Sweet & Sour Carrots aka Copper Pennies
Here’s my mama’s recipe for Copper Pennies, also known as Sweet & Sour Carrots. If you’ve never tried this and love tangy veggie salads, you’re in for a treat that you’ll crave the rest of your life! 
Hello Everybody from Mama, Today I made Copper Pennies or marinated carrots. These babies are delicious. I first tasted these at a small café in Decatur, AL. They were served with the delicious Chicken Poulet (which Christy says translates as chicken chicken) and a hot homemade roll. My sister and I ate there whenever we got the chance and hate it that they have since closed.
I’m sure everyone remembers a favorite café that served that one dish that they cannot get out of their heads. These carrots and Poulet are those recipes for me and my sister. We are so lucky to have since found the recipes so that we can serve them to our friends and family. I love to make these two dishes whenever we are having friends over the weekend since both can be made ahead. I hate to have people over and then spend all my time in the kitchen. The wonderful thing about the carrots is that they will keep for about 4 weeks in the refrigerator. While they make a great side dish, they are equally good with soup and a sandwich. Heck, I sat down and ate a bowl of them by myself without anything at all. Even kids seem to like them. My grandson who is 16 months old couldn’t get enough of them.
The ingredients for today’s Sweet and sour carrots recipe are :
- Tomato soup
- Vegetable oil
- Sugar
- White vinegar
- Dry mustard
- Worcestershire sauce
- Salt
- Pepper
- Onions
- Bell pepper
- Carrots
Keep scrolling for the printable recipe card.
To start:
Peel and slice the carrots into round coins. Place in a saucepan and cover with water. Heat to boil over medium-high heat and bring to a boil.
Reduce heat to medium and continue to cook until carrots are tender when pricked with a fork, about 10 minutes.
Drain the carrots and let cool. Add chopped bell pepper and onions and stir to distribute.
In a saucepan, whisk together the soup, oil, sugar, vinegar, mustard, Worcestershire, salt and pepper. Bring to boil over medium heat while whisking for 2-3 minutes. Set off heat and let cool to room temperature.
Pour sauce over the sweet and sour carrot mixture and stir to combine. Cover and refrigerate for at least 12 hours before serving. Can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 4 weeks.
Ingredients
- 10 carrots peeled and sliced (about 5 cups)
- 1 medium onion fined diced (about 1/2 cup)
- 1 small green pepper fined diced (about 1/2 cup)
- 1 can tomato soup undiluted
- 1/2 cup vegetable oil
- 1 cup sugar
- 3/4 cup white vinegar
- 1 teaspoon dry mustard
- 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
Instructions
- Place the carrots in a medium saucepan and cover with water. Heat to boiling over medium-high heat. Reduce heat and cook for an additional 10 minutes or until tender when pricked with a fork.
- Drain the carrots, add the onions and bell peppers and set aside to cool.
- Combine soup, oil, sugar, vinegar, mustard, Worcestershire sauce, salt and pepper with a whisk in a medium saucepan. Bring to a boil over medium heat while whisking to combine soup and oil. Continue to cook and whisk for about 2 to 3 minutes. Set aside and cool to room temperature.
- Pour the sauce mixture over the carrot mixture and stir to combine. Store, covered, in the refrigerator for up to 4 weeks.Serve cold from the refrigerator.
Nutrition
“Positive thinking will let you do everything better than negative thinking will.”
~Zig Ziglar
My recipe came from my best friend’s mother’s (who would now be close to 100 if alive) parents who owned a diner in Minneapolis , Minnesota in the early 1920’s. So yummy and obviously well liked recipe.
I have never tried this but it sounds sooo good! I think you serve this cold, or am I wrong? Thank you
The recipe notes recommends chilling it for twelve hours.
My mom used to make this, and I’d like to make for my dad’s 100th birthday celebration-any idea how many servings this recipe is?
Yes, cold. And it is better if refrigerated at least a day or two.
I had forgotten about Copper Pennies. Thanks for the reminder. This was included in a church cookbook I helped with.
I love your rabbit with a flashlight story!! My mother used to make these copper pennies. I am saving this to remind me for the next covered dish dinner..
I love copper pennies. I have my Nanny’s handwritten recipe. If my house burns down, I will run out with that recipe in my hand!
My Grandma gave me this delicious recipe over 30 years ago. She is in Heaven now and I cherish the handwritten recipe from her.
I have made this quite often. My husband loves it.
Looking at your sauce pan. Reminds me of the Salad Master, or Lifetime stainless pans my mother had. Learned to cook in those some 50+ years ago.
Thanks for all the recipes and stories. Love visiting the blog and site.
My mom made these for me when I was 8 or 10 years old. I have continued the custom for 60 years now. They are easy and fast to prepare, so I make a lot when I make them. The only change I made was to reduce the oil to 2 or 3 Tblsp, that’s MY taste tho. The other thing I like to do is to cut my carrots at least 1/4″(yeah, thick). When they are how I like ’em, I put 2 thick-cut onions and some nice chunks of the bell pepper in the bottom of my colander and dump the hot water and carrots over the onions and peppers. Leave ’em to sit about 20-25 minutes, the onions will soften nicely, more time=a softer bite and easier to chew.
Put ’em in a large bowl covered with a dish towel big enuf to accommodate the quantity you have. Let ’em sit out a couple of hours, then pop the little jewels in the fridge, and wait, if you can, ’till tomorrow. I’ll bet you or the kids are into them before they have cooked
I have a set of that cookware that I’ve had for 56+ years. Love it!
I love this dish. I make it every Thanksgiving. My recipe doesn’t call for dry mustard, but I’ll have to try that next time I make it.