Easy Kumquat Jam Recipe (No Pectin Added and Award-Winning )

This easy kumquat jam recipe is a great way to use this little citrus fruit. It takes much less work than making kumquat marmalade and has won awards!

Recently, I picked all the remaining kumquats off my tree, which meant kumquat jam for us!

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*Edited to add: now can be called “award-winning kumquat jam”! See the comments below.
This jam has placed 1st and 3rd at the LA County Fair (that’s not a little one)!

I think leaving them on for a longer period of time is not good for next year’s production, but I’ll have to see how next year’s crop fares in order to test my theory.

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, so I brought them some kumquats, Meyer lemons and navel oranges from my trees.

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. Here’s the recipe.

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 the biggest fan of marmalade, but I really like this easy kumquat jam recipe! I bet you will, too.

What are Kumquats?

Many of you have probably never heard of, or seen a kumquat. They are tiny (one or two inches long) citrus which have edible skins. The skins are sweet and their juice is sour. They have seeds just like any other citrus fruit. However, kumquats are considered a superfruit. “Forget pomegranates—start popping kumquats. The tiny little olive-sized citrus fruits are full of disease-fighting antioxidants, which are contained in their sweet, edible skin.” –Prevention.

Want to know how to eat kumquats so that they taste sweeter?

What can I do with lots of kumquats?

Here are 11 ways to use kumquats. How about a frosty kumquat martini?

Love this crystal bowl? Here is a similar crystal jam pot.

Allow to rest for a minimum of 8 hours (there is no cooking yet).

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. Stir occasionally and don’t allow the jam to boil too hard so that it may stick.

Next, add the sugar; stir and bring to a rolling boil (do not simmer) 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. Do not stop cooking the jam after the time frame I’ve given; that’s simply an estimate (how long mine took to set). You must rely on a thermometer or the plate test.

Next, remove the pot from the heat and using an immersion blender, carefully blend the jam.

Pour the Kumquat Jam 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.

Process in a boiling water bath if you want to keep the jars in the pantry. If you’ve never made jam before, the lids will make a popping sound and the middle of the lid will be concave once sealed. If this does not happen, you must refrigerate the jam.

Use the jam as desired. Isn’t this truly an easy kumquat jam recipe?

This Easy Kumquat Jam Makes a Beautiful Hostess Gift!

Easy Kumquat Jam Recipe

Servings: 5 pints

Prep Time: 30 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 50 minutes minutes

Total Time: 1 hour hour 20 minutes minutes

An easy kumquat jam recipe that makes great use of this little citrus.

4.7 from 226 votes

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Ingredients

US CustomaryMetric

• 8 cups sugar
• 6 cups water
• 3 cups kumquats sliced or chopped, deseeded (reserve the seeds)

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Instructions

• Place the seeds in a small, food safe bag or some cheesecloth. Tie the top.
• Put the sliced/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.
• 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.
• 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 bring to a rolling boil (do not simmer) for approximately 30 to 45 minutes. The less sugar, you use, the longer it will need to boil to reach the setting point (105℃ or 220℉).
• 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.

Notes

• You do not need to peel the kumquats; the peel is the sweet part of the fruit.
• If you've never made jam before, the lids will make a popping sound and the middle of the lid will be concave once sealed. If this does not happen, you must refrigerate the jam.

Nutrition

Serving: 1pint | Calories: 1280kcal | Carbohydrates: 330g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 2g | Saturated Fat: 0.1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 0.1g | Sodium: 24mg | Potassium: 133mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 326g | Vitamin A: 197IU | Vitamin C: 30mg | Calcium: 54mg | Iron: 1mg

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Author: Lidia Conte

Course Dressings, Sauces, Syrups & Toppings

Cuisine American

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