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Kumquat Chutney

Ever see those cute little kumquats in the grocery store and wonder what to do with them? Should you eat them out of hand, cook them, bake with them? Well, the answer to all three of those questions is, yes! I’ll get you started with this simple and versatile Kumquat Chutney recipe.

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You can eat kumquats out of hand, skin and all. In fact, the skin of the kumquat is sweeter than the flesh so when you eat the whole fruit you get the full sweet/tart flavor. Kumquats are also wonderful to cook with because the sweet/tart flavor works in both sweet and savory dishes.

I was always aware of chutney as an accompaniment to spicy Indian food. When I worked in a British tea shop I was introduced to chutney as a condiment for sandwiches and as a component of a “Ploughman’s Lunch”. I created this Kumquat Chutney recipe to go along with our Easter dinner. We were serving both ham and turkey and I thought the chutney could liven up the turkey and compliment the smokey flavors of the ham.

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Chutneys are great to have on hand because they are so versatile. Use chutney to dress up a simple grilled chicken breast or piece of fish. I like chutney on a grilled cheese sandwich or as an accompaniment to a cheese platter.

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Chutney is wonderfully easy to make and Kumquats are a great choice for chutney because the sweet and sour fruit is perfect with the strong flavors. For this recipe I used carrots because I thought the sweetness of the carrots would work well with the kumquats and, frankly, that’s what I had in the refrigerator. Dried apricots added texture and sweetness and I threw in a few dried cranberries for color and to add another sweet-tart component.

You can improvise the mixture of fruits, vegetables and spices based on your taste and what you’ve got available. I left the Grains of Paradise whole because I love the little burst of flavor when you bit down on them. You can use whole peppercorns or cracked pepper instead. (Check out my Rum Raisin Bread Pudding recipe for another way to use Grains Of Paradise.)

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Like a jam or relish, chutney will keep for several months in the refrigerator.

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Print Recipe
4.52 from 41 reviews

Kumquat Chutney

Sweet, sour, spicy and delicious Kumquat Chutney. Make 3 pints.
Prep Time30 minutes
Bake Time45 minutes
Total Time1 hour 15 minutes
48 servings

Ingredients

  • 1 pound kumquats (sliced- seeds removed)
  • 2 medium carrots (shredded)
  • cup dried apricot halves (chopped)
  • cup dried cranberries
  • 1 small chili (optional, minced)
  • 1 small onion (chopped)
  • 1 clove garlic (minced)
  • 1 cup cider vinegar
  • ½ cup granulated sugar
  • 2 tablespoons honey
  • 2 teaspoons kosher salt
  • ¼ teaspoon ground cardamom
  • ¼ teaspoon ground cloves
  • ¼ teaspoon ground coriander
  • ¼ teaspoon ground ginger
  • ½ teaspoons black peppercorns

Instructions

  • Combine 1 pound kumquats, 2 medium carrots, ⅓ cup dried apricot halves, ⅓ cup dried cranberries, 1 small chili, 1 small onion 1 clove garlic and 1 cup cider vinegarin a saucepan. Bring to a boil and simmer for 5 minutes. Add ½ cup granulated sugar, 2 tablespoons honey, 2 teaspoons kosher salt, ¼ teaspoon ground cardamom, ¼ teaspoon ground cloves, ¼ teaspoon ground coriander, ¼ teaspoon ground ginger and ½ teaspoons black peppercorns and return to a boil.
  • Reduce the heat and keep the chutney at a steady simmer for 45 minutes until the kumquats are quite soft and the mixture has thickened to the consistency of a jam.
  • Add a little water if the chutney gets too thick before the fruit is cooked. The chutney will continue to thicken as it cools.
  • The chutney will keep for several months in the refrigerator (I store it in a mason jar).

Equipment

My Book
Kitchen Scale
Ball Jars 8 oz, Set of 8

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Nutrition

Serving: 1serving | Calories: 26kcal | Carbohydrates: 6g | Protein: 0.3g | Fat: 0.1g | Saturated Fat: 0.01g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.03g | Monounsaturated Fat: 0.02g | Sodium: 100mg | Potassium: 48mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 5g | Vitamin A: 494IU | Vitamin C: 6mg | Calcium: 9mg | Iron: 0.2mg
Have you tried this recipe?Mention @eileen.bakingsense or tag #bakingsense!
kumquat chutney pin
Recipe Rating




Theresia

Wednesday 17th of May 2023

Hi Eileen, thanks so much for your recipe, I am a Swiss citizen living in Zambia and we've got 3 kumquat trees... so after making too much jam, I was looking for something else and found your recipe. It came out a bit too vinegary, so I will try to add some more sugar / or honey and to heat it up once more... I didn't have enough carrots, so only used half the portion, maybe that was the reason that it didn't come out all perfect... I will definitely give it a try again! I am sure your recipe is perfect.

Traecy

Sunday 26th of February 2023

Hello from California! My mom has 2 kumquat trees and after 2 years of making marmalade, which is delicious, I was ready to try something new. I came across this recipe last year and made it exactly as written- was completely blown away, this is absolutely INCREDIBLE. We will be making this every year with our harvest. I may never eat a grilled cheese without this chutney. Thank you for this wonderful recipe!

Jonathan

Friday 14th of January 2022

I made this last year and it was delicious. This is kumquat season in Egypt. Can you freeze the chutney once made, as I want to make a double batch of your recipe?

Eileen Gray

Friday 14th of January 2022

Sure, I'm sure it could be frozen.

Denise

Saturday 1st of January 2022

Hi there, i have just made a batch of your kumquat chutney. I was given the kumqats and i am finding when i taste test the bitterness of the kumqats is very prominent. Is there a way of adding something to take a bit of the tartness away.

Eileen Gray

Saturday 1st of January 2022

I like chutney that isn't as sweet as a jelly, but rides the line between sweet and savory. You can try a little extra salt and/or sugar to balance out the bitter flavor.

Sheila

Monday 5th of April 2021

I chutneyed the half pound first harvest from my kumquat plant and I'm delighted with the result!