Kumquat Marmalade
Kumquat Marmalade is my favourite, because it is not as bitter as other marmalades - at least not if you follow my recipe. Also, it’s one of the many jams and marmalades my Maman used to make and still makes, so I have plenty of happy memories around it. When I saw that my local fruit and veg shop had kumquats, I just had to take the opportunity to turn them into a jar of nostalgia.
Cook the most popular Persian dishes at home with the help of my e-book.
Time
Prep: 15 min
Cook: 25 min
Total: 40 min
Ingredients [for 4 small (290g/10oz) jars]
500g / 1.1lbs kumquats
400g / 14oz granulated sugar
130ml / 1/2 cup fresh orange juice
130ml / 1/2 cup water
1 cinnamon stick
6 cardamom pods
2 tbsp lemon juice
Method
Optional: Boil the kumquats to reduce bitterness
Living in the UK for over 14 years now, I have come to enjoy the slightly bitter taste of marmalade. Kumquat marmalade is naturally less bitter than the original bitter orange marmalade or a lemon marmalade. So to me the hint of bitterness of this kumquat marmalade really adds to its multifaceted flavour. That being said, there is an optional trick to reduce or even to eliminate the little bitterness it has.
Wash the kumquats in warm water and transfer the whole kumquats to a pot filled with water. Bring the water to boil and once boiling, let it simmer for 5 minutes. Now taste the water. If it doesn’t taste bitter, this step is complete and you can drain the water and move on to the next.
If it does taste bitter, drain it and add enough boiled water to the pot to cover the kumquats. Repeat this process and let them simmer for another 5 minutes. Then drain the water and continue with the next step.
Wash and slice the kumquats
If you like the hint of citrusy bitterness of the kumquats, simply wash them in warm water.
My Maman uses the whole kumquats for her marmalade but I decided to adjust her recipe to make it easier for non-Iranians to consume it. My German wife Stella tends to eat her jam or marmalade spread out on a slice of buttered sourdough and struggles with large fruit pieces and runny jam. :)
Another perk of slicing the kumquats is, that you can easily remove any seeds, because who wants to bite on a seed when enjoying delicious marmalade, right?
So if you agree, cut the kumquats into thin slices (about 3-4 mm / 0.1 inch) and remove any seeds.
Cook the marmalade
Juice an orange or alternatively, use natural store-bought orange juice.
Crush the cardamom pods using pestle and mortar. If you don’t like the seeds to be released into the marmalade, you can put the crushed pods into an empty teabag or a small piece of muslin cloth, that you bind together with baking twine.
Transfer the orange juice, water, sugar, cinnamon stick and crushed cardamom pods (in a teabag or small DIY muslin cloth bag) to a pot. Bring it to simmer and allow the sugar to dissolve. This should take about 5 minutes.
Then add the kumquats and let them simmer for 15 to 20 minutes over medium temperature, while stirring occasionally.
You can check if you’re happy with the consistency by putting a tablespoon full or so on a small plate and placing it in the fridge for 5 minutes. If the consistency is to your liking, the marmalade is done. If it’s still too runny, you can let it simmer for a couple more minutes. If it’s too firm, you can add more hot water and let it simmer for a few more minutes.
Finally, add the lemon juice, give the marmalade another stir and turn off the stove.
Transfer to jars
If you want to store your kumquat marmalade for a long time or want to give it away, I recommend transferring them to sterilised glass jars.
Sterilise the jars and lids in boiling water for about 1 minute. Remove them from the water using sterilised kitchen tongues and place them on paper towels or clean kitchen towels.
Transfer the hot marmalade to the jars using a sterilised spoon, close the lids firmly and turn the jars upside down. Once they’re cooled down, you can turn them around again. This way you should be able to store the marmalade for a couple of months. Enjoy it with your favourite bread for breakfast or afternoon tea!
I’d love to see your Kumquat Marmalade! Feel free to tag me with @igotitfrommymaman on Facebook or Insta so I can take a look and give you a thumbs up!
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