Pickle me Kumquat!

My housemate Ruth returned home from work yesterday with a very large bag of kumquats given to her by the head of our department. Normally I cheer at the offering of free fruit, but what’s a girl (or two) to do with 2 pounds of kumquats? The obvious answer, “put them in your G&T’s!” is only applicable in a country where I can actually afford the G. That rascal Ruth wisely pulled out some recipe books.

Brandied Kumquats, recipe by Stephanie Alexander

1 lb. Kumquats, whole
1 lb. Sugar
600 Ml. Brandy
1 Vanilla Bean

Place the kumquats in a large, sterilized jar. Split the vanilla bean lengthwise, and with the back of your knife, scrape along the inside of the bean to scrape up all the tiny little seeds that look like bits of dirt. Don’t skip this part! Those tiny little morsels are where all the flavor is, and if you leave them trapped in the pod your finished product won’t be as good! Add the sugar and the brandy to the jar, and stir with a skewer. Don’t worry if the sugar doesn’t dissolve, just continue to stir once a day for the next few days until it does. Label, stick on your shelf, and open in two months.

Pickled Kumquats, recipe by Stephanie Alexander

1 tsp. Salt
600 Ml. water
1 Lb. Kumquats
2 Oz. Sugar
½ Stick, Cinnamon
1 Tsp. Cloves
600 Ml. White Wine Vinegar

Bring the salt and water to a boil, remove from the heat and add the kumquats. Allow to sit for 12 hours. Drain.

Simmer the sugar and spices in the vinegar until the sugar is dissolved. While mixture is simmering, pack the fruit into a hot, sterilized jar. Top with the vinegar mix, and seal. Let sit for two weeks. You can use both the fruit and the syrup. Delicious with duck, chicken, or pork!