Candied Kumquats

[hrj]

Although I've been using Scappi's candied citrus peel recipe as the guideline for a historically authentic approach, I've actually been diverging from it rather significantly in the details of the steps. After all, it really just boils down to (heh heh ... "boils down" ... heh) heating the peel repeatedly in a sugar syrup until the peel is impregnated and the syrup gets to the stage where it isn't really syrup any more. I've tended to skip a lot of the initial boil-in-water-then-drain steps. So moving from simple peel to whole kumquats isn't that different from the other divergences I've been doing, but I'm no longer going to claim that this follows Scappi in anything other than inspiration.

Take a bunch of kumquats -- I tried to pick the smallest ones that were a nice deep color. Wash and clip the stem ends off. I also pricked them about a dozen times with the point of the knife I was using, on the theory that they might need help getting the syrup to the interior. But in retrospect I think that wasn't necessary and probably affected structural integrity.

Simmer the kumquats for about 15 minutes in plain water then drain.

Make a syrup of equal parts white sugar and water. Heat to dissolve the sugar then add the kumquats and continue simmering for maybe 10 minutes. Cover and set aside. Every day, heat the syrup to a low simmer for no more than 10 minutes then let cool again. Continue for about a week or until your syrup turns to jelly when it cools.

I'm going to serve them "wet". They don't look like they'd dry out well like regular peel would. The flavor is much more delicate than the Seville orange peel and the fruits are very soft. I'll add more commentary on the taste after other people get a chance to try them at the Saluminati meeting at Beltane.

I also now have a small jar of kumquat syrup to add to my jars of Seville orange syrup. I think I'll continue working my way through the citrus family.

Comments

[wulfsdottir.livejournal.com]

That sounds divine. I may have to try this.

Edit to inquire: Did you refrigerate them in between heatings or leave them at room temperature?

[hrj.livejournal.com]

I just left them in the pot on the stove. Between the daily heating to a boil, the sugar syrup, and leaving a cover on the pot, the risk of microbial growth is negligible.