Small-Batch Kumquat Marmalade Recipe | Lemons + Anchovies (2024)

FAQs

Why do you soak fruit before making marmalade? ›

Add the shredded peel and muslin bag to the pan along with the water. Leave to soak overnight. This helps to extract the maximum amount of pectin from the fruit pulp, which will give a better set.

The flesh inside is tart and the outside peel is sweet so there's no need to worry about how to strip off the thin skin. You eat it all, except for the two bitter seeds inside. To get rid of those, cut the fruit in half and squeeze. Use the tip of a sharp knife to gently coax them out if they are stubborn.

Yes, you can certainly add more sugar if it's too bitter for you. You'll need to bring the marmalade back to a simmer to fully dissolve the sugar. You can also use Meyer lemons, which are sweeter and more fragrant than Eureka lemons (the type of sour and tart lemons you'll typically find at your grocery store).

Bright and sweet-tangy ripe kumquat makes the beautiful liqueur in very easy steps.

Many marmalade recipes will have you remove the peel, boil it once, twice, or three times, and then separate the tasty and colorful zest from the bitter white pith. However, you can also remove the pith at the start.

Kumquats are best eaten whole — unpeeled. Their sweet flavor actually comes from the peel, while their juice is tart. The only caveat is that if you're allergic to the peel of common citrus fruits, you may need to pass up kumquats. If the tart juice turns you off, you can squeeze it out before eating the fruit.

Optional: Boil the kumquats to reduce bitterness

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.

Once the sugar is dissolved, a boil to a set takes an average of 5-7 minutes. Prolonged boiling times, up to 30 minutes, a common recommendation in food magazines often results in syrupy, caramelised marmalade, a ruined pan and evidence of an unreliable recipe.

Adjust the cooking time: The bitterness in marmalade can come from overcooking the citrus peel. Try reducing the cooking time, or using a lower heat setting to avoid overcooking the peel. Soak the citrus peel: Soaking the citrus peel in water overnight can help to reduce the bitterness.

Don't let the marmalade turn brown: If the marmalade is turning brown while you are cooking it, you are likely overcooking it and the sugars are beginning to caramelize. Remove it from the heat immediately if this happens and then next time you make marmalade, aim for a lower setting temperature.

What fruit is mistaken for kumquat? ›

Well, you look like one! Loquats, also known as a Japanese apricot or plum, are in the Rosaceae family, the same as apples, pears, peaches and nectarines. Kumquats, however, are a citrus fruit — think of them as the smaller, tarter version of an orange.

On the sweet side, they pair beautifully with chocolate, vanilla, mint and other fruit, like pears and cranberries.

The limequat (Citrus × floridana) is a citrus hybrid that is the result of a cross between the Key lime and the kumquat, hybridized by Walter Tennyson Swingle in 1909.

Allowing your marmalade to cool a little and relax before potting helps the marmalade to thicken slightly so that the peel remains evenly distributed and doesn't rise to the top.

A 2006 study notes that soaking can, in some cases, be beneficial in reducing the amount of bacteria present — but not with every piece of produce.

Submerge the fruit or vegetables in the baking soda water. Let soak for 12 to 15 minutes. The time will help the baking soda do its job. Swish the produce around in the water or push it down several times to ensure all sides of the produce is being cleaned.