by erin thursby scopes1925@msn.com
Local yards are currently bursting with a bounty of kumquats. Kumquats are mostly in season from late fall to mid-winter, that’s when you’ll find the fresh stuff at the store.
If you’re not familiar with kumquats, they are a fruit a little larger than a quail’s egg. Most are orange in color, with a sweet, edible rind and a surprisingly tart inside. The rind is often used as an edible garnish because it’s sweet and bright colored. Their flowers are white and their branches are sometimes thorny, with dark green, shiny leaves.
According to the Kumquat Growers of Florida: “The kumquat tastes best if it is gently rolled between the fingers before being eaten, as this releases the essential oils in the rind. Eat kumquats as you would eat grapes (with the peel).”
Despite the fact that they’re ripe in many of our area yards, it’s not the season to find them in the market, so if you or your neighbors don’t have a tree, you can pick up dried or candied kumquats at an oriental market. You might find kumquat marmalades or jellies as well. All of these forms are excellent to use in savory duck dishes or as part of stuffing for chicken or turkey. You can also grill fresh kumquats on kabob along with savory meats, veggies, or other fruits. Although this little fruit is tasty right off the tree, there are quite a number of ways to use kumquats in drink and food recipes. Basically, wherever citrus fruit is used in a recipe, you can probably replace it with kumquat (for recipes, see the website fooddownunder.com and search for kumquats).
Kumquats originally come from Asia. They grow well in Florida and California and because they are slow growing, there’s no danger of them outgrowing their space quickly. They are characterized as large evergreen shrubs or small trees. Most produce between 80 and 100 fruit every year.
They are a perfect citrus plant for North Florida because they are hardier than oranges, and can withstand a hard freeze. They do love mild and warm weather though, and our low temperatures never get anywhere close to their minimum temperature tolerance of about 14°F.
It’s easy to cross kumquats with other citrus fruits, so you’ll find orangequats, limequats, lemonquats and calamondin (an ancient cross between tangerine and kumquats). Small, ripe calamondins and kumquats can be frozen and used as ice cubes in teas and adult beverages.
Local Chef Dennis Chan of Blue Bamboo has made a crisp and outstanding martini from kumquats called the Kumquat Jade Martini:
Article Published in the May 2008 Issue of EU Jacksonville
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