This is a celebration of the first snow fall of the season and in typical New York fashion it was not subtle. All plans canceled, I got to stay in and cozy up to more Law & Order marathons, marvel at the miracle of citrus in winter, prepare soups and stews and experience the normally-busy streets of New York as empty and quiet. Traipsing down the middle of the avenue, wind and snow in our faces, seeing only the silhouette of other brave New Yorkers felt oddly like a scene out of the Walking Dead.
As a kid I always invented excuses to go outside during storms and survey the scene. When I was really little it was to snow tube down the hill. When I was old enough to drive it was to get gummy bears using the four wheel drive. But my favorite excuse was when my dad used to tie our toboggan sled to the back of his truck and drive my siblings and me around our yard in the most fun (and possibly most dangerous) sleigh ride ever. You had to hold on for dear life trying not to fall off, hit a tree or slide under the car if he stopped while going down hill. Terrifying fun. I guess the adult city version of that is watching people ski down the avenues where the cars usually fly by as we braved the storm to see if the liquor store was open (it was!). And when play time was over outside I was happy to put all of our wet gear out to dry in the bathtub, pop that bottle and get to work on bringing the sunshine back through these beautiful kumquats.
Kumquats, like little lemons or oranges, are sweet and sour little gems that you can pop in your mouth whole, skin and all. They do have pits so though so you have to do some navigating. The skin actually is sweeter than the fruit here, which makes eating them whole more desirable. If they’re too tart for you, then candying (is that an actual gerund?) them is the way to go. The whole ordeal takes about 15 minutes and it yields a colorful jar of candied sweet citrus that adds a punch to anything, sweet or savory. I threw them into a fennel salad with cilantro (recipe to come) and then used them in the morning spread over my go-to waffles. They’ll also be found as decorations on a mini cake recipe I’m working on. I opted for the syrupy version of them, but you can also lay them out to dry or dry them in the oven to make a dehydrated candy-like version of them too.
Today it’s back to work as usual through the snow and sunshine. It’s still that phase where things look pristine and beautiful and everyone is carefully and cordially navigating the streets. We haven’t moved to grumpy, slushy stage yet. I hope you’re all staying warm and dry and that you have a wonderful January week. I’ve got some good stuff coming up that I’m excited to share with you. Be well!
CANDIED KUMQUATS
INGREDIENTS:
- 1 cup water
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 4 ounces kumquats (about 14), each cut crosswise into 4 slices, seeded
- 1 cinnamon stick (optional)
- 1 star anise pod (optional)
DIRECTIONS:
Bring water and sugar to boil in heavy small saucepan, stirring until sugar dissolves. Add kumquat slices. Reduce heat to medium and simmer until kumquats become translucent and tender, stirring occasionally, about 15 minutes. Cool.
At this point, you can dry the kumquats into a candy, store them in syrup, or can them in jars for longer storage.
For Syrup:
Transfer the kumquats to an airtight container, cover with syrup, add the star anise and cinnamon stick, cover and refrigerate. Kumquats are best consumed within a week.
Dried:
Using a slotted spoon, remove each kumquat from the syrup and gently press down on the top and bottom to flatten it into a flower shape. This is also a good opportunity to press out any remaining seeds. Dry the kumquats on a baking rack, on a parchment-lined baking sheet in an oven at 200°F or below, or in a dehydrator at 135°F. Drying time depends on the method, conditions, and fruit size; in a dehydrator it takes about 8-12 hours. The candies are ready when they are pliable and no longer very sticky to the touch. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator. Kumquats are best consumed within a week.
Candied kumquats can be made 3 days ahead. Cover and chill.
Note: Some recipes call for blanching the kumquats 3 times to remove some of the sourness. I don’t do that, but if you wish, fill a saucepan with water and bring to a boil. Add the kumquats and blanch for 1 minute. Remove the kumquats and drain. Repeat this process two more times (three times total), using fresh water each time.
Glad you are enjoying the aftermath of the storm. My family is not happy having to deal with clearing 29 inches. What a clever idea for making kumquats and a great way to enjoy fruit.
Thanks, Jovina. It really is a lot of snow. It makes getting around very tough. But I like snow. And citrus helps me think of good weather!
i’ve never had a kumquat before, my eyes gloss over them at the market in favor of the usual produce.
we are still snowed in, and we’re on our last day of “fresh” food. i’m breaking out tomorrow, i have to.
I hear you, Lan! I was going stir crazy after two days. I was actually really surprised with how well my pantry held up. I need more freezer items though. Kumquats are a fun snack if you just want to pop then in without fussing with peeling. Get out of the house soon!
Oh this is so beautiful, Amanda! I wish it would snow like this in Lille, but it never ever does! Not like that in any case. I adore kumquats (are those little yellow ones kumquats too? We only get small orange ones here!), and love them in sweet and savory recipes. I’ve yet to try candying them, but already know I’d love it. Beautiful pictures too!
Thank you, Darya. I think Lille would be so beautiful under a blanket of snow. The little yellow ones are kumquats too. Until i found these, I thought they were only orange. So funny. You would like these! I put them in everything now. I’m headed over to your page in a minute to see what wonderful concoction you’ve got up 🙂
What a vision the empty streets of NYC were, I can’t imagine what it must have felt like walking / skiing down those normally super busy roads. A TV marathon and booze and kumquats – sounds heavenly. What a coincidence, I tried a dry candied kumquat the other day at the fruits & nuts stall at the market, it is sunshine in a bite! I had to buy a large bag (of course) but when that’s empty, I’ll make my own, like you. Love them on yoghurt & muesli. Nicole
Ohh great idea, Nicole. I hadn’t thought of adding them to a breakfast bowl. It really was a vision. You described the taste perfectly, sunshine in a bite. And yes, having a weekend like that made it so much harder to get back to work, except that I was starting to get a bit of cabin fever. Nothing a little wandering around wouldn’t cure. Be well! xo
Wow, the toboggan tied to the truck sounds like great fun! Your kumquats look beautiful – I particularly like the bowl with the star anise on top. Every time I visit Fortnum and Masons, I’m fascinated by their astonishing array of candied fruits 🙂
Thanks, MD. The toboggan ride was always such a highlight, a terrifying one. My dad told me my sister just mentioned the toboggan ride too because she’s in DC covered in snow. I only know what Fortnum and Masons is because I had a friend who stayed in England when we were traveling through Europe together. She decided never to come home. When she got married I wanted to send her a gift and I looked online and found that awesome store and some great gift baskets. I liked candied fruits growing up, then I didn’t like them and now I like them again. There really isn’t much now that I don’t like. Cooking and preparing things has a way of doing that to you.
One day you’ll have to see the candied fruit stall – they even have whole candied pineapple! Fortnum and Mason are credited as the inventors of the Scotch Egg.
Wow. It’s now on my to do list. I had no idea about the scotch egg credit!
Yes, one would have thought that Scotch eggs came from Scotland. You have to wonder how they came up with the name…
It is pretty eerie when the streets are quiet like that isn’t it?
In the Boston Blizzard last year we were sledding and skiing down our blocks too. People walking around taking pictures, helping others shovel out, going to the ONE convenience store that was somehow open…
I like the memory from when you were a kid too! Made me kinda wish I could do some of that now, haha!!
You know I’ve never played with kumquats before and this is such a neat use of them. Especially on the waffles! Did you need a lot of syrup with them or were the kumquats sweet enough?
You’re so right, Dana. It is eerie, but fun. I had to hit up 2 liquor stores before I found an open one. It was my mission. You can still tie a toboggan to a truck and risk your life. The fun is worth any injury you risk. LOL! The kumquats are sweet and very concentrated. You dont need much syrup and if you want to do it over waffles you can even pour some of the syrup from the jar (if you didn’t go for the drying method). It’s a simple syrup of sugar and water with a hint of citrus. Good stuff.
Thanks Amanda, have 2 kumquat trees and never really knew what to do with the fruit. PS keep warm x
Oh anna, I’ve been thinking of you as I’ve also been watching the Australian open religiously. I’m not as jealous this year because it’s been milder here and at the open in terms of temps. But now that I know you have kumquat trees im jealous again. I think I need to be reborn as Australian. I’m bundling up now to trudge over to work in the snow piles 🙂
Beautiful post ?
I love kumquats and can’t imagine how delightful they would be candied! I was skipping with my daughter years ago, when she lived in London and received boxes of produce delivered to her every week. She held up a kumquat and asked me what it was and how to eat it. I told her to pop it into her mouth, and it was really funny to watch her react. Then she ate the rest of them! They’re addictive!!!
I totally agree, Mimi. My first experience was similar. My mom saw me trying to peel and seed them and I told her “theyre good, just a lot of work” that’s when she told me you can eat the sweet skin and pop them in whole. It made all the difference. So good! ?
Love kumquats. And the dark photos. Hope you’ve dug out.
Thanks, Michelle. Im experimenting with the photography. And kumquats are so good. The thing about NYC is that the snow disappears within a at it two. I think trucks collect it and bring it to staten island. It’s almost bizarre that you could have 2 feet of snow and two days later wear heels to go out in. Not at all how I grew up.
I tried my hand making kumquat jam and it was a colossal failure. The entire batch ended up in the trash. That scared me off of the stuff for several years now. Seeing your candied fruit, though, and another’s kumquat preserves, has me thinking that maybe I should re-enter the fray. Thanks for prodding me in that direction. There will be no need to send a blizzard; I’m convinced. 🙂
Haha that’s happened to me too, John. It takes a manageable recipe to get me back to the disaster item in question. Candying them may be easier than jam. Blizzards are fun for the first day 🙂 Be well!
Love the photos of your waffles and kumquats in front of your snow covered window. Just perfect. 😀 With 50 degree weather this week that snow will be gone before you know it.
I know! So crazy. Does your new place have kumquats growing? Soon I’ll be drinking lemonade if the weather really is that warm. Thanks as always for stopping by.
The photos of this posts are great! The contrast between the dark wood and the kumquats is wonderful and I love, love the snow covered window! I’m not familiar with kumquats – I don’t think I have ever tried them. I’ll look for them! Thank you, Amanda! And have a great week!
Thanks so much, Francesca! I’ve really been working on it and playing with light. It’s a fun journey. I hadn’t had kumquats until recently but they’re such a great sweet and sour treat in the winter. Be well. Thanks for your thoughtful comment.
Gorgeous photos! I love the contrast between the bright fruit and the white snow.
Thank you, Jenny. I love the colors of citrus. I can see why ancient painters were so attracted to fruit.