Glazed Carrots

After the crazy delicious Apples and Honey Cupcakes I made last week for Rosh Hashanah, I knew I would have a hard time competing this week. But I think I did it with these (wait for it) glazed carrots! Um, carrots? Really? Yes, really! These carrots are the best carrots you will ever have. Dare I say life changing? Even veggie haters will be won over. What’s the secret? Butter and lots of it. Oh yeah I went there. I’ll share the recipe, but first a little housekeeping.

A HUGE thank you to everyone who voted for me in Daily Candy’s Start Small, Go Big Contest! All the support and encouraging messages literally brought me to happy tears, which NEVER happens. Mostly because I am an ugly crier. And think feelings are for the weak. But gosh darnit I was just so happy. You like me, you really like me! The winners will be announced September 4th, and I will of course let y’all know, but I already feel like a winner thanks to you!

Also, tomorrow is the last day to enter to win an adorable Geltfiend Hanukkah sweater! Hanukkah will be here before you know if and you don’t want to be the only one with nothing to wear, do you? All you have to do is leave a comment on the giveaway post and you could be a winner!

Now onto the good stuff- carrots! Here is all Jew need.

First, peel the carrots and cut into 1/2 inch round pieces.

Next up, put the butter and sugar in a pan and add sparking water. Stir until the butter is melted and the sugar is dissolved.

Then add the carrots in a single layer and cover with a lid. If your pan doesn’t have a lid, cut out a piece of parchment paper the size of the pan and use that as a lid.

Cook covered for about 10 minutes until carrots are tender and the glaze is thick. Make sure to check on your carrots every so often to make sure there is still enough liquid in there. If it gets too low, it may burn, so add more sparkling water if it gets too low. If the carrots are cooked and the sauce is still thin, remove the carrots and continue to cook the sauce until it is thick. Then add them back.

Then season with salt, pepper and lemon to taste and stir in parsley. I may have said that butter is what makes these carrots awesome, but lemon does too. It really brings it all together. Make sure to wash and dry your parsley well so the green doesn’t bleed onto the carrots.

Serve as a side to anything! Or do as I did and polish of a bowl in one sitting. Use a slotted spoon to transfer from the pan so it’s saucy, but not too saucy.

Perfect for Rosh Hashanah, Shabbats, and Tuesdays!

What Are Glazed Carrots?

Carrot rounds simmered in a butter and sugar syrup until the liquid reduces to a glossy glaze that clings to every piece. Finished with lemon, salt, pepper and a lot of parsley so they taste bright rather than merely sweet.

The unusual move here is sparkling water instead of stock or plain water. The bubbles help the glaze emulsify and lighten it, so the carrots come out shiny rather than heavy.

Why Carrots for Rosh Hashanah?

Carrots are one of the classic simanim, the symbolic foods of the New Year. The Yiddish word for carrots, meren, also means to increase, so they are eaten with the hope that your merits and blessings multiply in the coming year.

Sliced into coins they carry a second meaning too, standing in for gold and prosperity. That is why carrots turn up everywhere on a Rosh Hashanah table, from tzimmes to a simple glazed side like this one.

Ingredients You’ll Need

• Carrots. Three large ones, peeled and cut into half inch rounds. Even thickness matters more than anything else here.
• Butter. Six tablespoons. It emulsifies with the sugar and water into the glaze.
• Sugar. Half a cup. It sounds like a lot and it is what makes them glazed rather than steamed.
• Sparkling water. Six ounces, about half a bottle. Still water works, but the bubbles genuinely help.
• Lemon. Half, squeezed in at the end. Do not skip it; it is what keeps the dish from being cloying.
• Parsley. Half a cup, minced, stirred through at the end.
• Salt and pepper. Seasoned at the end, once the glaze has reduced and concentrated.

How to Make Glazed Carrots

1. Start the glaze. Put the butter and sugar in a pan with the sparkling water and stir over medium heat until the butter melts and the sugar dissolves.
2. Add the carrots in a single layer, bring to a boil, and cover with a lid.
3. Simmer covered over medium low for about 10 minutes, until the carrots are tender and the glaze has thickened. Check occasionally to make sure there is still enough liquid.
4. Season. Add salt, pepper and lemon to taste, then stir in the parsley. Wash and dry the parsley well first so the green does not bleed onto the carrots.
5. Serve hot, lifting them out with a slotted spoon so you do not drown the plate in sauce.

Tips for the Best Glazed Carrots

• Cut them evenly. Half inch rounds all the way through. Uneven pieces means some turn to mush while others stay raw.
• Single layer only. Piled carrots steam instead of glazing. Use a wider pan or work in batches.
• Watch the liquid. If it reduces too far before the carrots soften, add a splash more water.
• Season at the end. The glaze concentrates as it reduces, so salting early can leave them too salty.
• Dry the parsley thoroughly. Wet parsley bleeds green onto the carrots and muddies the look.
• Use a slotted spoon to serve. The glaze should coat the carrots, not pool around them.

Make Ahead and Storage

Glazed carrots reheat well, which makes them a useful holiday side. Cook them up to two days ahead, cool, and refrigerate in their glaze. Reheat gently in a covered pan over low heat with a splash of water to loosen things up.

Add the parsley and lemon after reheating rather than before, so they stay bright. Leftovers keep four days in the fridge. I would not freeze them, since the carrots go soft and the glaze separates.

Glazed Carrot FAQ

Why are carrots a Rosh Hashanah food?

The Yiddish meren means both carrots and to increase, so they are eaten as a wish for increased merit and blessing in the year ahead. Cut into rounds they also evoke gold coins and prosperity.

Can I use baby carrots?

You can, and it saves peeling and chopping, but the result is noticeably less good. Bagged baby carrots are drier and blander than whole carrots cut fresh. If you use them, they may need a few extra minutes.

Why sparkling water?

The carbonation helps the butter and sugar emulsify into a lighter, glossier glaze rather than a heavy syrup. Still water works fine if that is what you have; the carrots will just be a touch denser.

Can I make these pareve?

Yes. Swap the butter for a good margarine or a neutral oil so they can be served alongside a meat meal. Margarine gives a closer result than oil, since some fat solidity helps the glaze cling.

My glaze is too watery. What went wrong?

The lid stayed on too long or the heat was too low. Uncover the pan for the last few minutes and raise the heat slightly to drive off the extra liquid, watching closely so the sugar does not catch.

Can I make them ahead for a holiday meal?

Absolutely, and it is one of the better sides to do in advance. Cook up to two days ahead, refrigerate in the glaze, and reheat covered over low heat, adding the parsley and lemon fresh.

Can I add honey instead of sugar?

You can replace some of the sugar with honey for a more Rosh Hashanah flavor. Use about a third less honey than sugar since it is sweeter, and watch the heat, as honey scorches more readily.

More holiday sides: sweet potato kugel, vegetable kugel with caramelized leeks, and the full Rosh Hashanah menu.

Glazed Carrots

Amy

The best carrots ever. Thanks to our friend butter!

4.60 from 5 votes

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Servings 4

Ingredients

  

1x2x3x

• 3 large carrots peeled and cut into 1/2 inch round pieces
• 1/2 cup white sugar
• 6 tablespoons butter
• 6 ounces about 1/2 a bottle sparkling water
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon pepper
• 1/2 lemon
• 1/2 cup parsley minced

Instructions

 

• Put the butter and sugar in a pan and add sparking water. Stir over medium heat until the butter is melted and the sugar is dissolved.
• Then add the carrots in a single layer, bring to a boil and cover with a lid.
• Lower to medium low and simmer covered for about 10 minutes until carrots are tender and the glaze is thick. Make sure to check on your carrots every so often to make sure there is still enough liquid in there. If it gets too low, it may burn, so add more sparkling water if it gets too low. If the carrots are cooked and the sauce is still thin, remove the carrots and continue to cook the sauce until it is thick. Then add them back.
• Then season with salt, pepper and lemon to taste and stir in parsley. Make sure to wash and dry your parsley well so the green doesn’t bleed onto the carrots.
• Transfer to plate using a slotted spoon as to not take too much sauce. Serve hot!

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