Carrot Spread for Winter
A simple, tasty carrot preserve to put up for winter! Carrots canned this way make a great head start on all kinds of dishes come winter—mains, soups—and you can use them as a filling for hand pies or serve them as a salad alongside the main course.
Cooking method
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Step 1:
Gather the ingredients from the list. This is best made during harvest season, when the carrots are juicy and sweet. You can use fresh tomatoes or tomato paste—I'm using canned tomato purée made from fresh tomatoes.
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Step 2:
Wash and peel the carrots; if they're fresh from the garden, a good scrub with a stiff brush is enough, and you can leave the skins on. Cut the carrots into small pieces. If you're using fresh tomatoes, purée them in a blender.
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Step 3:
Put the carrots in a blender and grind them fine.
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Step 4:
If you're making a big batch, a food processor is easier. No processor? A regular meat grinder works too. Peel the garlic and press it or grate it on a fine grater.
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Step 5:
Put the ground carrots in a heavy-bottomed skillet or saucepan, pour in the vegetable oil (2 to 4 tablespoons, depending on how rich you want the spread), and add the sugar and salt. Set it over the heat. Simmer the mixture over medium heat for 15 minutes from the time it comes to a boil.
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Step 6:
Add the tomato purée and garlic, stir well, and simmer for another 10 minutes. Then pour in the vinegar and keep simmering for 10 more minutes. Turn off the heat.
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Step 7:
Spoon the hot mixture into sterilized jars, seal them with sterile lids, turn them upside down, and let them cool wrapped in a blanket at room temperature. Then store them somewhere cool.
- Carrot spread stands on its own—it's tasty and filling just with bread or as a side for meat. You can also stir it into borscht, other soups, vegetable stews, grains, and more. And you can vary the flavor with different additions. There are plenty of creative takes: some cooks use onion in place of tomatoes, or add bell pepper; others add a little cinnamon for a distinctive touch. If you like it spicier, add chili pepper.
Caloric content of the products possible in the composition of the dish
- Tomatoes - 23 kcal/100g
- Carrots - 33 kcal/100g
- Dried carrots - 275 kcal/100g
- Boiled carrots - 25 kcal/100g
- Garlic - 143 kcal/100g
- Granulated sugar - 398 kcal/100g
- Sugar - 398 kcal/100g
- Vegetable oil - 873 kcal/100g
- Salt - 0 kcal/100g
- Distilled white vinegar - 11 kcal/100g
