Candied Ginger-Lime Carrots

By betteirene • February 26, 2011 • 6 Comments

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Author Notes: I love carrots. Each season, I grow a full packet of Kaleidoscope, Rainbow and Nantes--that's about 3,000 carrots. About half are given away to the kids I don't live with, other relatives, a few neighbors and the food bank. The rest are mine, all mine, to serve raw, boiled, steamed, stir-fried, roasted, by themselves or in soup, stew, spaghetti sauce, slaw, or cake . . .we eat something with carrots at least every other day. When my kids were really young, they'd eat carrots any and every day. . .as long as they were raw. To get them to eat cooked carrots, I did what Mary Poppins told me to do: I added a spoonful of sugar. Sometimes it'd be brown sugar, but most often I'd add maple syrup or honey and a pinch of salt and a pat of butter. And then the kids got bigger and their palates bloomed, and before I knew it, they were eating cooked carrots without sugar. Every now and again, someone will ask for candied carrots, and I'm happy to oblige. - betteirene - betteirene

Food52 Review: This is a softer candied carrot than I’ve had in the past, and such a delight. This is a very quick and easy recipe and can be done at a moment’s notice. The combination of brown sugar, lime and ginger are absolutely pitch-perfect with the carrots, and I wouldn’t change a thing. Betteirene gives very careful directions, and they’re worth following to the letter to prevent any burning of the carrots. I took the option of adding some thyme at the end and feel that it offered some great contrast – both in texture and flavor. I highly recommend this recipe; I’ll be making these for a long time to come! - A&M

Serves 4

1 pound carrots, scrubbed well or peeled, cut 1" thick on the diagonal
Kosher or sea salt
1 lime, zested and juiced
1 teaspoon grated fresh ginger
2 tablespoons light brown sugar
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, divided
1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves (optional)

Place carrots in a skillet large enough to hold the slices in one layer. Pour in enough water to barely come halfway up the sides of the carrots, sprinkle them with a pinch or two of salt and turn the heat to high. Allow the water to boil vigorously; turn the carrots over carefully when the water level is a little less than a fourth of the way up the sides of the carrots. The timing depends on the freshness and the diameter of the carrots--just watch carefully so that the carrots don't burn when the water evaporates.
In a small bowl, stir together the lime zest and juice, the ginger and brown sugar.
When the water in the skillet has nearly evaporated, add the butter, swirling the pan to ensure even distribution. Turn heat to medium-high and allow the carrots to caramelize slightly. Gently flip carrots over, pour the lime-ginger-sugar mixture into the pan, give the carrots a stir, and allow the syrup to to cook until thick. Sprinkle with thyme and a pinch or two of salt, and serve.