Citruslove: Candied Kumquats & Kumquat Syrup

For my birthday, my sweet aunt who lives in Florida, sent me a bunch of kumquats from her kumquat tree. Kumquats are something of a new experience for me … the first time I ever tasted them was at Christmas, at my parents’ house, and of course they were a bunch of kumquats from the same tree. I was so excited to have my very own box of kumquats to play with!

The rind of a kumquat is lightly sweet and the center is sour, so they are often eaten whole. I am not sure my palate could handle that kind of intensity, but I found I really love the sour-sweet taste of the juice in salad dressing and also thin slices of kumquat on a salad are quite welcome. Kumquats add a little citrus zing that almost tickles your tongue. They are small and a lovely orange-yellow in color.

When they arrived, a few of the kumquats were beginning to rot on one end, so I knew I had to do SOMETHING fast! Katherine Martinelli came to my rescue, graciously sharing some of her favorite kumquat recipes. This one was clearly the one to rectify my situation and save the precious half-kumquats. I’m not sure exactly how many of them I used in the recipe as they were parts of several kumquats, but the method worked beautifully. Thank you so much, Katherine.

Candied Kumquats & Kumquat Syrup

Recipe from Katherine Martinelli. I think the syrup would be wonderful over french toast or pancakes … or even for adding a tangy sweet taste to mixed drinks.

Ingredients:

• 1 to 2 cups simple syrup* (I used 1 cup water, 2 cups sugar)
• About 15 kumquats, sliced or chopped

Directions:

• Put the kumquats and simple syrup in a small pot over medium heat.
• Bring to a boil then reduce the heat; simmer for 10 – 25 minutes, stirring often.
• The kumquats are done when the syrup is slightly thickened and sticks to the fruit. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the kumquats to a clean glass jar.
• Spoon a few tablespoons of simple syrup on top. Transfer the remaining syrup to another glass jar. Allow both to cool before sealing and refrigerating.

* To make simple syrup combine 1 part each water and sugar in a pot and simmer until the sugar is dissolved.

This recipe was shared at Citruslove, Totally Tasty Tuesdays,  Midweek Fiesta and Tastetastic Thursdays.

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