My kumquat trees are laden with fresh fruit. I have three trees. Two of my kumquat trees produce a sour fruit and the other one produces a sweeter fruit. I used both of these kumquats, sweet and sour, to make a rustic butter kumquat cake with an orange glaze.
I baked a similar Italian butter cake with a whole pureed orange in it recently. Adding the whole orange gave the cake all of the flavor layers of an orange. It was sweet, tart, a bit sharp, and full of orange citrus goodness all at once. This kumquat cake is similar but uses roughly chopped kumquats rather than oranges.
Kumquat trees are native to eastern Asia and symbolize good luck. Eat this small, acid fruit whole, the rind and all, and they are sour and then sweet.
Kumquats are small trees that are perfect for growing in a small backyard. The bright orange, citrus fruit is excellent for marmalades, dried, or as made into preserves or chutneys. Try my spiced kumquat chutney with roasted meats or with your homemade biscuits for breakfast or brunch. There are very few seeds in the kumquats, but the rinds are sweet, regardless of how acidic the inside is. So don’t hesitate, eat the entire fruit straight off the tree.
Visit my website for more recipes using fresh kumquats. A kumquat old fashioned a sweet and sour fruit filled bourbon cocktail is a great way to start the evening.
Fresh fruit, any fresh fruit, added to a salad with roasted nuts such as pecans or walnuts and a citrus dressing is one of my favorites. Try this green salad with fresh kumquats as a starter or as a side with a vegetarian main or chicken, seafood or meat.
If you have ripe kumquats either on the trees in your yard or if you have access to them through your local markets, please try this buttery citrus fruit cake and some of my other favorite kumquat recipes.
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