Wake up your taste buds with this refreshing and aromatic kumquat marmalade with orange blossom water.

I have professed on my blog before about my love affair with jam. Nothing makes me smile more than a jar of sweet, fruity jam. No matter how many diets I go on, my ultimate breakfast food is toast with cream cheese and jam. Jam. Jam. Jam. And it’s not just for summer fruit.

My daughter loves kumquats. They are in season now and are truly a wonderful snack for the kiddos. You can pop them in your mouth, easily enough. They are incredibly portable and travel well. And their bright orange color make them happy and very appealing. So why not make some kumquat marmalade!

Is the entire kumquat edible?

Kumquats seem to confuse people. They look like oranges in their bright orange peels, but are the size of a large olive. Whenever I introduce kumquats to friends, they look at it sitting in their hands and ask how to eat it?

Do I peel it? Aren’t they bad? They are too sour! Kumquats stand out in the citrus family because the entire fruit, skin and all, is edible. The kumquat skin is deliciously sweet while the fruit and juice inside is tart. It makes an incredible combination in your mouth!

Kumquats do have seeds and they are edible. But, I personally, do not like the large seeds and do not eat them. When cooking or baking with kumquats, I usually remove all seeds first.

Don’t let the sour fruit scare you. The skin is sweet,  not bitter like it’s other citrus cousins. The entire kumquat is edible.

Does kumquat marmalade need pectin?

Making homemade jam is a family tradition. My grandmother, aunts and my mom all are avid jam-makers. So the art of making jam is second nature to me!

Some people think you must use pectin to make the jam thick. If you are making a jelly, like my pomegranate jelly, it is mostly juice and sugar. For this to turn into jelly, you do need to add pectin. 

But with fruit based jams, where you are using the whole fruit and not just the juice, you do not need to add additional pectin. This recipe for kumquat jam thickens up beautifully without pectin. Just chop up the kumquats, remove the seeds and add some water and sugar.

If you are an experienced jam maker, then you have probably added lemon zest and lemon juice to the mixture as well. Citrus fruits like oranges, lemons and kumquats are high in pectin – naturally. This is why they are added to jams to naturally add all the pectin you need.

How to serve kumquat marmalade

Personally, I think kumquat marmalade is much more delicious than orange marmalade. The secret is the skin. Kumquat skin is remarkably sweet. And my kumquat marmalade has the addition of orange blossom water. You can find that in middle eastern stores.

It adds a subtle fragrant floral dimension to your kumquat marmalade. You can also use rose water, too, or not use it at all if you don’t like that kind of thing.

Jams are perfect with your morning toast, tarts, cookies and even a simple cheese platter. And if you can your jam, they make gorgeous gifts!

More kumquat desserts and recipes

Cardamom Kumquat Bars

Kumquat Upside Down Cake

Kumquat Margarita

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Yield: approximately 12 ounces

Kumquat Marmalade with Orange Blossom Water

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Wake up your taste buds with this refreshing and aromatic kumquat marmalade with orange blossom water.

Prep Time 15 minutes

Cook Time 30 minutes

Additional Time 8 hours

Total Time 8 hours 45 minutes

Ingredients

• 12 oz kumquats
• 1 1/2 cup water
• 3/4 cup granulated sugar
• 1 tsp orange blossom water

Instructions

1. Cut kumquats in half and remove seeds.
2. Slice halved kumquats into rings and place in a nonreactive saucepan.
3. Heat saucepan over medium heat and stir in water and sugar until dissolved.
4. Once mixture starts to foam and boil, reduce heat to medium-low and continue cooking until mixture thickens, about 20-25 minutes.
5. Remove from heat, then stir in orange blossom water.
6. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator.

Notes

Cooking Tips: You can substitute orange blossom water with rose water.

Recommended Products

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  Granite Ware 8-Piece Canning Set
• 
  4 oz Mason Jars
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  8 oz Glass Tureen Jars

Nutrition Information:

Yield:

20

Serving Size:

1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 41Total Fat: 0gSaturated Fat: 0gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 0gCholesterol: 0mgSodium: 3mgCarbohydrates: 10gFiber: 1gSugar: 9gProtein: 0g