Maple Glazed Carrots

These glazed carrots make a quick stovetop side dish using Vermont maple syrup and hard cider. Try them with orange juice, white wine, or beer, too!

Carrots are one of my favorite vegetables to grow in the garden. That’s mostly because they’re reliable and easy. I’m just about finished with the first draft of my garden plan for the year, and you can bet there are plenty of carrots involved.

That's right; I make drafts of my garden way before we get out there and start planting. Partly because it keeps me sane in the winter, but it also helps us decide what seeds to start indoors and what starter plants to order ahead. If you're looking to plan out your garden, you should really give the planner on GrowVeg.com a try. Trust me, I've used it for years and love it!

Some carrots take just a couple of months, or less, to grow, while others might take most of the growing season. There are so many kinds of carrots that range in color, size, and taste. It's fun to grow different kinds that you won't find in the grocery store.

Carrots remind me of spring, even though they’re not necessarily a spring vegetable. Maybe it’s the association with the Easter Bunny? The good thing is that carrots keep well and are available year-round. They happen to pair really well with maple syrup, which is in high production these spring days in Vermont. Together, you have yourself a quick and tasty vegetable side dish.

These glazed carrots would pair nicely with this chicken dish, or this one, or maybe these meatballs. And if you love carrots as much as I do, you'll want to try this carrot cocktail

ingredients

• carrots, of course
• butter
• your favorite hard cider
• raisins
• maple syrup
• fresh parsley

steps

Give the carrots a rinse and peel them, if you like. I don't tend to peel my homegrown carrots, especially if they're freshly picked. But that's just me.

Slice the carrots into coins or matchsticks. It doesn't really make a difference. Just keep the pieces on the thin side, so they don't take too long to cook.

Melt the butter in a small pan. Add the carrots, cider, raisins, and some salt to the pan. Bring to a boil, then lower to a simmer. Cover and cook, about 12-15 minutes or until almost tender. Remove the cover, add the maple syrup and cook another minute or two until a nice shiny glaze has formed on the carrots.

Top the carrots with some chopped fresh parsley and serve hot or room temperature.

substitutions

• Cider - If you're not a fan of hard cider or just don't have any handy, you can also use whiskey, beer, or white wine. If you're not interested in using alcohol, no problem. Try orange or apple juice, broth, or simply water.
• Parsley - Thyme or rosemary are good alternatives that go well with carrots.

storage

These carrots will keep for three days in the fridge, though they fresher the better.

top tip

Don't overcook the carrots. They're best when they still have a little bite to them.

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📖 Recipe

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