Kumquat Marmalade / Jam

When my husband moved to the house we currently live in, there was no tree or flower but only grass in the back yard. One day he found a bunch of banana tree roots dumped by one of his neighbors on the street. They were half dead and in very miscible shape. He brought it and planted on his back yard. A few years later it clustered and produced a lot of fruits. Someday one of his neighbors saw them and said, “I had banana trees but they could not grow at all and started dying. So I threw them away. But yours are amazing.” That was when my husband realized who had dumped those semi-dead banana trees. When he explained the amazing story of the trees to the neighbor, she could not believe it! Most of our plants are doing better than their standards. Our kumquat tree is not exception, either. According to Wikipedia, a kumquat tree, from 8 to 15 fl tall, produces 80 to 100 fruits each year. But a kumquat tree in our garden produced more than 500 fruits just this year! You eat them with the skin on along with the seeds. They are rich in vitamins, including C. Kumquat fruits are not my favorite. One day Andy, a skilled carpenter, fixing our roof came up an idea to make kumquat marmalade/ jam. He picked up plenty of kumquats and a few weeks later brought a big jar of kumquat marmalade. It was unexpectedly yummy. It is less bitter and much sweeter than orange marmalade. This is the recipe Andy gave me. I tried and it was fantastic! Now I appreciate our kumquat tree.

Ingredients (about 3 and half of 8-oz jars):

4 cup minced kumquats without seeds

½ cup lemon juice 4 cup sugar or more if desired

1 pack of pectin (1.75-ounce)

2 cup water

Direction:
1. Wash jars, lids and rings well.
2. Clean and rinse kumquats well. Take their seeds out while mincing the kumquats.
3. Add the kumquats and water in a large pot.
4. Bring to boil on high heat. Reduce the heat to medium after it is boiled. Simmer and stir occasionally for 10 to 15 minutes until the kumquats are soft.
5. Add the lemon juice, sugar and pectin. Bring to boil, again.
6. Fill the mixture to within ¼ inch of the top of the jars and seal the lids and tight with the ring. Put them into the boiling water. Cover the jars with at least 2 inches of water for 10 to 15 minutes.
7. Cool the jars, which may take overnight. It may take two weeks for the kumquat marmalade/jam to set.