The past few years while visiting in Greece, I’ve seen Carrot Spoon Sweet (Glyko Karotou). Spoon sweets are a category of fruit and vegetable preserves that are offered by hosts/hostesses when a guest visits their home.
Restaurants/tavernas are known to also offer a “kerasma”..a treat if you will to their dining guests. On a few occasions I’ve been given this glyko served atop of thick strained yogurt.
This was a pleasant surprise and I recently discovered I have a glut of carrots and it’s time to use some up.
This is an easy dessert to make and you’re going to be eating a lot of yogurt to be served with it. Enjoy!
Carrot Spoon Sweet
4 cups (1000 gr. carrot, cut into thin strings*
4 cups granulated sugar
zest and juice of 2 lemon
1 cup water
1 cinnamon stick (about 3 inches long)
3 tsp. vanilla extract
- Add all the ingredients except the carrots and vanilla into a medium pot. Bring up to a boil and simmer for 5 minutes or until sugar has dissolved.
- Add the carrots and simmer for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally. Turn off the heat, add vanilla and allow cool a bit for 30 minutes.
- Ladle into sterilized jars, wipe the top of jars and place lids (see note below).
*Upside Down Canning Method:
The jars are sterilized and kept hot in an oven at 170 – 175 degrees.
The lids are kept in hot almost boiling water until I put them on the full jar.
The product is poured into the jars while boiling hot. (I USED A FUNNEL)
Very quickly the jar rims are wiped down with a hot cloth and the hot lids are put on along with the bands.
Invert and allow the jars to sit in this position for 30-40 minutes.
When the lid does not pop, or move up and down, then the jar is sealed.
*To make carrot strings, you can use a mandoline, spiralizer or vegetable peeler
