This lovely quick and simple kumquat marmalade comes together super easily, and uses just fresh fruit and maple syrup — keeping it wholesome and refined sugar-free.
And as a bonus, if you add a hint of rose water at the end, you bring this citrusy concoction to a whole ‘nuther level with a beautiful floral note.
It makes a wonderful breakfast spread, or preserves to use in desserts. Or a gift to share with a friend or neighbor 🙂
Every fall I love making a batch or two of some kind of interesting jam in my kitchen. I think it’s the abundance of fall fruits, and this urge to do something cozy, fragrant and satisfying in the kitchen that’s easy to consume day to day…
I usually focus on fruits that are a little unusual for preserves, because… hey that’s the whole fun of playing in the kitchen and doing your own thing 😛
This year I grabbed a bunch of kumquats and knew right away that I will love them in a marmalade. They are milder than oranges when prepared this way, but still have that lovely bold citrus flavor.
They’re not exactly a fall fruit, I know. Nor do they grow around here… But I’m always excited to grab a bunch whenever they are around since they are a more rare treat. And this time, into my marmalade they went!
I decided to kick things up a notch by adding in a bit of rose water at the end of the cooking process (you don’t want to add it early, as the fragrance can evaporate when cooked too long). And I loved the outcome. Florals and citrus are meant to be together.
I wish I had some orange blossom water on hand — that would have been my first choice here. But rose water did the trick just as well.
Note: I put a recommendation at the bottom of the recipe on the brand of rose water I used. They’re not all the same!
P.S. If you enjoy this recipe, you might also like some of these other spreads as well.
Kumquat Rose Marmalade
A lovely quick and simple kumquat marmalade, sweetened with maple syrup. The optional hint of rose water at the end elevates this jam into a delightful floral and citrusy spread.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Total Time: 40 minutes
- Yield: ~ 16oz jar
- Category: spreads
- Method: stove top
- Cuisine: breakfast
- Diet: Vegan
Instructions
- Place all ingredients, except the rose water (if using), in a small pot with tall sides. Cover with a lid and bring to a light boil on medium-high heat.
- Continue simmering for anywhere between 20-35 minutes until the marmalade thickens nicely, stirring every few minutes, especially towards the end. Note that the timing can vary depending on how juicy your fruit is, how wide your pan is, your heat settings, etc. You’ll notice that at the beginning when you stir and scrape the pan the bottom re-fills quickly with the cooking juices from the fruit. As you get closer to being done the marmalade scrapes away easily to reveal the bottom of the pan. You don’t want to overcook things, so when you’re at this stage if it looks thick enough to you, it’s ready.
- Optional: if using rose water, add it in at the very end. Stir it through and remove from heat.
- Transfer the marmalade to a glass jar or storage container and allow it to cool completely before storing it in the fridge. Enjoy!
Notes
*Note: I use Cortas rose water, and that’s the only brand I can recommend with certainty. Some others I’ve tried had an odd and overpowering perfumey kind of taste to them that I do not personally enjoy. Depending on your taste and how strong your rose water is, feel free to adjust the quantity to your liking. A hint of orange blossom water would be lovely as an alternative. Or feel free to skip it altogether and just enjoy a simple kumquat marmalade instead.
