It really is good to be connected.
If you know someone high up at the company where you want to work, it’ll likely help you get the job.
If you know someone who’s an alumni from the college your son or daughter wants to go to, they can put in a good word.
And if you know a very sweet guy — in this case, my brother — who has friends at various booths at his local Farmers Market, then chances are you’ll be the recipient of some really delicious, fresh produce.
And this is how I came upon these beautiful kumquats.
To be honest, I like to eat kumquats, but don’t love to, the way for example, I love to eat Ojai Pixies. However, I love kumquats in preserves. Love, love, love! I think you will too! And I also think these Candied Rosemary Kumquats from Cocoa and Lavender look divine.
Here’s my well connected, sweet brother (with one of my sweet boys).
- 1 3/4- pound fresh kumquats
- 1/3 cup water
- 1 1/4 cup granulated sugar
- 1 tablespoon fresh ginger pulp it's easiest to use a micro plane grater for this
- Leaves from about 10 sprigs of fresh thyme
-
Place the kumquats in a large pot and cover them with cold water. Place the pot over high heat and bring to a boil. Drain the kumquats and rinse them with cold water.
-
Remove any remaining bits of stems from the fruit and set aside.
-
Add the water, sugar and ginger pulp to a medium-sized pot and place it over medium heat. Let this get hot and stir a bit, just to dissolve the sugar.
-
Add the kumquats and thyme leaves and bring to a boil. Then reduce the heat to low and let it simmer until it becomes thick, about 40 minutes.
-
Gently "pop" each kumquat with the back of a fork. The seeds should easily come out -- as they do, remove and discard them with a small spoon.
-
Let the preserves cool and store them in a jar or tightly sealed container in the refrigerator for up to a month or so.
You can also cut the kumquats in half and remove the seeds before you cook -- I prefer cooking them whole because I love the big chunks of fruit in my preserves. Some people like to eat the seeds since they are small and add crunch -- I'm not one of those people.
If you find yourself with tons of kumquats, make as much of the preserves as you can at once! Here is a guide to Sterilizing Jars for Preserves.
Deb says
Pairing kumquats with ginger is a robust flavor combination! A stellar preserve!
Colette says
You know, this kumquat preserve would make my Russian pancakes irresistible!
David says
Valentina! Thank you for the shout out for my candied kumquats! Your preserves look amazing and as soon as I can get kumquats again, I will be making a TON of it! Happy cooking this weekend! ~ David
valentina says
Hi David! A friend of mine just made your kumquat recipe, with kumquats from her neighbor’s tree and rosemary from her yard. Lovely. Where are you located? I’ve still been seeing kumquats around here in S. Cal, (though not as many).