How to eat kumquats

How to eat kumquats

Kumquats are also called Chinese oranges. The homeland of these citrus fruits is China, but they are also cultivated in other countries. Often they are grown not for the purpose of harvesting, but for beauty, as indoor plants. Externally, kumquats resemble tangerines, but Chinese citruses are much smaller and elongated. If you like fruits with pronounced sourness, you should try kumquats. But first, it does not hurt to find out how to eat them.

Fruit Information

Kumquats have a small size (about 2-4 cm), thin delicate peel. The flesh is divided into segments, usually in one fruit there are only 5 of them. Bones collected closer to the opposite side of the stem. They are smaller and softer than orange, but also have a bitter taste.

The color of the fruit may be yellow, orange, yellow-orange - it depends on the type of fruit. The taste of the pulp is also unequal: it can be sweet-sour or very sour, so that it is even difficult to eat.

The rind of the fruit is not only edible, but also soft and sweet, many people like it even more than the flesh of citrus itself.

The composition of kumquats is similar to that of other citrus fruits. It has a lot of vitamin C, there are vitamins A and E, some vitamins of group B. There are a lot of potassium in fruits, there is magnesium, zinc and iron. Fruits also contain essential oils, giving them a pleasant aroma. Kumquat nitrates never accumulate, so in this respect they are safe for the body.

Kumquats help strengthen the immune system, protect the body from free radicals, cleanse it of toxins.

The product is contraindicated for people who are allergic to citrus, and those who suffer from ulcers of the gastrointestinal tract. It is not recommended to use it in case of certain diseases of the urinary system, as well as pregnant women, nursing mothers and young children.

Usage Features

Kumquats can be eaten in several ways:

  • They can be eaten whole, straight with the skin and bones. To do this, they are good enough to wash, dry, cut off the green tips. Gourmets also advise to first mash the fruit with your fingers, so that it becomes more fragrant, and then bite off and chew.
  • If you do not want to eat kumquats with stones, cut off the tops of the fruit or cut the fruit in half, remove the bones. Some remove the sour pulp, using only the peel, and squeeze the juice out of the pulp, using it to make cocktails and sauces.
  • Fresh kumquats can be cut into slices and added to a fruit or other salad. These fruits go well with arugula, chicken, fish and seafood, many vegetables.
  • Kumquat circles or whole fruits can be added to the fish during baking.
  • Often, kumquats are used to make jam and jam. It is advisable to make such sweets from fruits that have particularly sour pulp.
  • You can make compote from kumquats, make alcoholic or non-alcoholic cocktails.
  • Some chefs marinate kumquats. This snack has a unique taste and appearance.
  • Kumquats can be frozen. Sometimes before that, they are dipped in sugar, cut into halves. It would be a good idea to freeze the halves of the skin without the pulp, and then use them to serve desserts.

Popular are dried kumquats, which are used in the same way as other dried fruits. They are more nutritious than fresh: if fresh contain only 71 kcal per 100 g, then dried - about 250 kcal per 100 g

Kumquat jam

Composition (1 l):

  • kumquats - 0.5 kg;
  • sugar - 0, 7 kg;
  • orange - 1 pc .;
  • water - 100 ml.

Method of preparation:

  • Sterilize the jars under the jam, if you store it outside the refrigerator or for more than 2 weeks. If the delicacy will stand in the refrigerator and not more than the specified period, it is enough to wash the jars with soda.
  • Kumquats wash well, let them dry. Each fruit in several places pierced with a toothpick. This is to ensure that the fruit is better soaked with syrup.
  • From the orange squeeze the juice, dilute it with water.
  • Pour sugar into the liquid mixture, stir. Put on a slow fire. Boil until sugar is completely dissolved.
  • Dip kumquats into the syrup and boil them for 20 minutes.
  • Remove the jam container from the heat, cover with a thin cloth. Wait for it to cool.
  • Return the bowl of jam to the fire, bring the delicacy to a boil, cook for 20 minutes, leave to cool again.
  • Repeat the procedure another 3-4 times.
  • Spread the dessert over the prepared jars, seal them.

It is recommended to store kumquat jam in a cool room, although experience shows that it does not deteriorate even at room temperature.

Marinated Kumquats

The composition (0, 5 l):

  • kumquats - 0.5 kg;
  • sugar - 0, 25 l;
  • white wine vinegar (6%) - 0, 25 l;
  • cinnamon - 1 stick;
  • Carnation - 12 pcs.

Method of preparation:

  • Kumquats should be filled with water, cook for half an hour, drain in a colander.
  • Mix vinegar with sugar, heat it up.
  • When the marinade boils, put spices and kumquats in it.
  • Cook the fruit on low heat until it becomes transparent. It will take about 40 minutes.
  • Put the kumquats in sterilized jars.
  • Boil the syrup to a thicker consistency, fill it with fruit.
  • Seal the kumquat jars and store them in a cool place.

Marinated kumquats have a sweet-sour taste, can be used as an addition to meat and fish dishes. As an independent snack, they can also be served.

Cocktail with kumquats

Composition:

  • Kumquats - 50 g;
  • white rum - 60 ml;
  • dried ginger - a pinch;
  • sugar - 40 g.

Method of preparation:

  • Kumquats cut into slices, add sugar, crush. When they make juice that dissolve the sugar, remove the fruit circles.
  • Place the syrup, rum and ginger in a shaker container, shake.

It remains to pour the drink into a glass filled with ice and serve. The glass can be decorated with a circle of kumquat or even a whole fruit, put on a skewer.

Kumquats are among the citrus fruits. They are distinguished by their small size, sweet soft skin, sour pulp. The taste of the fruit depends on the variety. The sweetest varieties are eaten whole fresh, sour jams and other sweets are made from sour, use their juice to make cocktails.

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