, as the thick jam catches and scorches easily.
Frequently asked questions
Does carrot jam set like fruit jam?
Carrots are low in pectin, so this jam sets soft and thick rather than firm. The lemon helps, and long cooking reduces it to a spreadable consistency.
What do I eat it with?
It is lovely on warm bread or msemen at breakfast, with a slab of fresh cheese, or alongside a cheese board where its earthy sweetness works beautifully.