Seems like kumquats are the
it citrus of the season this year. I've always liked them, especially since they seem kind of inside-out with their sweet peel and bitter flesh. And after scoring some amazing candied kumquats at the
May swap last year, which the boyfriend and I rationed to make them last, I have been a little obsessed and itching to replenish our supply.
I did make a small batch (thanks to above swapper Sarah's tips, I adapted from
Real Baking with Rose's recipe and
Simply Recipes' plus added vanilla bean) a while ago, from which I realized that kumquats are pretty pricey. So I was extra thrilled to find out a pal had a laden tree in Sacramento that was ripe for my picking.
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| Literally laden, and this tree fruits twice a year! |
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| Kumquats all around |
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| Galaxies of kumquats |
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| They smell divine |
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| Frank has one of the best laughs around |
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| Me, up in the kumquat tree |
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| When we were done it looked like locusts had descended |
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| The haul |
We had a ton of fun and I think we picked something close to 50 pounds of kumquats! (Thanks Frank & Bobby) So now it is on...the Kumquat-a-thon of 2012.
In addition to giving a bunch away, bringing them to parties, putting them in a pretty bowl as decor, and munching on them steadily, here is what I've made with just a fraction of these kumquats: Dehydrated Kumquats,
Preserved Kumquats in Honey & Rose Water, and
Spiced Kumquats.
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| A couple trays worth went into the dehydrator |
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| Dehydrated kumquats took about 2 days |
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| Rose water + honey + kumquats |
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| A lot of slicing and removing of seeds |
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| I used a few types of honey, but the walnut honey was dark! |
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| Preparing spiced kumquats |
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| Leaving to soak overnight |
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| After 24 hours |
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| Into jars! |
And that's it so far. I'm going to need to get serious fast though and put some of these up for real. Recipes I'm considering still include Lillet Kumquat Compote, Kumquat Habanero Marmalade, Kumquat Chutney, Star Anise Kumquat Sauce, Sweet Preserved Kumquats, and of course lots more of the famed Candied Kumquats.
Got any other ideas to throw at me?
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And there's more ripe kumquats on higher branches. I'll pick 'em in the coming days and we'll figure out a way to get them to you. BB
ReplyDeleteAre you still out there? Did you really dehydrate whole kumquats? How did that turn out? I have a tree that I originally planted in a pot. After ten years put it in the ground 25 years ago. Until it was damaged by a neighbor, harvesting without asking, I was getting 3 crops a year at 30-40 lbs per. So, always looking to put kumquats to use!
ReplyDeleteBill in San Jose
I have the same question as Bill in San Jose.
ReplyDeleteI have the same question as Bill in San Jose.
ReplyDelete