Kumquat Marmalade

I was in my favorite market, Fairway, and there were stacked containers of kumquats by the entryway. Without thinking I picked one up and announced to myself: I’m going to make kumquat marmalade. Have I ever made marmalade before? Nope. But the kumquats were just too pretty to pass up. And I love marmalade.

So this Sunday, I did a quick Google search for how to make marmalade knowing that I didn’t want to officially can it, I wanted something easy and straightforward with few ingredients and I had a hunch I wouldn’t need pectin. I found a  simple recipe that I adapted from Recipe Girl.

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Here's Recipe Girl's recipe for kumquat marmalade
Yield: 2 cups
Prep Time: 40 min Cook Time: 16 min
An easy, microwave recipe for Kumquat Marmalade. This recipe will keep for two months in the refrigerator.

Ingredients:
1 pound kumquats (more or less)
1 medium orange, peeled- white pith removed, and chopped
1 1/2 cups granulated white sugar (more or less)
1/2 medium (2 Tablespoons) lemon, squeezed

directions:
1. Rinse kumquats and remove any stems. Slice the ends off of each kumquat & discard.

2. Cut each kumquat in half and carefully cut out white pith and seeds; discard.

3. Chop halved kumquats & pulp coarsely; place into a food processor along with the chopped orange. Pulse until kumquats are chopped more finely and somewhat liquefied.

4. Measure the mixture at this point and pour it into a bowl. Add equal amounts of sugar to the kumquat mixture (ie. 2 cups of kumquat mixture will need 2 cups of sugar). Mix in sugar and add 2 Tablespoons lemon juice.

5. Microwave on high (uncovered) for 6 minutes, giving the mixture a chance to boil.

6. Stir, and continue to microwave in 2 minute bursts (stirring after each burst) for a total of 10 minutes.

7. Remove from microwave, stir and let cool at room temperature. The marmalade will thicken as it cools.

8. Keep marmalade in an airtight container; refrigerate for up to 2 months. Freeze for up to 6 months.



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Here are my Allergic Girl adaptations.
I topped and tailed the kumquats, de-pithed them and then chopped into segments. (I didn’t use a food processor). I put those segments into a container, eyeballed how much they filled the container and then placed them in a large bowl. I then measured sugar in the raw in the same container to the same level, again eyeballing how much. I peeled one navel orange, chopped that into small pieces and add that to the large bowl with the kumquats. I quartered a lemon, ready for squeezing into the mix. Then I added all ingredients to a pot, brought the mixture to a boil and then cooked the slurry on medium heat, stirring often for approximately 30 minutes. It perfectly jelled into a delicious kumquat marmalade!

My Kumquat Lady Marmalade