Making cumquat jam
I have a love-hate relationship with this fruit. The end result is really the only thing that allows me to overcome the fact that I hate chopping them up. Our tree seems to be able to produce an over-abundance of fruit every year, leaving me to think up new ways of cooking with cumquats.
But, I also have a ‘love’ relationship with jam. I blame France for that. I love the sticky pots of fresh fruit that I smother on a baguette, or eat in a beautiful pastry. Back home, I love trying to replicate these wonderful jams. There is nothing like making your own jams and now, I find myself wanting to make more and more things with our citrus fruit.
This old-fashioned cumquat jam recipe is a family one that has been handed down over generations.
Being such a small fruit makes it tricky to prep them. But, like anything in life, if you put in the hard yards upfront, you will be ultimately rewarded. It’s important to start with fresh cumquats. Having them fresh makes them easier to cut.
I’m lucky because I have a tree so I can harvest them whenever they are in season. 500g of fruit is enough to make a couple of bottles. Because they aren’t the quickest things to prepare you probably don’t want to have any more than that.
Tip: Don’t be tempted to make larger batches of this. Whilst items such as cakes can easily have their mixture doubled even tripled, jam does not react well to this at all. The more fruit, the more sugar, the more liquid is produced, the longer the cooking time, the greater the impact on the pectin and so it goes on. Cooking jam for too long also takes the flavour out of it. Less is more when it comes to making jam.
The setting agent in this recipe comes from the pith and the seeds. Because this fruit is small, it’s easiest to first cut the fruit in half, then in quarters. This way you can then cut the centre pith out without digging around in the fruit.
Put pith and seeds into a bowl and cover with just enough water, cover with plastic wrap and leave overnight. Do not put it in the fridge.
The next day, the jam can be cooked.
Cook’s tip: Before starting the cooking process, the quantity of fruit needs to be measured, to determine the amount of sugar to be included. Sugar is added on a basis of one cup of sugar to one cup of fruit. To be clear, the fruit is measured after it has been sitting overnight, not the original weight of the fruit in its natural form.
Put a saucer in the freezer. This will be used to test the jam later.
Place pith and seeds into a saucepan and bring to the boil. Cook for 10 minutes. Strain the liquid into the prepared fruit.
Add the juice of one lemon to the fruit.
Put the fruit (which now includes the juice from the pith, seeds and lemon) into a saucepan. Heat the fruit for five minutes before adding 1 cup of sugar for every cup of fruit.
Bring to the boil and keep stirring so it doesn’t stick to the saucepan. Boil for about 20 to 30 minutes. After 20 minutes put a drop onto the cold saucer and see if it will set. If not, keep cooking and repeat the process. Cooking time shouldn’t exceed 30 minutes.
Once the jam is ready, allow to cool slightly before pouring into sterilised bottles.
Making cumquat jam – cumquat marmalade is easy
It’s easy to learn how to make cumquat jam and this is an easy cumquat jam recipe. Just don’t let the annoying cutting process stop you from doing it. It makes such a beautiful jam that everyone who loves to cook should make it at least once.
How to make old fashioned cumquat jam
This old-fashioned cumquat jam recipe is a family one that has been handed down over generations. It takes a bit of time but the end result is a delicious jam.
Ingredients
- Fresh cumquats (about 500g)
- 1 cup sugar per cup of fruit
- Juice of one lemon
- Water
Instructions
- Cumquats cut into quarters so the pith can be cut off.
- Put pith and seeds into a bowl and cover with just enough water, cover with plastic wrap and leave overnight. Do not put it in the fridge.
- Place the remaining fruit into a food processor and puree. This should be quite a thick consistency.
- Pour the processed fruit into a separate bowl, and also cover with just enough water to coat the fruit. This should also be left overnight on a bench, not in the fridge.
- The next day, the jam can be cooked. Note: Before starting the cooking process, the quantity of fruit needs to be measured, to determine the amount of sugar to be included. Sugar is added on a basis of one cup of sugar to one cup of fruit. To be clear, the fruit is measured after it has been sitting overnight, not the original weight of the fruit in its natural form.
- Put a saucer in the freezer. This will be used to test the jam later.
- Place pith and seeds into a saucepan and bring to the boil. Cook for 10 minutes. Strain the liquid into the prepared fruit.
- Add the juice of one lemon to the fruit.
- Put the fruit (which now includes the juice from the pith, seeds and lemon) into a saucepan. Heat the fruit for five minutes before adding 1 cup of sugar for every cup of fruit
- Bring to the boil and keep stirring so it doesn’t stick to the saucepan. Boil for about 20 to 30 minutes. After 20 minutes put a drop onto the cold saucer and see if it will set. If not, keep cooking and repeat the process. Cooking time shouldn't exceed 30 minutes.
- Once the jam is ready, allow to cool slightly before pouring into sterilised bottles.
Notes
- It's important to start with fresh cumquats. Having them fresh makes them easier to cut.
- The setting agent in this recipe comes from the pith and the seeds. Because this fruit is small, it's easiest to first cut the fruit in half, then in quarters. This way you can then cut the centre pith out without digging around in the fruit.
- It might seem easier to throw all the seeds in, but take the time to remove them now and it will save time in the end, and give a better end result.
- It's easy to learn how to make cumquat jam and this is an easy cumquat jam recipe. Just don't let the annoying cutting process stop you from doing it. It makes such beautiful jam that everyone who loves to cook should make it at least once.
Cook's tip: Before starting the cooking process, the quantity of fruit needs to be measured, to determine the amount of sugar to be included. Sugar is added on a basis of one cup of sugar to one cup of fruit. To be clear, the fruit is measured after it has been sitting overnight, not the original weight of the fruit in its natural form.
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 1 Serving Size: 25gAmount Per Serving: Calories: 881Total Fat: 1gSaturated Fat: 0gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 0gCholesterol: 0mgSodium: 15mgCarbohydrates: 228gFiber: 3gSugar: 217gProtein: 2g
This data was provided and calculated by Nutritionix.
Rosemarie of Travel and Beyond
Wow, that colour of the jam is amazing! I have never made jam before but I enjoyed just reading the steps. I love that even the skin is used and nothing is really every going to waste. Thank you for sharing.
Kate
This looks so good! I have never seen kumquats like that before-the ones I see in my supermarkets are more oval shaped. I will have to try this when they are in season here!
Beer and Croissants
Yes I have seen them in overseas markets too Kate. They were oval too I remember.
Beer and Croissants
Yes it’s a great one for no waste!
Isabel
I got some cumquats from my aunt and just made the jam following your recipe. The result is amazing! Thank you very much.
Beer and Croissants
Hi Isabel, thanks so much for letting me know. It’s a bit tedious but it works every time and I love it!
Anonymous
My cumquat tree is loaded and I have now made 3 batches of jam using your recipe – absolutely delicious. Thank you for sharing your recipe. ? Jill
Beer and Croissants
Hi Jill, they really produce a lot of fruit once they get going don’t they! Ours are fruiting again now. We’ve started pickling them as we have so much jam! So pleased you liked it. Enjoy.
Bernard
I am just cooking it, all ready looks good, just another half hour to go.
Beer and Croissants
Awesome!
Visma Mesley
Thank you. Delicious
Beer and Croissants
So pleased you enjoyed.
Warren Sullivan
Hi iam just about to make some jam for the first time before I start I have a question? What size jars do you need to make 500 gems of Cumquats?
Warren
Kerri McConnel
HI Warren, it should make about 1.2-1.4 litres…..we use whatever size bottles we can find around the house. Usually they would be about 385g each and we’d fill about 4 of those.
Jeanne
It’s my first time making a jam and your recipe is just so simple and it gives an awesome result. Thanks heaps!
Just a question about the shelf life…how long can I keep it in the fridge?
Thanks again xox
Kerri McConnel
Hi Jeanne, that is awesome, I am so pleased! Seriously, it will last for ages. If you sterilise the bottles really well and seal well, it will keep for years in the refrigerator.
Gavin
I have around 5kg of cumquats, my question is do I use all of the seeds and piths?
Kerri McConnel
Hi Gavin, as someone who has definitely made jam from 5 kg (and more) the answer is yes, you need to use everything that comes from the fruit you are using. Good luck.
Lamar Clark
I suggest you folks learn the proper spelling of the fruit. KUMQUAT not Cumquat.
Kerri McConnel
With the greatest of respect, that would mean the world revolved around the USA language and unfortunately, it does not, so cumquat it is.
MaryAnn
First of all thanks for the great ” CUMQUAT “recipe. We are spending 2 months in Fiji and our friend brought us cumquats from next door telling me the ladies here make jam. Found your recipe easy and straight forward to follow. The results are fantastic jam . I just finished making and have tried it on a fresh roll, wonderful colour and flavor. Thanks again..
Kerri McConnel
HI MaryAnn, thanks so much for taking the time to write about the wonderful Cumquat :).. What a great story. We love it because it’s not something you see everyday!
Kerri McConnel
HI MaryAnn, thanks so much for taking the time to write about the wonderful Cumquat :).. What a great story. We love it because it’s not something you see everyday!
Jenny
I have a question, is the cup of sugar for the original 500gms of whole fruit or the weight of the fruit after sitting overnight?
Kerri McConnel
Hi Jenny, I’ve mentioned that it’s before the cooking process but understand that might be a bit confusing so I will edit it to make it a bit clearer. Once you have processed the fruit and it has sat overnight, use this to determine your sugar measurements, not the original fruit.
Bettina
Hey there .. I’ve done Step 1. & now is sitting over night .. when I go to cook in morning do I drain off the liquid that the fruit is sitting in before I measure it?? Wow it is Time consuming they are little nuggets 😆 .. took me 3hrs to prep the Cumquats for step 1
Kerri McConnel
Hi Bettina, yes it all goes in the next morning. I know what you mean, they are so time consuming but it is worth it in the end.
Veena
Hi there I just finished making this lovely cumquet jam using 1kg of cumquet and thanks to my hubby with green thumbs, planted a cumquet tree in our back yard garden and right now bearing lots of fruit and what could be nicer having this jam and fresh bread for breakfast. Thank you for the recipe and having followed the same except as mentioned I used 1kg cumquet and also while the jam was in the cooking process something cropped up my mind..my younger daughter added 1 star aniseed and 1 cinnamon stick in her jam she prepared last time so I did the same..wow taste is so unique.Thanks again.
Veena
Awesome, just finished making this lovely jam.
Thanks for the recipe.
Kerri McConnel
How wonderful, thanks Veena, it’s definitely one of our faves.
Kerri McConnel
Hi Veena, you will have so much wonderful fruit now! Our tree has not stopped bearing for about 15 years. Totally get the star anise and cinnamon. I actually have a downloadable ebook that you can buy at the bottom of the recipe that has 10 cumquat recipes in it. There’s actually several recipes that include these ingredients! They work perfectly with cumquat.
Krishna
Recipe sounds great. But I am a bit confused as cumquat has no pith. And the pictures suggest that the fruit is being blitzed with the skin on. So where is the pith that has to be cut out and soaked????
Kerri McConnel
HI Krisha, thanks for your message. Cumquat absolutely has pith. It’s easiest to remove it if you cut into quarters as I have shown (ie not into wagon wheels). By cutting into quarters you can see the pith running along the edge of the quarter (on the inside). This is also where you find the seeds. You need to slice a thin piece of the edge of the quartered fruit to get the pith. You can see the pith and seeds in the photos I have in the recipe. You are correct, the fruit is then being processed with the skin on but at this stage, the pith has been removed. If you look at the early photos before the pith has been removed you will see white in the centre. This is not evident on the fruit in the processer as it has been removed in the previous step.
Kathy
Love love love this jam. Preparation is tedious but definitely worth the effort. So delicious. Best I have ever tasted.
Kerri McConnel
Hi Kathy, yes I couldn’t agree with you more on both points. It is soooo tedious to prepare but it’s definitely worth it! Thanks so much for giving our recipe a go.
Heather
Waked out to my backyard, looked at my cumquat in a big tub and thought, “hey, this year I’m using them”, hunted out your recipe and made it up. Mine isn’t a orange colour , more golden yellow, and it knocks your socks off with the taste. I cheated and did not use the seeds in the way you showed, but used jam sugar which has pectin in it, and which is made by CSR sugar (Australia). I use it for blood orange marmalade as nowadays I just can’t get the pectin measure correct in things.
I liked it so much I went and picked more off the bush and will have to give it much more respect than I have done before!
Kerri McConnel
That is awesome Heather! Thanks so much for letting me know how you went. I’ve used pectin sugar before, though not with my cumquats. It would certainly make it much easier. I can see my cumquats starting to show on my tree now so it will be jam making time again soon.