Next to the workshop on my Uncle’s farm grows an enormous kumquat tree. My Mom and Grandmother planted this tree, and my Grandmother has been gone for twenty years now, an indication of both its age and resoluteness. I am not certain of the variety, my guess is Meiwa, but all kumquats once belonged to the currently defunct genus Fortunella, a name that conjures images of heroines and buried treasure, and is much more romantic than Citrus. The tiny fruits are closely related to oranges, lemons, and limes. Kumquats, however, lack that bitter white pith that renders rinds of other citrus fruit inedible to those of us with sensitive palates. While botanists will continue to argue the taxonomy, I will simply propose that kumquats are among the best fruit trees for home gardeners whether you place one in the ground or in a large container. They are easy to grow and produce a beautiful fruit in a tiny, enchanting package.
Despite what some people have related to this Florida native, the peninsula does have distinct seasonal changes, and kumquat season coincides with the flowering of Camellias. Who needs snow when you can have a Pink Perfection? This one was started from my Grandmother’s monstrously large tree that once held the honor of being the background for all winter-time family photo ops. Just when you need a little brightness and vitamin C, here come the flowers and kumquats.
After photographing all the Camellias, I picked a large bag full of kumquats, ferried it home in my carry on, ate loads of fresh fruit, and decided to make marmalade. There are many recipes out there, but most of them treat these fruit like other citrus with various boiling and water discarding steps. These processes were developed to remove bitterness from the pith of oranges, so they don’t really apply to this particular situation. After eliminating every recipe I found for one reason or another, I went with the tried and true 1 kilo of fruit to 800 grams of sugar ratio for preserves. Above is the pot after sitting in the fridge for about 36 hours. The sugar pulls the liquid out of the fruit and creates a syrup, and no water, or dilution of flavor, is necessary. I did save the seeds and put them in a tea ball to add to the pectin content of the project, and I squeezed in some lemon juice for more acidity.
I cooked the batch to 220 degrees Fahrenheit, pulled out the seeds, and netted four jars. You can freeze preserves or keep them in the fridge, but I processed them in the steam canner. Processing is not a step that everyone uses for jams and jellies, but I find the lids are much more likely to seal after 20 minutes in the canner, the time my Ball Blue Book recommends for pints of marmalade. It is also handy for sterilizing all the jars and lids before use. I want the jars to seal so they are shelf stable and can be shared with friends and family. Bottled sunshine.
If you are interested in preserving, the USDA has a wonderful resource here. In the meantime, stash your kumquats in the vegetable drawer of the fridge, and they will keep for some time if a damp towel is placed in the bin for humidity. I’ve been adding the fruit to citrus salads with great success. Here is the link to the Saveur recipe I use as a guide, one I have shared previously that is worth repeating. That’s the most recent iteration below, photographed in the cool February light coming through the kitchen window. Give it a try, kumquats or not, and brighten up your winter season.
