Kumquat Marmalade

When I eat something delicious I often think to myself, “I want to eat this, and nothing but this, for the rest of my life.” This time I mean it.

Kumquat Marmalade – you had me at “Hello.” You are tangy, sweet, with a slight mouth-tingling bitterness reminiscent of pink grapefruit. You are my perfect food.

Here’s the recipe, cobbled together from two I found online (links to those below). This will be delicious not only on toast (by itself, with buttah, or with cream cheese), but would also make a delicious martini (shake a tablespoon with vodka and ice in a shaker, strain into a gorgeous glass), a wonderful puff pastry filling, ice cream topping, lick-straight-from-the-spoon ohIcan’tstopeatingit!!

Ahem. Recipe.
2 cups kumquats, washed well and pulsed whole in a food processor till the rind is minced
½ cup granulated white sugar
½ teaspoon ginger juice (or 1 teaspoon finely minced fresh ginger)
1 ½ cups water

Combine the kumquats and sugar in a bowl and mix well. Cover and refrigerate overnight.

The next day, pick out the larger, easy-to-scoop seeds. Don’t worry about getting them all because they contain the pectin which will help make the marmalade thick.

Add the ginger juice and water and stir to combine. Pour the mixture into a large soup pot, loosely cover (so some steam can escape), and bring to a sloooooooow simmer over very low heat. Cook for 2 ½ hours, stirring occasionally, until it’s thick and jammy.

To test for doneness, put a small spoonful on a plate and refrigerate just long enough to cool it. It should be soft but not runny, basically the consistency of store-bought jam. You can take a few moments to pick out more of the seeds at this point, or not.

Pour into glass jars and seal while hot. Go through the whole proper canning process if you wish, otherwise eat within one month.

Inspiration recipes:

http://www.vegetarianized.com/2009/06/honey-ginger-grapefruit-marmalade.html
http://acookinglife.typepad.com/a_cooking_life/2010/05/kumquat-marmalade.html