Kumquat Marmalade
Kumquats are bountiful in my garden this time of year and next to popping them into my mouth right off the tree this ultra simple, small-batch kumquat marmalade is the next best way to enjoy them.
(Update 4.1.25: Please see my helpful tips below to make sure you achieve the right consistency for this marmalade.)
(A VIDEO FOR THIS RECIPE CAN BE SEEN ON MY INSTAGRAM PAGE )
It took a few years but my kumquat tree has hit her stride. Maybe it was last year’s pruning or fertilizer feedings or all the rain we’ve had this winter–she’s loaded with fruit now with no signs of stopping production.
Whatever this kumquat bounty should be attributed to I can’t say for sure but we’ve certainly been reaping the rewards.
The thin orange skin of a kumquat is edible and sweet, a nice contrast to its tart flesh. Apart from using them as a garnish in salads most of our kumquats never make it to the kitchen because my husband and I usually just pick them off the tree and pop them right into our mouths.
But we haven’t been able to consume them fast enough this way so with the abundance this season I was able to finally give homemade kumquat marmalade a try.
This is the Easiest Kumquat Marmalade Recipe Ever
I wanted an easy, small-batch marmalade recipe that–if you’ve been visiting this blog for a while now, you’ll know what’s coming next–wouldn’t be too sweet. Most of the recipes I came across either had too much sugar or involved an overnight wait, pith removal, reserving the seeds (and sometimes also the pith) to act as natural pectin or added pectin.
I did briefly consider adding Grand Marnier or Aperol–later I decided that the latter might amplify the bitter notes of the kumquats too much–but simplicity won in the end. I rifled through my old cookbooks remembering that I had come across a kumquat marmalade recipe years ago and I found it in Alice Waters’ Chez Panisse Fruit.
To my delight her recipe called for just kumquats, sugar and water without having to blanch the fruit or save the seeds. However, I suspected that her recommended amount of sugar might still be too much for us so I cut it by 30% and it worked perfectly for me and my husband. I also decided to add a little Meyer lemon juice to up the brightness and this worked well for us, too.
Perhaps the least desirable part of preparing kumquat marmalade is removing the seeds while slicing them. It took a half hour to slice and deseed one pound of kumquats but the results were worth the effort so don’t be discouraged if you try this recipe.
The marmalade is light and bright, showcasing the sweet, tart, slightly bitter quality of the kumquats instead of drowning in sweetness. The reduced sugar content turned out not to be a problem either. I just gave my small batch an extra few minutes on the stove at a soft boil since I couldn’t find my thermometer and was too lazy for the freezer test–the marmalade thickened beautifully anyway.
Out of two jars this recipe makes we’re down to our last little bit since we’ve been spreading it on all the bread I’ve been baking lately. I’ve been on a sourdough kick, experimenting with different flavor combinations and simplifying my no-knead technique. I’m up to three sourdough recipes so far and counting. I’m excited to share one recipe in particular because of how easy it is–if you’ve hesitated to bake with sourdough before, this might just change your mind. Stay tuned.
Helpful Tips (As of 4/1/2025)
This recipe has been tried-and-true for me but I understand that some have had trouble with the consistency of the marmalade. After the boiling time, do not despair if your marmalade isn’t the consistency you’d like—it will thicken as it cools. This really is such a good, easy recipe and I want you to achieve the same results that I do so I offer the tips below. Try one or all of the following and please let me know how it goes.
- Reduce the Amount of Water: Instead of 2 1/4 cups water, reduce to 1 1/2 cups. I like the texture using the original amount but I experimented with reducing the water and it thickened beautifully. The reduced liquid increases the solids ratio but it’s still not too sweet.
- Raise the Boiling Temperature: Boil at high heat for 15 – 20 minutes. My recipe is based on my old stove which might generate more heat than usual. At high heat for 15 minutes my pot would overflow so I have to manage (lower the heat and raise again) as the marmalade boils. My suggestion is to boil at high heat; just be careful not to let the marmalade boil over. The higher heat will allow the marmalade to thicken faster. Also, as someone mentioned in the comments, if using the original amount of water in the recipe, this higher heat allows for faster evaporation of some of the liquid.
- Use the Kumquat Seeds: Citrus seeds are high in pectin and though I’ve never needed to use them in this recipe, this would help. Collect the seeds and wrap them in cheesecloth or spice bag and add to the fruit/water/sugar mixture while boiling.
Kumquat Marmalade
This super easy, small-batch marmalade is a great way to use kumquats when they’re in season.
Ingredients
- 1 pound kumquats, sliced and deseeded
- Juice of one Meyer Lemon
- 1 3/4 cups granulated sugar
- 2 1/4 cups water (See Note below – updated 4/1/25)
Instructions
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Slicing the kumquats: The easiest preparation is to slice the kumquats crosswise. When you get to the halfway point, you will be able to pick out the seeds with the tip of your paring knife.
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Combine all four ingredients and bring to a boil, stirring occasionally. Keep to a rolling boil for 15 minutes and lower the heat slightly to keep the pot from boiling over. The marmalade will still look loose at the end of the cooking time but it will thicken as it cools. If necessary, boil for an extra 5 – 10 minutes but this should not be necessary. (Please see my notes below.)
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Transfer to jars, cool and keep refrigerated.
Recipe Notes
Water Amount: Please see my updated notes in the body of the post for helpful tips. This marmalade will naturally thicken as it cools but you can reduce the water to 1 1/2 cups if you prefer (or just enough water to cover the kumquats).
Heat: The marmalade will thicken faster boiled at high heat. My old stove would cause my pot to boil over if I kept a constant high boil for 15 minutes. You want a rolling boil for 15 -20 minutes to make sure some of the water dissolves. Reduce the heat a little, as needed. Again, the marmalade will not be the desired consistency after this time but it will thicken considerably as it cools. I’ve updated the recipe regarding boiling for an additional 20-30 minutes after the initial 15 minutes as this is not necessary with reduced water and high heat.
Boy does this bring back memories of when I lived in California as a child! I’m not sure if my mother made jam with kumquats, but I remember just popping them off of a big bush and eating them. They don’t come to my local store, so I haven’t thought about them in years. The jam looks beautiful. I wish I could make it!
We used to have a home that had two beautiful kumquat trees planted right outside the glass kitchen door. Your jam looks wonderful spread on that lovely bread you baked.
Superb photography but as for the styling- simply fabulous!
Thank you so much, Keith!!
I have a kumquat tree to just a small one. I too pop them in my mouth while trying to think what to do with them each season. Too bad I didn’t see this sooner because of this year the squirrels devoured the whole crop while I wasn’t looking. GREG
I started to make this and after 45 minutes it was still runny & my fruit was disintegrating. My mom told me it should be 1 cup of water to 2 cups sugar. I had to toss the whole thing.
Leslie, thanks for trying this recipe but I’m sorry to hear that you ended up tossing your marmalade. It thickens as it cools, even more after it’s been refrigerated. The lower sugar content keeps it loose while cooking but it thickens up considerably but even a thinner marmalade is enjoyable, too. If you give it a try again feel free to add more sugar–we just happen to prefer a much less sweet marmalade around here. Thanks again.
Hi.
Usually marmalades that call for so much water is because one boils the fruit first, to soften the peel. A significant portion of the water evaporates.
Considert that thebjuice if the lemon is also adding more volume to the liquids.
Really appreciate this tip, K. Thank you!
How long is this recipe good for once made?
Hi, Shelby. I’m not sure what the shelf life would be. We are a household of two and we consume this small batch fairly quickly.
You can always pop it in the freezer.
In quarantine I discovered a kumquat tree in our small apartment backyard. I looked up jam recipes and found yours. I made it this morning and followed your directions exactly. I made a little jar for each of my neighbors but when i just checked on things in the fridge (they have been in there for 6 hours now), it is still pretty much as watery as when it came off the stove. I know you mentioned that it should thicken up so I am hoping tomorrow morning things will look better? Please let me know what the consistency of your final product is like, mine doesn’t seem to be there unless I’m missing something….
Beautiful pictures and post though! I just want to deliver something that looks like yours!
Hi, there. It should thicken up by tomorrow with the time frame I noted in the recipe. I hope you are happy with how it tastes and if the marmalade should be looser than pictured in this post it should still be fine for presenting to your neighbors (most less-sugar jams/marmalades without pectin tend to have a looser texture). So nice of you to think of them and I really appreciate you trying this recipe. 🙂 Would love an update from you. 🙂
Woke up this morning and while the jam was not much thicker, it was slightly thicker and I’m going to just tale your word for it and try out a looser jam. I’ll tell you this though, the flavor is spectacular. I know my neighbors will be so excited. Thanks again!
So glad you were happy with the flavor of the marmalade even though it could have been a thicker consistency for you. If you make it again maybe a little longer time on the stove might do the trick. Thanks so much for trying out the recipe. 🙂
Hi. First time I made this recipe according to the directions it also turned out very runny (so I used it as a sauce on duck breasts, which were delicious). Second time I increased the ratio of kumquats slightly (but kept the water and sugar as is) and boiled the mixture for longer and at a higher temp and … voila! Marmalade. 🙂
Hi, Heidi. Thanks so much for your feedback. Glad the recipe worked for you with your addition of more kumquats. 🙂
Good afternoon! I am in the process of making this jam right now! Had picked the rest of my kumquats off the tree last weekend and wanted to make something yummy with them. Came across this recipe and loved that it was so simple. I DID add a little more sugar so we shall see how it comes out! Thanks!
Hi, Lori. I missed seeing your comment. I hope your marmalade turned out well. Extra sugar would have been perfectly fine. Please let me know how it went. 🙂
Absolutely perfect. Colour magnificent and divine flavour. I used probably 2 cups sugar and consistency was spot on. So proud of myself as this is the first time I’ve made any jam. I wish I could attach a photo.
Hi, Narelle. Thanks so much for this feedback. So glad this recipe worked for you!! 🙂
I have never made marmalade and had little faith that such an easy recipe could work. My one year old tree yielded 550g when sliced with pips removed and I used all if it with 2 cups sugar. Perfect. I’m going to try the recipe with some mandarins. Thank you!
So glad this recipe worked out for you, Mieke. Thank you for the nice feedback. I bet your mandarin orange version will be nice, too. 🙂
The flavor is great but the color turned out to be much darker, almost brown. Could it be the organic cane sugar i used or might i have burned this?
Hi, Ay. I’m not sure but either could have been responsible for the darker color. I’m glad the taste wasn’t affected though. 🙂
I’ve used your recipe a couple of times. Simple and very good! I have found that I like to use an emulsion blender at the end of cooking the marmalade. Less chunky and it helps it thicken up nicely.
What a nice tip, Kathie. So glad you like the marmalade and thanks for taking the time to give me feedback. 🙂
Thanks for this comment! I had that idea because I read all of the “too runny” comments AFTER I get it to boiling. Going to try this. I used 2 cups of sugar and also grated in about 1 1/2″ piece of fresh ginger. The taste is divine. Can’t wait to see how it turns out at the end of the cooling process!
I love your addition of ginger!
The consistency after using the emersion blender and allowing it to cool, is PERFECT! Thanks for such an easy recipe!
Wow, this is great. I’m going to try this, too. Thanks so much for giving my recipe a chance. 🙂
Our kumquat tree went crazy this year and we have tons of fruit that we had to pick before a freeze. I tried a recipe to make marmalade that required removing seeds and membranes, tying them in cheesecloth, then slicing the peels and soaking everything for “at least 12 hours.” When all was done, I didn’t like the taste. Then I found this recipe–so much simpler, with the addition of lemon juice (our Meyer lemon tree also was loaded this year). I followed it exactly, and the marmalade is delicious. It set up beautifully, as solid as jam. Thank you for a delicious, less labor-intensive recipe.
Gayle, thanks for giving this recipe a chance and I’m so happy you liked the same things about it that I do. Thanks so much for taking the time to share your experience with it. Happy New Year!
Tried this recipe last year and loved it! Is it possible to can this marmalade to keep it longer, or would that affect the fresh taste?
Hi, Gayle. So glad you like this recipe. I’ve unfortunately not canned this marmalade–I imagine it should work–but I can’t give you a recommendation based on my experience. If you try it I’d love to know. Thanks for trying this recipe. 🙂
Brilliant recipe. I cooked the ingredients in a pressure cooker for about 20 mins and then cooked the mixture a bit longer until setting point was reached. Perfect marmalade and so easy and quick. Thank you.
I’m trying my first batch now – still on the stove so I’ll find out pretty soon how it turns out. Very interesting to read that some had problems with the thickness of the final product. Did you consider adding a small amount of Sure-Jel or pectin to help with the “jelling” process – my mother used it often when she was canning?
Hi Edd. I hope your marmalade turned out well. I have never had issues with the marmalade thickening properly so I’ve never used pectin but would definitely work. I did update the post recently with a link to a video of the recipe and helpful tips. 🙂
Super recipe and I had a bounty of kumquats this year. Likely enough for a second batch. Mine were on th small side and extremely seedy. Took more like an hour + to remove! Labor intensive and divine flavor. I added 1/3 cup of my friends amber honey instead of more sugar and cooked it down for consistency. Love the idea of adding ginger. So many delicious suggestions. Thx so much!!
So glad you like this recipe, Lisa. Thanks so much for trying it and the amber honey sounds wonderful!
It was super easy to make and turned out delicious! The only time-consuming part was slicing the kumquats thinly to remove the seeds. Later, I realized it wasn’t necessary—I actually enjoyed the texture the skin added. I did overcook it a bit, which made the marmalade too firm, but I took a chance and re-cooked it with half a cup of water, and it came out perfect. Definitely recommend this recipe!
So glad this recipe worked for you, OC. Thank you for the nice feedback. 🙂