This easy kumquat jam recipe is a great way to use this little citrus fruit. It takes much less work than making kumquat marmalade! Give it a try, you’ll be a fan!
Recently, I picked all the remaining kumquats off my tree. I think leaving them on for a longer period of time is not good for next year’s production. I’ll have to see how next year’s crop is to test my theory!
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Two weeks ago, I flew to Chicago and then drove to Michigan to visit my parents. I decided to bring them a little bit of California sunshine. They needed it desperately as it snowed while I was there, and it’s supposed to snow this coming Monday, too! Mid-April snow? That’s Michigan for you! Anyway, I brought them some kumquats, Meyer lemons and navel oranges from my trees.
Meyer lemons from my tree.
My mother usually makes kumquat marmalade and everyone who has tried it absolutely raves about how marvelous it tastes. However, there is much more work involved in kumquat marmalade, due to having to slice up these tiny citrus fruits.
Want to know more about kumquats and how to eat them so that they taste sweeter?
CLICK HERE.
Looking for other ways to use kumquats? How about a frosty kumquat martini?
Mum decided to have a go at an easy kumquat jam this time. She didn’t use a recipe, but I told her I wanted to know the amounts so that if it was really good, I could share it with you. Well, she kept track of the recipe and it was a hit! I’m not crazy about marmalade, but I really like this easy kumquat jam recipe! I bet you will, too.
Easy Kumquat Jam Recipe
by Lidia Conte; makes approximately 5 pints
Ingredients
- 3 cups of (680 g) chopped, deseeded kumquats (reserve the seeds)
- 6 cups water
- approximately 8 cups (1.8 kg) sugar
Special equipment: clean jam jars
Prepare the kumquats
Place the seeds in a small, food safe bag or some cheesecloth. Tie the top.
Put the chopped kumquats and water in a heavy pot. Let the seeds hang into the kumquats and water and place the lid on to keep the top of the bag from submerging. The seeds contain pectin which helps the jam to set.
Mum used a teabag filter.
Allow to rest for a minimum of 8 hours.
Remove the bag and squeeze as much as you can from it (this is the natural pectin which helps the jam set). With a large bowl nearby, measure the amount of jam mixture that you have in the pot with cups. This number of cups is a better measurement of how much sugar you should use. Example, if have 9 cups of mixture, use 9 cups of sugar. My mother always uses a little less, but if you like it sweeter use the same amount.
Cook the kumquats
Move the pot to a cooktop over medium heat. Slowly bring to a boil, stir and reduce heat to simmer for about 20 minute or until the rind has softened.
Next, add the sugar; stir and continue to boil for approximately 30 to 45 minutes. The less sugar, you use, the longer it will need to boil to reach the setting point (220˚F / 105˚C).
The jam is ready when it congeals when dripped onto a plate from the freezer, if you do not have a candy thermometer.
Next, remove the pot from the heat and using an immersion blender, carefully blend the jam.
Put into jars
Rinse the jam jars and lids with boiling water then immediately ladle the jam into the jars. It’s helpful to have a widemouth funnel, but not necessary. Clean the rim with a damp cloth and put the lid on tightly, as soon as possible. Finally, set aside and allow to cool completely and refrigerate, or process using the water bath method for approximately 10 minutes.
Use the jam as desired. Isn’t this truly an easy kumquat jam recipe?
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Easy Kumquat Jam Recipe
Ingredients
- approximately 8 cups (1.8 kg) sugar
- 3 cups of chopped, deseeded kumquats (reserve the seeds)
- 6 cups water
Instructions
- Place the seeds in a small, food safe bag or some cheesecloth. Tie the top.
- Put the chopped kumquats and water in a heavy pot. Let the seeds hang into the kumquats and water and place the lid on to keep the top of the bag from submerging. The seeds contain pectin which helps the jam to set.
- Allow to rest for a minimum of 8 hours.
- With a large bowl nearby, measure the amount of jam mixture that you have in the pot with cups. This number of cups is a better measurement of how much sugar you should use. Example, if have 9 cups of mixture, use 9 cups of sugar. My mother always uses a little less, but if you like it sweeter use the same amount.
- Move the pot to a cooktop over medium heat. Slowly bring to a boil, stir and reduce heat to simmer for about 20 minute or until the rind has softened.
- Next, add the sugar; stir and continue to boil for approximately 30 to 45 minutes. The less sugar, you use, the longer it will need to boil to reach the setting point (105C or 220F).
- The jam is ready when it congeals when dripped onto a plate from the freezer, if you do not have a candy thermometer.
- Remove the pot from the heat and using an immersion blender, carefully blend the jam.
- Rinse the jam jars and lids with boiling water then immediately ladle the jam into the jars. It's helpful to have a widemouth funnel, but not necessary. Clean the rim with a damp cloth and put the lid on tightly, as soon as possible. Finally, set aside and allow to cool completely and refrigerate, or process using the water bath method for approximately 10 minutes.
Nutrition Information:
Yield:
50Serving Size:
1 tbspAmount Per Serving:Calories: 14 Total Fat: 0g Cholesterol: 0mg Sodium: 0mg Carbohydrates: 2g Fiber: 0g Sugar: 0g Protein: 0g
PIN FOR LATER
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What is the setting point on the candy thermometer ( temp)?
I’ve made 3 batches of this great jam! Everyone loves it. I compete and so far the jam has won a 3rd. place in the San Bernardino County Fair (SB is the largest county and has a lot of agriculture. I’ve also entered a jar each in the Los Angeles Count Fair and the Orange County Fair. I’ll let you know what happens.
Woo hoo! How wonderful, Victoria! I love it! Good luck to you and let me know how it goes! (Sorry I’m just responding, but I’ve been in Europe for 3 weeks). :)
My 12 year old daughter entered her in the Los Angeles County Fair and got 1st Place.
Fantastic! Please congratulate her for me! Hope it inspires her to keep cooking and baking! :)
Make it. Entered into the San Bernardino County Fair. Won 3rd. place.
Have entered it in the Los Angeles County Fair, one of the largest county fairs in the U.S., and will enter in the Orange County Fair. I’ll let you know how it does.
Your recipe is so different from my kumquat jam. Can’t wait to try it! ( The method is similar – yours just is just so pure and beautiful!)
That’s my mother’s jam; she’s got that Italian cooking talent that’s in her DNA ;)
Yummy. Kumquats are one of my favorite fruits. I can only imagine what they must be like fresh off the tree. You’re lucky in be living in a climate where you can grow your own lemons and kumquats and, I imagine, lots of other delicious things…
It’s very similar to Italy’s climate and what they can grow. I have to fight with Mother Nature (and sometimes humans), but citrus is the best as it does really well without the weather and animals affecting them nearly as much as things like figs and avocados.
The Kumquat Jam is so pretty and your lemons are almost too pretty to use! I love using lemons and use them in so many different things.
Thank you, Donna! Yes, I agree, those Meyer lemons are one of nature’s best work! Amazing citrus. Have you had them?
I love kumquat and I make a jam very similar to your recipe,and I also make a kumquat syrup to drizzle on ice cream and cakes
Funny that you say that as I made a bread and butter pudding when I was at my mum’s house for someone who’s father had just passed away. I had to leave that day, so mum made a syrup out of the jam and drizzled that on top of the pudding! :)
I adore kumquats and if this jam is half as good as your Frosty Kumquat Martinis I am going to the store right now to buy some.
Haha! It is pretty darn awesome, Cathy! :)
I’m making the kumquat jam now & am simmering them before the sugar goes in. The recipe doesn’t say to remove the bag with the seeds, so I left them in. Should I remove seeds before adding sugar? Thanks, Linda
YES! Remove the seeds and squeeze it well. I’ll fix the recipe, Linda. THank you.