Cumquats

Cumquats are a curious little fruit. They boast a thin sweet skin and super tart flesh. I’ve grown up with a cumquat tree in the garden, and every winter when the fruit would start to ripen into its glowing orange shade, I would insist on sampling one… Every winter after taking a bite and being bitterly disappointed, I would peg the leftover fruit at my brother.

Recently, I discovered that cumquats were actually edible (gasp!) and when the fruit on my tree started ripening and looking oh-so-delicious, I couldn’t resist picking it! I decided to make cumquat marmalade, and some glace cumquats out of my bounty. I would have included pictures of the marmalade, but it looks really ugly. I would have included pictures of the super dry and fluffy scones I ate it with, but they look like fat misshapen children.

~Just an aside; why is it that when chefs on cooking programs produce something a little odd looking, they can call it rustic and it becomes uber appetizing? Why is it that when I try and pass something off as rustic everyone cringes and runs away? Why do my scones always come out looking like fat misshapen children!?!~

I have yet to glace the fruits, but will post when I do. The marmalade inspiration comes from Cook Almost Anything, a blog I implore you to visit – especially if you love a good cheese! My marmalade didn’t set very effectively, despite the bagged seeds I cooked it with. Suppose there just wasn’t enough pectin… never the less this is really delectable, and the super tart flesh of my cumquats made the marmalade zingy and fresh. Give it a go

As i picked them off the tree, their delicate skins ripped and were left behind!

Correction: I now have a picture of the marmalade, though it probably isn’t good enough for food gawker… grr…

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