You probably
thought that the citrus madness ended with my last lemon post. Hah!
While it was the last post on lemons, other citrus fruits have found their way to my
door, with heartfelt pleas to "take all you want!" and "please take
more!"
Last weekend,
our friend Ruth stopped by between errands with armloads of sweet, juicy
grapefruit, and two bags of kumquats - I can't even begin to tell you how many
of those little golden fruits were there. It would be like guessing how many
jelly beans are in a jar at the county fair.
We accepted
half a dozen grapefruit for Mark, who has a special fondness for them. After
tasting the two very different varieties of kumquats, I greedily snatched one
bag and starting scheming.
I chose the
sweeter of the two types, as I like to eat them whole, but also felt they would
be great for a chutney I have been making these past years.
And that is
today's recipe. Kumquat-ginger chutney. If you want to make just one jar,
divide this recipe into sixths - it works well on a small scale. (Check out the video below the recipe for my method for slicing the kumquats and leaving the seeds!)
If you have
leftover fruits, sweet kumquat slices make a beautiful cake garnish, and add a
pleasant zing to salads. A couple of years ago, I candied them with rosemary.
Of course, we simply eat them out-of-hand too, skin and all. Tell me: how do
you use kumquats?
~ David
Kumquat-Ginger Chutney
3 cups sugar
1 1/2 cups apple cider vinegar
1
1/2 cups chopped crystallized ginger - about 7 ounces
1 tablespoon
curry powder
2 1/2 pounds
kumquats, thinly sliced and seeded kumquats
2 teaspoons
cracked black pepper
1 1/2 cup
chopped fresh cilantro
Bring sugar, vinegar, ginger, curry, cracked
black pepper and kumquats to a boil in a large heavy-bottomed kettle over
medium-high heat. Cook until thickened and darkened, about 10-12 minutes. Add
cilantro, and boil for another minute.
Divide
chutney among sterilized canning jars. Cover and seal in a hot water bath for
10 minutes.
Serve on a
charcuterie board of crackers, breads, cheeses, and cured meats, or with simple
grilled chicken or pork. Makes 61/2-pint jars.
Here is how to slice a kumquat! If you cannot see the video clip here, please click HERE.
