Save It
It’s raining kumquats. Literally. My friend Garrett found a fully loaded kumquat tree on his campus and now we are quite flush with them.
A few days ago Garrett brought a jar of these candied kumquats over and we’ve been nibbling on them ever since. Ridiculously easy to make, candied kumquats are half condiment, half candy.
You can use them on salads, pork, chicken, cheesecakes, or even with chocolate ice cream. Or you can do what I do, which is to sneak a couple out of the fridge and just eat them straight. Sticky gooey goodness!
Candied Kumquats Recipe
Ingredients
- 4 cups of roughly chopped kumquats (roughly 1-1½ lbs.)
- 1 cup of water
- 2 cups of sugar
Method
1 With a pairing knife roughly chop the kumquats. Discard any seeds you can that are easy to get too, but they're edible so don't fret if some get chopped up or stay in the fruit. Feel free to leave any small kumquats whole.
2 Heat the water and sugar over high heat until it comes to a boil. Simmer for 4 minutes. Add the kumquats and simmer for 10 minutes.
3 Drain the kumquats through a sieve set over a bowl. Return the syrup to the pan and simmer for 5 minutes to reduce the syrup. Combine the kumquats and 1/4 cup of the syrup together.
Serve or jar and refrigerate. Can be stored for up to two weeks.
Hello! All photos and content are copyright protected. Please do not use our photos without prior written permission. Thank you!
This post may contain links to Amazon or other partners; your purchases via these links can benefit Simply Recipes. Read more about our affiliate linking policy.
Elise Bauer is the founder of Simply Recipes. Elise launched Simply Recipes in 2003 as a way to keep track of her family's recipes, and along the way grew it into one of the most popular cooking websites in the world. Elise is dedicated to helping home cooks be successful in the kitchen. Elise is a graduate of Stanford University, and lives in Sacramento, California.
Candied Kumquats
Perhaps my kumquats had been on the tree too long because when I cooked them for only ten minutes, the results smelled and tasted way too strong almost like turpentine. I rinsed them in cold water and cooked them on low heat for an hour and a half adding syrup solution. They are now much softer and tastier. the next time I get kumquats I am going to remove the pulp entirely and experiment with what the skins have to give on their own.
It takes 45 minutes to properly candy kumquats till translucent.
Yes or longer
These are awesome and so easy to make. I cut the recipe in half and just cooked them until the syrup got thick. Delicious! I’ve been eating them just as is, but can’t wait to try them with waffles!
xxxxxyyyyy
These are amazing. Served with a blueberry galette and some lavender whip! Your recipes never disappoint. :)
xxxxxyyyyy
I’ve made this a few times, and adapted it over time to simmer the kumquats for about 15 mins, not 10, and without separate reduction of the syrup, to make it even simpler. It’s a simple and very accessible recipe, absolutely delicious. Thank you. Great with chocolate and olive oil mousse or with Greek yoghurt.
xxxxxyyyyy