Candied Kumquats
Feb 13, 2010 | From the kitchen of Rose
I am indebted to my friend, the cookbook author Elizabeth Andoh, for pointing me in the direction of these homemade treats which are a world apart from the commercial ones sold in jars. The kumquats are luminous, orange/amber, bright in appearance and flavor--very moist. I love them as an accompaniment to duck.
The kumquats look like little lanterns, because the slashes made to release the pits open up during poaching. Cutting them in half to remove the seeds would be easier, but leaving them whole offers a burst of succulence.
We just received a small shipment of kumquats from our friends George and Elisette Dirusso who live in Florida. They were from their own kumquat tree and are the sweetest I've ever tasted. Note the round as opposed to the usual oblong shape. I lost no time in candying them!
Makes: 4 quarter pint (1/2 cup) jars
fresh kumquats (about 82 1-inch) about 4 cups/1 pound/454 grams
sugar: 2 cups/14 ounces/400 grams
water: 2/3 cup/12.4/352 grams
With a small, sharp knife, make 4 small slashes in each kumquat and press them gently, inserting a toothpick to help remove the tiny seeds. Most of those that remain will come out during cooking.
In a large saucepan, place the kumquats and cover them with cold water.
Bring them to a boil and simmer for about 10 minutes or until a skewer pierces the skin easily.
Drain the kumquats and rinse and dry the saucepan.
In the same saucepan, stir together the sugar and water until all of the sugar is moistened and bring the mixture to a boil, stirring constantly. Stop stirring and continue cooking for 1 or 2 minutes until the syrup thickens slightly (228°F). Add the kumquats and allow them to simmer for 10 minutes (the temperature still will be 228˚F).
Remove the pan from the heat and transfer the kumquats to canning jars or a container. Pour in syrup to cover them. Any leftover syrup can be used to glaze the duck.
Store: Room temperature 1 day, refrigerated up to 5 days, or can them according to manufacturer's directions.
Pointers for Success:
♥ Use a large saucepan because the syrup boils up a lot after the kumquats are added.
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btpang in reply to comment from Rose Levy Beranbaum
03/04/2010 03:41 PM
Hi Rose,
Just want to share this bit with everyone that your recipe for Candied Kumquats is really amazing. They actually age quite well in the frig. At 1st, the pleasant bitter aftertaste was a little more pronounced, but over the week, they taste even better: more mellow & the bitterness is almost undetectable! I simply use a skewer to pick one up & pop it into my mouth...delicious & refreshing! Many thanks!
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Rose in reply to comment from Btpang
02/26/2010 09:54 PM
they'd be great with any poultry or even pork as the acidity will cut through the fat.
yes--your taste description is right on!
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Btpang
02/24/2010 08:28 PM
Just happened to have 12oz of Kumquats in the frig. Mine were not at all sweet, so I decided to try out your recipe to candy them by scaling the recipe down a bit. They came out beautifully & not at all too cloyingly sweet (somewhat like a marmalade with a little bitterness aftertaste) Is this the correct taste? Other than duck, what other dishes/desserts would you suggest to use the candied kumquats with? I love duck but hardly cook it at home. Please kindly make a few suggestions. Cheers!
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PFLuke
02/16/2010 10:47 AM
What a wonderful technique, Rose! I've candied kumquats before, but I poked them with a skewer rather than slashing them. The poked ones tasted fine, but still had the seeds and looked like sad, deflated ballons. The slashed ones are so much prettier--and no seeds! So cool!
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Julie
02/15/2010 07:10 AM
I love candied kumquats, I made them three times this winter. Thanks so much for posting your recipe. Pairing them with duck sounds marvelous! I've been layering them with ice cream and leftover cake as a casual parfait.
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