Roasted Purple Asparagus

I hate asparagus. 

I love this asparagus!

Purple asparagus from my Dad's garden.

It's the only asparagus I will eat.  I cooked it at 400 F for 15 mins.  First I coated it with olive oil, sprinkled it with salt and lime powder.  Roasted to perfection!

I'm not sure if it is the lime powder or the salt that makes the little red pokadots, but it's cute!  And yummy :)

Can Jam Feb - Carrots

It's time for another Can Jam!

Huh - That month went by fast.

This month the challenge item was carrots.

At first, I was nonplussed. Carrots? Hmmmm. I like carrots, but I'm not crazy for canned carrots. Plus there was the addition of safety concerns. We can only use boiling water bath canning not pressure canning, so the recipes would be limited to pickles, relishes or what?

Well, while I was researching the Daring Cook's Feb. challenge, a Mezze dinner, I discovered rose water. Then I discovered Morabaa-yeh Haveej or Persian Carrot Jam made with rose water and lime.

Ok, maybe I can get into this carrot idea!

Morabaa-yeh Haveej or Carrot Jam with Rose Water and Lime

1 quart carrot juice

2 cups shredded carrot

1/2 cup bottled lime juice

2 Tbs rose water

1 tsp butter

4 cup sugar

1 pkg no sugar needed pectin

In a large pot boil together carrot juice, shredded carrots, lime juice, rose water and butter. Boil for 5 mins, add 4 cups of sugar. Bring to a full rolling boil and continue boiling for 20 mins. Add pectin, return to a boil and boil for 1 min.

Pour into prepared jars and boil in a boiling water bath canner for 10 mins.

Makes 6 pints and 1 half-pint.

Shredding carrots.

I had a few limes hanging around in my fridge so I squished them into the pot too.

A little added acid.

Jars getting ready for tops.

Pretty! I love the color of this jam!



I made some challah bread to eat with the jam.

This jam is awesome! It doesn't taste like carrots exactly. It tastes like a combination of pears/apricots/peaches.

I asked my Dad to blind taste test it. He didn't even get close to guessing that it was made from carrots. But he said it tasted good!

Personally and honestly, I think this is the best jam I have ever canned.

*Best Jam Ever*

Just think of all the beta carotene.

Super healthy jam too!