Kumquat Marmalade

Holy cow this stuff is tasty. I smeared it on a toasted english muffin from Huckleberry this morning and it totally blew my mind. Had to share. 

As we come into summer I am going to attempt to preserve and pickle and jam as much as I can when things are in peak season so that when the dead of winter arrives once again I can simply pop open a weck jar of bright summer goodness. Right now, that goodness happens to be in the form of kumquats which are totally gorgeous and abundant in these early Spring months.

Kumquat Marmalade  

Ingredients 

4 cups Kumquats, seeded & thinly sliced

1.5 cups fine sugar

2 cups water 

1 meyer lemon, juiced 

Method 

1. This part take a little bit of patience and time but it is worth it. Rinse your kumquats and cut them in half lengthwise. Next, using a small pairing knife carefully pick out the seeds and cut out that center white strip of pith.  Then slice them thinly. Repeat until you've got 4 cups of sliced kumquats. 

2. Place sliced kumquats in pan with sugar, water, and lemon juice. You won't need any pectin as these little guys have enough natural pectin of their own to help thicken things up. Bring to a boil and then simmer for about 30 minutes or so until the kumquats have broken down and the rinds are soft and things are looking shiny and thick. 

3. You can store this marmalade in your fridge for a few weeks but if you want to keep it for a long term in your dry pantry then this is when you can follow the instructions that came with your jars and can them properly, etc. 

4. Enjoy!!