Kumquat-Lemon Marmalade
The clarity of peak citrus flavor in this recipe brings all that is early spring to life. The color and texture of this marmalade is bright and luscious. I always love a big tart lemon kick and this delivers. Pair this with a creamy camembert cheese, or spread it over your favorite toast and butter in the morning. It’s a flavor booster for all things.
Ingredients :
1.2 pounds (544 g) Kumquats, halved
3/4 (340 g) pound Lemons, cut into 8th’s
1.2 pounds (544 g) Kumquats, seeded and quartered
1.5 pounds (680 g) Lemons, halved crosswise, each half cut lengthwise into quarters, seeded and thinly sliced
3 pounds 6 oz (7 Cups or 1,632 g) White Sugar
4 oz (1/4 cup or 113 g) Fresh strained Lemon Juice
Preparation :
Begin by halving the kumquats and 8’th the Lemons. Combine them in a saucepan and add enough cold water to let the fruit bob freely.
Cook The citrus : Bring this pan to a boil over high heat, decrease to medium and cook the fruit at a high simmer, covered, for 3 hours. Press the fruit down every now and then and add a little more water if necessary to keep the fruit covered.
When finished, strain its juice with a medium strainer into a large nonreactive bowl. Discard the fruit. This liquid creates the natural pectin gelling agent for the marmalade. (If you happen to remember, you should add the seeds from deseeding the kumquats to this mixture as well to boost its pectin potential.)
Strain the liquid once more.
Meanwhile while the other citrus begins cooking : deseed and slice the rest of the citrus : Place the lemon slices and the seeded kumquat quarters in a sauce pan, cover with 1 inch of water. (reserve the seeds and add the the other cooking liquid if you can.)
Cook the sliced and quartet citrus : Bring the Pan to a boil over high heat, decrease the heat and cook, covered for about 60 minutes. Make sure the fruit remains submerged in water every so often.
Put a plate with 4 metal spoons in the freezer. You will use this for testing the doneness of the gel later.
In a large mixing bowl, combine the sliced and quartered fruit and their liquid, the strained cooked citrus juice, lemon juice and sugar. Stir well.
Transfer to a 11-12 quart wide non-reactive pot or, ideally you have it , a copper pot of this size.
Bring this mixture to a boil over high heat and cook at a rapid high boil to reach the setting point, about 45 minutes (may take longer).
As the moisture cooks out and the sugar concentration increases, it will begin foaming. Do not stir until it begins foaming. Skim the foam. Then stir gently every few minutes to prevent from burning. Use a Heatproof Spatula for this as the mixture is very hot.
Marmalade will be ready for testing when it’s color darkens slightly and the bubble become much smaller.
Using the frozen spoons, transfer a bit of the liquid to one and place it back in the freezer. Wait 3-4 minutes.
Tilt the spoon vertically. If it doesn’t run and the marmalade has thickened into jelly consistency, it’s done. If it runs, cook a few more minutes, stirring and test again.
When finished, turn off the heat. Slim any remaining foam. Let sit for 5 minutes before transferring to a spouted vessel for easy pouring into washed and sanitized jars.
Fill jars, seal with lids and process accordingly. I usually get about 9-10 small jars with this recipe. And seal and process the jars in boiling water for 5 minutes.
Will keep for 2 years. Enjoy!
