# Glass Carrots?! What the Heck!



## nlpavalko (Feb 18, 2011)

Ok, so, odd question, but I was watching a competitive cooking  program on Food Network, and one of the chefs made something called glass carrots.

They looked like whole carrots coated in a simple sugar syrup and quick frozen.

Anyone have experience with this, or have ever made it?

Thanks!


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## mikez (Jun 13, 2010)

well carrots coated in sugar is sorta glazed so maybe frozen gives it a glass type look?


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## nlpavalko (Feb 18, 2011)

That's what I thought, and assumed, but I wasn't sure if there was anyone else out there who had a recipe or had eaten then before.


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## Apprentichef (Oct 21, 2010)

They were probably referring to them from the french term "glace" (like demi-glace, etc), pronounced glass, meaning (in this context) glazed.

Hope that helps!


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## jess leich (Mar 10, 2011)

I saw the same show. Chopped All Stars. I saw him ladling what I thought was boiling water on them, so I'm going with the glazed ting. but not frozen, I don't think.


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## nlpavalko (Feb 18, 2011)

Agreed on both counts. Thanks for both of your input!


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## melrosemiss (Nov 14, 2009)

I found a recipe for "glass carrots" or carrots glace. I thought corn syrup might be necessary, or a very strong sugar syrup:

Carrots Glace
12 1/2 pounds carrots 1 1/2 cups boiling water

4 cups corn syrup 1 cup margarine

Wash carrots, and scrape or peel very thinly. Boil in salted water until nearly done, or cook in steamer. Cut in half-inch slices, or cut in quarters lengthwise, and each quarter in two or more pieces, according to length. They may be cut before cooking, if preferred. Put into agate pans to depth of about two inches. Add syrup and margarine to water, with one teaspoon salt; dip over the carrots, and bake forty-five minutes or longer, basting with remainder of mixture.


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## melrosemiss (Nov 14, 2009)

I should add - I would significantly cut down the volume on this. Sounds like a LOT of carrots glace!


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## ceneli (Mar 14, 2011)

I think maybe you would have to heat some sugar and corn syrup to hardball stage then dip the carrots in that and let them rest at room temperature, sort of like candy apples.


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## ceneli (Mar 14, 2011)

When I hear the term "glass carrots" I think of a hard candy type shell, not really a syrupy glaze.


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## nlpavalko (Feb 18, 2011)

*Ceneli*, thanks for all your comments! Yes, from what I saw on the show the carrots looked like the name implied; that they were coated in glass. Gooey sticky coated carrots don't sound too appealing.

It seems as though this is a recipe which is very simple, but so odd that it gets a big "wow" factor when served.


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## mamavicki (Apr 3, 2011)

He put them in the flash cooler


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## craigtx (Apr 8, 2012)

The carrots are blanched and then dipped into a candied mixture kinda like a candied apple. You would put it into a blast chiller only to harden the candy on the outside. 

Make sure the carrots have cooled before you dip them or it will not set correctly.


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## chefedb (Apr 3, 2010)

Same thing is done with ginger and also turnips in some oriental cuisine dishes. Only I have seen it done with baby carrots stem on and julianne cut for garnish.

In old style Escoffier type cooking, there was a dish clled Carrots Vichy. It was cooked carrots sauteed in btter with sugar and s&p finished with chopped fresh parsley. These were also known as "Glazed Carrots" At banquets canned Belgian carrots were also used.


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## chefinstead (Jul 13, 2012)

instead of "glass carrots" the term to use is "carrot glass".  just as the name implies it actually looks like a sheet of orange glass. 

you blend carrot juice with agar which causes the juice to thicken and set. you dont need heat as that would alter the flavor.  you can also use the same carrot juice and sodium alginate to make carrot pearls or beads if you may and youll have carrot caviar.  all this type of food is found under the name of molecular gastronomy.      good luck to all who try, its easy


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