Carrot Spoon Sweet with almonds

I told you.... didn't I? that we use almost everything in the fruit and vegetable kingdom when it comes to the spoon sweets and jams.... Well here is another example of this (good) obesession of ours. Such a common (and quite boring to many) vegetable which can be transformed into a very tasty spoon sweet

Ingredients (for 3 X 200ml jars):
500gr. tender carrots, peeled and sliced
500gr. sugar
½ cup of almonds, blanched and cut in half lengthwise
1 cinnamon stick
1 lemon, the juice and the peel in whole
1 1/2 tsp of vanilla extract
1 tsp of honey
2-3 small citronella plant leaves

Method:
Take a large saucepan, add 150ml of water and put the carrots to boil, in high heat, for 5 minutes.

When most of the water is evaporated add the sugar, the almonds, the cinnamon stick, the lemon juice, the lemon peel, the citronella leaves and 200 ml water.

Turn the heat to medium and let the carrots boil for about 15 minutes, stirring every now and then with a wooden spoon.

Then discard the lemon peel and the cinnamon stick and add the vanilla extract and the honey.Stir with the wooden spoon and turn the heat to low. Keep boiling for 5-8 more minutes until the syrup is set and thick.

Take the saucepan off the heat and leave the sweet to cool down a bit. Divide into the jars after you have sterilized them. Keep in the fridge and serve plain or with yoghurt or vanilla ice cream.

Note: You can also use baby carrots and leave them uncut or to coarsely grate large carrots