Winter’s cumquat harvest is the perfect opportunity to scrub up your jam-making skills. Cumquat marmalade is surprisingly easy to make and as you hand over a jar of shining golden jam to a friend, you’re guaranteed to feel like a kitchen goddess!

You will need:

1kg cumquats

1.5kg sugar

1.5L water

3tbs Cointreau

1 lemon, juiced

Method:
Wash fruit and cut into quarters, cutting out seeds as you go. Place fruit in a large saucepan, cover with water and soak overnight. Put seeds into small bowl, just cover with boiling water and soak overnight.

Next day, strain the seeds, keeping the water and discarding the seeds. Add the seed-soaking water to the fruit and water in the pan. This will give enough pectin to set the jam.

Bring to the boil, then cook gently on a low heat for approximately 60 minutes or until fruit is tender. Add sugar and lemon juice, stir well until dissolved then boil rapidly for approx 25-30 minutes until mixture gels on testing. (Test by spreading a teaspoon of marmalade onto a cold plate – if a skin forms on the surface, it is ready). If it is still runny, boil for longer and test again.

Allow to cool before stirring in Cointreau, then bottle in sterilised jars and seal. (To sterilise jars, wash them well in warm soapy water, dry, then put them in an oven at 120 C for 20 minutes.)

Even easier? Forget soaking the seeds, and use CSR’s new Marmalade-Setting Sugar, simply following the instructions on the back of the packet.

 
Growing tips

Cumquats, or Fortunella sp., are an easy crop to grow. Their glossy, green leaves and fragrant, white flowers make them well-suited to the open garden, as a hedge or as a potted feature. They need plenty of sun. Feed garden cumquats with a citrus food in August and February. Feed potted cumquats every eight weeks.