Preserved Whole Kumquats

Kumquat Preserves
Alice Martini/Moment Open/Getty Images
Prep: 10 mins
Cook: 50 mins
Total: 60 mins
Servings: 3 servings

Kumquats are a citrus fruit that is in season in early winter in most places. They look like miniature, oblong oranges, and every part of them is edible except for the seeds. In fact, the peels are the most flavorful and aromatic part of kumquats.

Serve preserved kumquats alongside coffee or desserts, or in the bottom of a glass of champagne. They are also amazing dipped in melted chocolate.

Ingredients

  • 4 to 5 cups whole fresh kumquat fruits, about 65

  • 1 1/2 cups sugar

  • 3/4 cup water

  • 1 cinnamon stick

  • 2 whole cardamom pods

  • 1 whole clove

Steps to Make It

  1. Gather the ingredients.

  2. Wash the kumquat fruits. Use a paring knife to slice a thin sliver off of the stem end of each fruit (that's the end with the whitish round dent).

  3. Pierce each kumquat twice with a toothpick.

  4. Put the prepared kumquats into a pot and add just enough water to cover them. Bring the kumquats and water to a boil over high heat. Boil for 2 minutes. Drain in a colander.

  5. Return the kumquats to the pot and again cover them with water. Once again place the pot over high heat and boil the fruit for 2 minutes before draining. Repeat the whole procedure for a total of three 2-minute boils.

  6. After the kumquats have drained in the colander for the third time, return them to the pot. Add the sugar, water, cinnamon stick, cardamom pods, and clove. Cook over medium heat, stirring ​constantly until the sugar has completely dissolved.

  7. Raise the heat to high and bring the ingredients to a full boil. Reduce the heat so that the mixture is gently simmering and cook for 30 minutes more. There should be bubbles steadily rising to the surface of the liquid, but the fruits should not be vigorously bouncing into each other.

  8. Remove the pot from the heat. Spoon the kumquats into clean canning jars (it is not necessary to sterilize the jars for this recipe because they will be processed for a full 10 minutes). Leave 1 inch of headspace.

  9. Once you've transferred all of the fruit to the jars, spoon the syrup from the pot over the fruit. The kumquats should be completely covered by the syrup, but there should still be at least half an inch of headspace between the surface of the food and the rims of the jars.

  10. Wipe the rims of the jars clean with a moist cloth or paper towel. Screw on the canning lids and process in a boiling water bath for 10 minutes.

  11. Enjoy.

Nutrition Facts (per serving)
657 Calories
3g Fat
161g Carbs
7g Protein
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Nutrition Facts
Servings: 3
Amount per serving
Calories 657
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 3g 4%
Saturated Fat 0g 2%
Cholesterol 0mg 0%
Sodium 41mg 2%
Total Carbohydrate 161g 58%
Dietary Fiber 25g 89%
Total Sugars 135g
Protein 7g
Vitamin C 166mg 830%
Calcium 242mg 19%
Iron 3mg 19%
Potassium 709mg 15%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)