Carronge Marmalade

A coarse-textured preserve built on a very heavy syrup, with almost no guidance on quantities or finishing. A few decisions have to be made before you start.

• "2 bunches" of carrotsA bunch of carrots often runs around 1 lb, so read this as roughly 2 lb; ground, that will be several cups. If your carrots are the thick storage sort, weigh rather than count.
• Sugar to juiceThree cups sugar to one cup orange juice is a stiff syrup that will thread almost immediately. Combine them cold and stir until the sugar dissolves before it reaches a boil, or the bottom will scorch while the top is still grainy.
• The food chopperThe large cutter of a hand grinder gives short shreds, not puree. In a food processor use short pulses and stop while the carrot still has visible texture; a smooth puree turns this into a paste.
• "Slow fire"Lowest steady heat, uncovered, with frequent stirring. Carrot solids settle and catch easily in a thick syrup, so a heavy-bottomed pan is worth using.
• Judging "desired consistency"Expect an hour or more, depending on how much water the carrots give up. Test on a chilled saucer: the marmalade is done when a spoonful holds a soft mound and a finger drawn through it leaves a clear track. On a thermometer the conventional set point is around 220F, though with little pectin here this is thickening by reduction rather than a true set.
• The peelUse unwaxed or well-scrubbed oranges, grind only the colored zest, and leave the white pith behind. Simmering the ground peel in a change of water for a few minutes first takes off the harsh edge without losing the aroma.
• "Some of the pulp"Most likely the flesh of the oranges, membranes removed, chopped and added along with the peel, though the recipe has already used "pulp" for the ground carrot, so the reading is not certain.
• Yield and keepingKeeping -- the recipe gives no processing instructions and carrots are low in acid, so treat this as a refrigerator preserve, kept covered and used within a few weeks, or freeze it. If you want shelf-stable jars, follow a current tested canning recipe instead.