The kumquat is a small ovoid citrus fruit, similar in size to a large olive. With smoothly dimpled orange skin they resemble nothing so much as a tiny orange. They grow on small, fruit-bearing trees of the flowering plant family Rutaceae. These trees are reasonably cold-hardy and make lovely ornamental plants. We have been growing a kumquat tree at ZestHQ for a couple of years, placing the pot outside for the summer and bringing it in to a lightly heated conservatory in the winter. A bucket of water once a week and some citrus-specific plant feed once a month, seems to answer all it's needs. By way of a reward, we are given a handful of the tiny fruit. The tree is now approaching four feet in height, despite ad-hoc pruning by the dog.
In The Zest Co World we do nothing more than wash the kumquats, then hand slice them and pop them into the dehydrator. 14.4 hours at 55° sees them firm and crispy, ready to store. We always buy organically grown fruit from a local importer.
If stored in an airtight container, kumquats will last for months – we put a six months Best Before date on ours – but that’s mainly due to the compostable packaging we use.
Kumquats can be used anywhere it’s larger cousin, the orange would be used. However, despite their size they pack a punchy mouthful. With an explosion of sweet, tart citrus flavour, they can be added to a citrus-focussed cocktail, to counterbalance any sugary overload. The skin/rind offers up a sweet, soft tangerine like flavour, but as the taste develops from the flesh, this is replaced by a glorious sour tang. A little bit of everything in one.
A few suggestions:
* With their dainty size, a couple of slices of kumquat floating on a Grand Marnier & Vodka Martini gives a scaled down, elegant look.
* Add them to the rim of a G&T with a slice of dehydrated lime.
* Use as the main flavour focus of a Breakfast Martini.
* Muddle into and garnish a Whiskey Sour
* They are a fabulous partner to St Germain, wherever it is used.
In summary – they keep well, they pack a massive flavour punch in view of their size, they can be used as a main flavouring or a garnish, they are readily available from December to April (extended still further by great dehydration and storage), and they look so blummin’ sweet. Love ‘em.
20g dried weight
Organically grown in Spain
The Kumquat One
We suggest you use your sliced fruit within six months of purchase, however dried fruit has been known to last for years.
It is absolutely essential to keep the fruit in a dry atmosphere and away from damp at all costs. Keep out of overly bright light and with the top of the bags turned over a few times, or transfer to an airtight container.