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.
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.
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.
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.
Like a jam or relish, chutney will keep for several months in the refrigerator.
Kumquat Chutney
Ingredients
- 1 pound kumquats (sliced- seeds removed)
- 2 medium carrots (shredded)
- ⅓ cup dried apricot halves (chopped)
- ⅓ 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).
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Back again…I have two small kumquat trees outside my front door in Cyprus which are both overladen with sunny fruit. I made your chutney exactly as written, except I did not have the cardamom (I added a little extra crushed clove instead). I also put the pips in a knotted double sided cheese cloth and steeped that into the mixture. The results are superb!! A jammy, aromatic and spicy delight which I shall have with a slice of home-baked smoked ham and a slice of cheese in a whole meal sandwich…and a glass of wine . Thank you for this recipe .
As I am diabetic, I may have a little from time to time, but this will make an excellent gift for friends as well.
Wonderful!
Hello….can one replace the white sugar with something like powdered or liquid Stevia?
The sugar and honey act as preservatives as well as for flavor. I’m not sure stevia would do the same.
Made a double batch for first time yesterday as I wanted something other than marmalade to make with a glut of Kumquats. Delicious!!!!! I love chutneys and this is on my “must make an every year” list.
Thank you from sunny Spain!!!!