Copper Pennies Recipe (2024)

This old-fashioned copper pennies recipe is a classic Southern side dish that includes marinated carrots and other vegetables in a sweet and sour tomato-based sauce.

Copper Pennies Recipe (1)

Jump to Recipe

I’m so excited to introduce y’all to this authentic copper pennies recipe today. Believe me when I say that these babies are delicious. I first tasted these sweet and sour carrots at a small cafe (which has sadly since closed) in Decatur, AL. They were served with delicious chicken poulet and a hot homemade roll.

Luckily, I was able to find similar recipes so that I can now serve them to my 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. Bet y’all feel the same, right?

The wonderful thing about these marinated carrots is that they will keep for about four 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.

We have carrots, onion, and bell pepper marinated in a sweet and sour sauce. It’s got lots of ingredients, like sugar, Worcestershire sauce, tomato soup, vinegar, and seasonings. But it’s so simple to make in less than 30 minutes. Simply let it cool and then serve it straight from the fridge. Southern side dish recipes don’t get much easier than that.

If you’ve never tried this and love tangy veggie salads, you’re in for a treat that you’ll crave for the rest of your life! Ready for this life-changing copper pennies recipe? Let’s get cooking!

Serve these with either baked ham, beef ribs, fried chicken, turkey breast, roast chicken, or pork chops and you will have the perfect meal.

Recipe Ingredients

  • Tomato soup
  • Vegetable oil
  • Granulated sugar
  • White vinegar
  • Dry mustard
  • Worcestershire sauce
  • Salt
  • Pepper
  • Onion
  • Green bell pepper
  • Carrots

Helpful Kitchen Tools

How to Make My Old-Fashioned Copper Pennies Recipe

Peel and slice the carrots into round coins (a.k.a our copper pennies).

Place in a saucepan and cover them with water.

Cook 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 in a colander and let them cool.

Add chopped bell pepper and onions and stir to distribute.

In a different saucepan, whisk together the soup, oil, sugar, vinegar, mustard, Worcestershire sauce, salt, and pepper.

Bring to a boil over medium heat while whisking for 2 to 3 minutes.

Set off the heat and let it cool to room temperature.

Copper Pennies Recipe (4)

Pour sauce over the vegetables and stir to combine.

Cover and refrigerate for 8 hours up to overnight before serving.

Serve cold from the refrigerator.

Enjoy your copper penny carrots!

Storage

One of the best parts of this marinated carrots recipe is that it can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to four weeks. Serve it straight from the fridge as is or you can warm it on the stovetop on low heat.

Recipe Variations

Here are some ways to make this easy copper penny recipe work for you:

  • Add 1/2 cup of chopped celery when you add the other vegetables.
  • Use canned carrots or store-bought crinkle-cut carrots instead of fresh carrots.
  • Substitute the dry mustard for regular prepared mustard (like yellow mustard or Dijon mustard).
  • Use any type of onion, but sweet onion is my favorite.
  • Make it a tad healthier by substituting the white sugar for Splenda and cutting the oil in half.
  • Add a tablespoon of freshly chopped parsley, thyme, dill, or chives. You can also add any of these fresh herbs as a garnish.
  • Substitute the tomato soup for canned stewed tomatoes or tomato juice.
  • Use apple cider vinegar, red wine vinegar, or white wine vinegar instead.
  • Use olive oil instead of vegetable oil.

Recipe FAQs

Can you make copper pennies ahead of time?

Yes, you can and should make this copper pennies recipe in advance. You want to store the marinated carrots in the fridge for 8 hours up to overnight, but they’ll also keep for up to one month.

How do you serve marinated carrots?

There are so many ways to serve this copper pennies recipe.

  • Enjoy them on their own as a main dish.
  • Serve them as a copper penny salad with a grilled cheese sandwich.
  • Enjoy them as a side dish at your next picnic or potluck. They pair perfectly with baked ham, beef ribs, fried chicken, turkey breast, roast chicken, or pork chops.

You may also like these Southern side dish recipes:

Candied Carrots Recipe

Sweet And Sour Green Beans

Easy Candied Sweet Potatoes

Easy Tomato Basil Soup Recipe

Copper Pennies Recipe (5)

Copper Pennies

This old-fashioned copper pennies recipe is a classic Southern side dish that includes marinated carrots and other vegetables in a sweet and sour tomato-based sauce.

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time: 5 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 15 minutes minutes

Total Time: 20 minutes minutes

Course: Side Dish

Cuisine: American

Keyword: carrots

Servings: 4

Calories: 351kcal

Ingredients

  • 10 carrots, peeled and sliced (about 5 cups)
  • 1 medium onion, diced (about 1/2 cup)
  • 1 small green bell pepper, diced (about 1/2 cup)
  • 1 can undiluted tomato soup
  • 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 them 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.

    10 carrots, peeled and sliced (about 5 cups)

  • Drain the carrots, add the onion and bell pepper, and set aside to cool.

    1 medium onion, diced (about 1/2 cup), 1 small green bell pepper, diced (about 1/2 cup)

  • Combine soup, oil, sugar, vinegar, mustard, Worcestershire sauce, salt, and pepper with a whisk in a medium saucepan.

    1 can undiluted tomato soup, 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

  • 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 vegetables and stir to combine. Store, covered, in the refrigerator for up to 4 weeks. Serve cold from the refrigerator.

Nutrition

Calories: 351kcal

Tried this recipe?Mention @southernplate or tag #southernplate!

“Positive thinking will let you do everything better than negative thinking will.”

~Zig Ziglar

Copper Pennies Recipe (2024)

FAQs

How do you make a copper penny? ›

Put the carrots, green pepper, and onion in a bowl. In a saucepan mix together the tomato soup, salt, pepper, oil, vinegar, sugar, mustard, and Worcestershire sauce. Bring to a boil, stirring until thoroughly blended. Pour over veggies and refrigerate for at least 1 hour and better for a few hours.

What years of pennies are 100% copper? ›

History of composition
YearsMaterialWeight (grains)
1795–1857 †~100% copper168 grains
1856–186488% copper, 12% nickel (also known as NS-12)72 grains
1864–1942bronze (95% copper, 5% tin and zinc)48 grains
1943zinc-coated steel (also known as 1943 steel cent)42 grains
5 more rows

How to cook copper penny carrots? ›

Peel and slice the carrots into round coins (a.k.a our copper pennies). Place in a saucepan and cover them with water. Cook 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).

How much is a million copper pennies worth? ›

A family discovered more than one million pennies while cleaning out their late father's home in Los Angeles, and the valuation could be about one million dollars. Now the standard value for one million pennies is $10,000, but these copper pennies were made before World War ll.

Why is melting copper pennies illegal? ›

In an interview with ABC News in 2006, Mint Director Edmund Moy said that “if only 1% of all nickels and pennies that are in circulation were melted down, taxpayers would have to foot a $43 million bill” Obviously that's not ideal for anyone, so making it illegal to melt pennies and nickels was the answer to this.

Are copper pennies 100% copper? ›

In the past, pennies were made of 100% copper and even steel, but pennies made in 1982 and later are copper-plated zinc. There also have been pennies containing various metallic mixtures of copper with other metals, such as nickel, tin and zinc. The first penny, minted in 1793, was as big as a half dollar.

What is the rarest penny? ›

It is believed that only around 20 bronze 1943-D pennies were released from each of the San Francisco and Philadelphia Mints. Even more scarce, the Denver Mint allegedly only produced one bronze 1943-D penny, which makes it the rarest known one-cent coin across the globe.

How much is a pre-1982 penny worth in copper? ›

A pre-1982 penny is worth about 2 cents for the copper value. Up until 1982 the penny was made of 95 percent copper; Now it is 97 percent zinc and it STILL costs almost 2 cents to make a single penny.

Are copper pennies worth money? ›

But finding the right copper coin could make you a millionaire. With few exceptions, copper coins in the U.S. mean one-cent pennies — usually those featuring Abraham Lincoln. The most valuable Lincoln penny is worth $2 million on the collectibles market, and many more are worth five or six figures.

When did they stop making copper pennies? ›

For the year 1943, pennies became zinc-coated steel because copper was essential to the war effort during World War II. But the Mint also struck a limited number of copper pennies. In 1962 tin was eliminated, and in 1982 the penny became primarily zinc with only 2.5% copper.

How do you use copper pennies in the garden? ›

So, if you want an earth-friendly fungicide, try adding pennies to your garden. It will work wonders. Plant a few pennies a couple of centimeters into the dirt among your tomatoes, potatoes, lettuce, and other fruits and veggies to lessen the likelihood of blight — which is generally caused by fungus growth.

How many copper pennies are left? ›

It is estimated that there were 40 1943 copper pennies produced, and of those 40, there are 27 known surviving coins.

What is a 1943 steel penny worth today? ›

Most steel pennies are worth between 20 cents and 20 dollars. Prices for 1943 penny error coins, like the 1943-D doubled mintmark variety, can reach several hundred dollars. For the most reliable information on coin values and coin collecting, trust precious metals experts rather than craft and hobby websites.

How much can I get for a 1943 copper penny? ›

Worth $100,000 to $250,000

The 1943 copper penny is worth more than its face value. Due to its rarity and unique composition, this coin can fetch a high price of $100,000 to $250,000.

How much copper is actually in a penny? ›

The penny is 97.5 percent zinc and 2.5 percent copper. This image shows copper in ore. The penny was once composed mainly of copper, but since 1982 the United States Mint has made pennies from copper-plated zinc.

How is copper made into coins? ›

The refined metal is melted, and the additional metals as required by the specifications are added. For example, the United States Mint makes its five-cent coin from an alloy of 75 percent copper and 25 percent nickel. Once the proper purity or alloy is achieved, the metal is cast into an ingot.

How much does it cost to make a copper penny? ›

In FY 2023, the U.S. Mint's toll to make, administer and distribute the 1-cent coin increased to 3.07 cents from 2.72 cents (12.9%) and the unit cost for the 5-cent coin rose to 11.54 cents from 10.41 cents (10.9%). Despite reduced production totals leading to increased per-unit costs, the U.S.

Top Articles
Latest Posts
Article information

Author: Lakeisha Bayer VM

Last Updated:

Views: 6305

Rating: 4.9 / 5 (49 voted)

Reviews: 88% of readers found this page helpful

Author information

Name: Lakeisha Bayer VM

Birthday: 1997-10-17

Address: Suite 835 34136 Adrian Mountains, Floydton, UT 81036

Phone: +3571527672278

Job: Manufacturing Agent

Hobby: Skimboarding, Photography, Roller skating, Knife making, Paintball, Embroidery, Gunsmithing

Introduction: My name is Lakeisha Bayer VM, I am a brainy, kind, enchanting, healthy, lovely, clean, witty person who loves writing and wants to share my knowledge and understanding with you.