Kumquats!
The other day, I went into my local Chinese market. I love going in there because I can always find some new/unusual/hard-to-get product that I can try. Anyway, in the produce section there were these big containers of kumquats. I’d passed them up last week because I was in there for only a few specific items and my funds were limited. But when I saw them again, they just looked so beautiful and enticing, I couldn’t resist. 
Want to know what I did with them?
Kumquats are like tiny, oval orange and can be eaten whole. They can be very sweet or very tart (which I learned the hard way). The problem I had was that I didn’t really know what to do with them. My mother never really used kumquats, so I didn’t grow up with them and had never incorporated them into my food repetoire. And there were so many of them in the container! I went online and found some recipes and tried out a couple, including a kumquat-cranberry salsa, which was a sweet-spicy combo. But I was particularly intrigued by a kumquat brandy recipe. I was all ready to go out and buy some brandy when it occurred to me that I could use a recipe I have for limoncello. Everyone loves my limoncello–it’s sweet and strong and beats the hell out of any of the store-bought stuff. I’ve also made limecello (the flavor profile becomes more distinct from limoncello as it ages) and always had it in my head that one day, I would make orangecello. Well, kumquats are citrus fruits, so why not give them a try? It would be a kumquatcello. So, that’s exactly what I did. They are macerating in a big ol’ bottle of vodka right now. In a couple of weeks, I will add additional vodka along with a sugar syrup and voilà–kumquatcello! 
I don’t have my original limoncello recipe so here’s a recipe from Epicurious.com, in case you want to give it a go. Just substitute two or three cups of kumquats for the lemon peels. Limoncello Recipe I’ll let you know how it turns out. In the meantime, Happy Easter, Happy Passover, Happy whatever it is you celebrate! Enjoy the food and festivities. Peace, Roberta
OMG that looks good!
I hope it tastes good, too. But, then, it’s booze. What’s there not to like about it?
Wow, cool!
I was given some quince a few weeks ago. I’d never seen or tasted them. I followed a recipe from a Middle Eastern cookbook to make quince paste, but I think I didn’t quite get the texture right as it’s quite soft and gooshy. (And too sweet. Waaaay too sweet.) But it’s certainly an interesting flavour, and would probably go really well with blue cheese or a strong Camembert.
Have you ever made a fruit paste like this, and if so, how do you get it to be really firm? Or is it supposed to be gooshy?
I’ve never made anything like that myself. I’ve only seen it firm but who’s to say that homemade quince paste isn’t sometimes gooshy? It goes particularly well with Spanish cheese, by the way.
What is Spanish cheese? (Andi, do NOT say “queso”).
I’ve always wanted to try limoncello, so why not kumquat?! Do they taste a lot like oranges? I want to try some of that!
Hey, Deb. They actually taste more like mandarins. Orangey but different, ya know? I’ll definitely report on the findings of my experiment.
I looove kumquats! Wow, I haven’t seen one in ages. Generally, we just, I dunno, ate them.
Though I think a kumquat marmalade would be pretty amazing. I love jam. And butter. And bread. And coffee. And eggs. Heck, just give me the whole damn breakfast plate.
The kumquatcello thing is a really great idea, though. Looks fantastic. Better than what I was worried you’d make when you started the post about the Chinese market. (I always tell my friends, “Ya wanna go vegetarian, visit the meat section of your local Chinese market.”) But, then again, you’re not really in the market for that kind of incentive, I guess.
Ha, Ha. I know what you mean, Cat. The meat section can get a bit adventurous. Then again, some of the stuff in the jars on the shelves are…um…interesting, too. If they still have kumquats the next time I go there, I’m going to try my hand at marmalade. Although, the kumquat-cranberry salsa was not bad at all.
A good example would be Manchego. In Spain, quince paste is called membrillo and it is very popular served with Manchego.
Lorna wants your kumquat-cranberry salsa recipe.
You got it, Paula. This is not my recipe, though–I got it off Recipezaar.com from a contributor named Debber. So, thanks to Debber! I made one alteration: I didn’t have any green chiles on hand, so I used a dried chile de arbol. Once cooked in the salsa (chopped up, of course), it gets reconstituted. Note that this is not the chip-dipping kind of salsa but more of a condiment for meats, rice, veggies, etc., like cranberry relish. I liked it on my vegetarian chicken patties. Yum! Anyway, let me know how you and Lorna like it.
Cranberry and Kumquat Salsa
6 ounces kumquats
1 onion, peeled & chopped
4 garlic cloves, peeled & crushed
2 mandarin oranges, juice of
1 lb cranberries (fresh or frozen)
3/4 cup sugar
1 green chili pepper (seeded & chopped) (opt.)
salt & pepper, to taste
Halve the kumquats, discard seeds, quarter the fruits. Put ‘quats, onion, garlic, berries and o.j. in a sauce-pan; half cover the pot, simmer until berries pop. Stir in the sugar and chilies.
Once sugar is dissolved, bring mixture to a boil; boil until mixture thickens.
Remove pan from heat; spoon salsa into hot jars, seal with two-part lids. Spoon into jars, cool completely, refrigerate.
Thanks! This will make up for some idiocy from earlier in the week. Recipes are better than flowers!
I don’t cook. I tend to burn things and use up all the utensils and pans. But Lorna will appreciate anything I glean from here.
When I was a kid a relative used to send us a candied fruit tray every year at Christmas, and I got all the kumquats because nobody else wanted them. I kinda liked the chewiness. You’ve inspired me to watch for fresh ones. I spurge on fresh lichees when they’re in season (and in our big chain grocery store), so I should expand my horizons.
Hey, Bobi! Sweet blog! I love kumquats–mostly I candy them, though. They’re gorgeous and delicious that way (if you like candied citrus). I used them as decoration (with festoons of rosemary branches) on a wedding cake, and they looked very baroque and elegant.
Hi, Sacchi. I’m so glad I’ve inspired you.
Just remember that sometimes they can be quite tart, so don’t be surprised if you bite into one and that’s what you get. But that’s true of many fruits, isn’t it? Fruit is a gamble, I know that going in, as Jerry Seinfeld once said.
Hey, Melynda. Thanks! That wedding cake sounds beautiful. Did you take pictures of it? I’d love to see it.
I just need to persuade Sue to make these things for me. Although, I may consider the alcoholic drink one myself. Somehow, if it ends up being drunk, it doesn’t seem like cooking to me so I may tackle it when we’re settled. Great site btw.
Hi, Jo! Tell Sue they’re really easy to make. As for the liqueur–SUPER easy. Takes no time at all. I wish I could send everyone I know a sample. LOL
I think this is brilliant; it sounds amazing. Do you have any idea how to make a creamy version?
Thanks! A creamy version, huh? I hadn’t even thought of that. I’ll bet that it would be quite delicious. I’ll have to look into that.
I’ve had a creamy limoncello and I think (not sure) they made the limoncello and emulsified with heated cream. Thanks for the Twitter message, unfortunately it’s not my job yet, I’m still trying to make it happen. But when it does, I too think it’ll be the coolest. Thanks!
I just inherited a kumquat tree loaded with fruit. I want to make kumquatcello like you did. How did it turn out? would you do something different.
these are sweet on the outside and bitter on the inside but eatten whole are pretty good.
Did you rough up the skins first? Could you eat the fruit after they were maridaded?
thanks for you help.
Wow, a kumquat tree. You are one lucky woman, Janet. It turned out great–lightly citrus-y but different than limoncello orangecello. The only thing I would do differently is add a little more sugar to make it more liqueur-ish and less strong. I did not rough up the skins, just macerated them.
You can absolutely eat them after macerating. Yum! Try them on pound cake or ice cream. Delish. What about trying kumquat salsa? Try my recipe here: http://www.mizchef.com/2009/04/more-with-kumquats/
Have fun with your kumquat tree. And feel free to post here about your adventures.
(By the way, sorry it took so long to reply. I thought I had earlier but my response did show up.)