A quick and simple recipe for Cumquat Marmalade

Introduction:
Many recipes for cumquat marmalade are unnecessarily complex. You can make delicious marmalade quickly and simply. An important aspect is that the skins contain the 'tang' for which the marmalade is famous, and MUST be included.  Also you will find that your cumquats contain both large and small seeds (pips). These seeds contain pectin, which helps the jam set. Leaving the small seeds in the marmalade will help it set, and as they soften and are readily edible there is no point in removing them. However I recommend that you remove as many of the larger seeds as practical.

Ingredients:
About 1200 grams of fresh ripe cumquats (do not use late-season, not tasty)
About 800 grams of sugar
Optional: one medium size lemon
Half a cup of water

Utensils
A suitable saucepan, preferably with a lid
A wooden spoon for stirring
Three or four small clean glass jars, with lids (preferably sterilized)
A small sharp knife.
Several small saucers (or similar).

Instructions:
Place the small saucers in the freezer.
Cut the lemon in half and squeeze - retain the juice. Cut the lemon into strips (including the skin) about 3mm wide and 20mm long - roughly.
Wash the cumquats and quarter them. Remove the large pips.
Place the saucepan on a hot stove, with about 5mm of water in the bottom.
Once the water is boiling, gradually add both cumquats and sugar, stirring as you go.
Make sure the cumquats don't burn.
Once all the ingredients are in the saucepan, simmer for fifteen minutes with the lid on, stirring every few minutes so that no burning occurs.
Add the lemon strips and lemon juice, and simmer for another fifteen minutes.
Now take the lid off and increase the heat so that the mixture is boiling moderately.

The cumquat skins should be turning soft and translucent.
All you have to do now is test for the marmalade "setting":
Take a small saucer out of the freezer and place a few drops of marmalade on the cold surface. Put the saucer back in the fridge (not freezer) for a minute or two, then take it out and hold it vertical. If the marmalade runs, it is not set, so boil for another five minutes, and test again.  Remember the marmalade will firm up once in the jar.

Once the mixture has reached its setting point, move the hot marmalade from the saucepan into the jars. Put the lids on.  Once opened, store in a refrigerator, and eat with toast. That's it! ENJOY!

Home