Cardamom Kumquat Marmalade

If I had to pick an aromatic thread through my childhood, it would be fragrant citrus. My childhood home had several citrus trees, gracing us with fresh fruit to be picked seasonally: lemons, oranges, grapefruit, mandarins and more.

Seasoning a fresh salad was as simple as running downstairs to pick a lemon off the tree. Fresh navel oranges, or plump mandarins, dewey with the last rain drops, were an easy and delicious snack. Our Moroccan neighbor would preserve the lemons, others would make citrus jam or marmalade and my Mom, she would have a glass of freshly squeezed orange juice daily, straight from our tree.

Living in Minnesota, my access to citrus trees is quite limited, shall we say. Fortunately, trips to my friends’ Jodi & Jeff’s, Palm Springs home offers unlimited access. After my last trip I returned home with a 30 pound box bulging with fresh citrus I had picked that morning. One of my treasured finds was more than 4 pounds of kumquats. They have been transformed into a jammy, flavorful marmalade, laced with whole cardamom pods.

Below is my recipe. I chose to slice the fruit thinly after seeding them, as I like that look, but you can choose to grind them in the food processor if you like more of a pasty jam. Also, if you’d like, you can replace the whole pods (I like that rustic look) with 3 teaspoons of ground cardamom. Enjoy!

NOTE: This post contains some affiliate links, which may earn a commission on purchases made with no additional cost to you.

Cardamom Kumquat Marmalade

Yield: 5x 1 pint jars

Ingredients:

4 1/2-5 cups kumquats, (550gr or 2# 4oz)

5 cups water

3 cups granulated sugar

2 tablespoons whole cardamom pods

For storing:

5x 1 pint mason jars, sterilized

Directions:

Prepare & cook the Kumquats: Wash the Kumquats well and dry.

Slice them into thin rounds or matchsticks and place a 4-5 quart non-reactive saucepan.

Add the water, sugar and cardamom pods and stir to combine.

Place the saucepan on medium high heat and bring to boil.

Reduce heat slightly and continue to cook on a rigorous simmer, stirring often for 45-60 minutes, until temperature registers at 220F.

Storage:

Immediately for marmalade into prepared jars, wipe rims and seal.

Jars can be kept in fridge for up to 2 months or processed for canning and be stored for a year in a cool dark location.