This easy cumquat jam recipe is really quick to make and tastes delicious unlike some kumquat marmalade recipes that can be quite tricky, fiddly and take a lot of time especially when using fruit with seeds.
This citrus jam is sure to impress & there’s no de-seeding cumquats involved (& no pectin). It's delicious spread on your morning toast.
Jump to:
What is the difference between cumquat jam and kumquat marmalade?
I’m clearly not sure because I called this a jam and every recipe I can find calls it a marmalade.
It seems to be that a marmalade uses the peel of a citrus fruit and jam uses the whole fruit – like berries.
I also don't know if it's cumquat or kumquat.
What I do know is that I made a cumquat jam/marmalade from my homegrown cumquats from my kumquat tree and it is delicious & uses just a few simple ingredients.
The first time I made this, my grandmother rang me after sampling her jar to tell me it was the best cumquat jam she’d ever had (& she was a tough judge).
Why this recipe
- No de-pipping! In the past I’ve rejected any recipe that involved taking the pips out of the tiny little fruit. For larger citrus like oranges it’s not too hard but cumquats – now that is a process I can’t be bothered with.
- It's quick - the most work is preparing the fruit and even then, you just have to quarter them. It's literally an hour (plus overnight soak of the fruit).
- It's delicious - as judged by my Grandma.
Ingredients
To make cumquat jam, the ingredients you will need are:
- Cumquats – obviously an essential ingredient. They’re actually quite easy to grow and the tree grows well in a pot.
- Water – preferably filtered
- Lemon juice – fresh is best but lemon juice out of a bottle will work just as well
- Sugar – we used raw sugar but you can use caster sugar or just regular white sugar. You can very the amount of sugar depending on how sweet you like your jam. It's better to increase it a little at a time so you don't add too much sugar. You can always add more but you can't take it out.
Do you need pectin?
You don't need any pectin or jam set for this recipe. The natural pectin in the seeds are enough to get it to set.
How to tell if a kumquat is ripe:
When they grow, kumquats will start out green.
As they ripen they will turn orange and soften.
They’re ready for picking once they reach this stage.
Equipment
- A large saucepan
- Glass jars - here's how to sterilize recycled jars for jam
- Wooden spoon
- Measuring cup
You don't need anything fancy like a candy thermometer to make this recipe.
Instructions
Here's how to make cumquat jam step-by-step:
- Wash the cumquats and cut them into quarters.
- Place kumquats in a large bowl, add the water and cover the bowl then set aside over night.
- Pour the water and cumquats into a large saucepan, stir in the lemon juice and bring it to a rolling boil.
- Reduce the heat to a simmer for 30 minutes or until the cumquats are soft.
- Add the sugar and stir until the sugar dissolves then bring to a boil and continue to cook on high, uncovered and without stirring for 20 minutes or until the jam has reached setting point.
- When the jam is ready take it off the heat for 10 minutes and carefully scoop out any pips you can see.
- Divide between sterilised jars and seal them up.
How do you tell when the jam has reached setting point?
To see if a jam has reached setting point, place a ceramic plate in the fridge or freezer until it is cold. Take it out and put a spoonful of jam on the cold saucer. Run your finger through the jam.
If it stays separated in two halves then the jam is ready to be bottled. If not, keep it over medium heat for a bit longer.
My grandma was most impressed with the colour.
She said most cumquat jams she had tried were almost brown, not vibrant orange like this one.
Maybe it’s the gorgeous kumquats that come from homegrown trees?
Whatever it was, I was a bit proud.
FAQs
Now jam isn’t always the easiest thing ever to make.
You probably have a few questions so hopefully the information below can answer all your questions.
If you’re planning on keeping your jam at room temperature for a period of time or really even if you want to keep it in the fridge it’s recommended you sterilise your jars to kill any bacteria that might be lurking.
There are a few methods out there but for me, I wash my jars in hot soapy water then put them on an oven tray and ‘bake’ at 100C fan-forced until they are dry. It's best if you pour the hot jam into hot jars.
The best and safest way is to water bath can your jams. But I personally have never bothered.
No, jam needs to be jarred when it is hot hot hot and have the lid put on right away. The heat stops any bacteria from getting in and creates a seal in the jar.
If you’re going to be making jam more than a couple of times, I recommend getting some jam-making tools*.
I have a little stainless steel funnel, a jar-holder (they’re like camp tongs with a rubber end on them) and another similar thing that holds the jar while you screw the lid on so you don’t burn your fingers.
For best results, I flip the jars onto their lids while they cool which helps create a seal.
I like this jam because I don’t have to remove the seeds but if you do want to, make sure you keep them, wrap them up in a little bit of muslin cloth and then put them in the pot with the fruit while it cooks.
The seeds contain pectin and that is what helps the jam to set.
I personally have only used the one type of sugar for this recipe but others have successfully made it using other sugars.
Keep in mind different types of sugar have been processed differently so may take longer to cook or may brown more quickly.
Even if you use white sugar, it will brown when it gets to a certain temperature.
Different sugars also vary in sweetness.
Using an unrefined sugar like rapadura will result in a slightly more tart jam.
More cumquat recipes
If you have a lot of kumquats, you might be looking for more ideas to use them.
Cumquats can be used in sweet and savoury recipes for everything from marinades to cookies.
My cumquat melting moments are quite delicious.
You can also use cumquats for:
- Marinades and sauces (they’d be delicious in ham baste)
- Sliced in salads (fruit or leafy green) – they can be eaten with the skin on
- Added to stuffing for roast meats
- Baked into breads
- Puréed or sliced for dessert toppings
- As garnish
- Sliced and steeped in boiling water for tea – or dehydrated to make a tea mix.
There are a lot of kumquat recipes out there.
Cumquat FAQs
My favourite saying is ‘everything in moderation.’
Too many kumquats aren’t going to do you too much damage but you might get an upset stomach.
Kumquats look a lot like mini oranges. While you can’t eat the peel of an orange, you can eat the whole cumquat.
The skin is quite soft and sweet and full of nutrients.
Just make sure they’re well-washed before eating or cooking with them.
Like most fruit, kumquats can be eaten raw (with the skin on) or cooked.
Most kumquat trees are grafted. If your tree is, it will be harvestable in the third year from planting.
Any fruit that develops before then should be removed so the tree can focus on growing strong roots.
There are two general varieties of kumquats in Australia. One variety ripens from November through to January and the other, mid-December to April.
Kumquats don’t really ripen once they’ve been picked so it’s best to leave them on the tree until they are fully orange. The darker the sweeter.
Once kumquats are picked they will last two to three days kept at room temperature before they start to soften.
If you want to keep them longer either refrigerate for up to two weeks or freeze for up to six months.
Make sure you wash and dry them before freezing.
You can make jam from defrosted kumquats.
A cumquat (or kumquat) is a small fruit from the citrus family with edible skin about the size of a grape.
The fruit it quite tart and sour and packed with vitamin C.
I'd liken them to a tiny orange but don't go trying to make a version of orange juice from them unless you really love sour things.
I've never seen cumquats in grocery stores (or supermarkets) here in Queensland, Australia but don't write off the recipe just because of that.
They're actually really easy to grow.
Even in a small space, you can grow cumquats in a little pot u0026 the small tree will produce enough fruit to make a decent batch of cumquat jam every year.
You don't need a lot of cumquats to make jam - the recipe can be scaled down if you don't have enough.
Enjoy!
p.s.If you’re using old jars, I have a little tutorial for how to remove the labels without ruining your fingernails (you’ll also get a bonus tutorial for making pretty labels in less than 5 minutes without having to buy anything).
(* Affiliate link).
Recipe
Cumquat jam
Ingredients
- 1 kg cumquats
- 5 cups water
- 2 tablespoon lemon juice
- 5 cups raw sugar
Instructions
- Wash the cumquats and cut them into quarters.
- Place in a bowl, add the water and cover the bowl then set aside over night.
- Pour the water and cumquats into a large saucepan, stir in the lemon juice and bring it to a boil.
- Reduce the heat to a simmer for 30 minutes or until the cumquats are soft.
- Add the sugar and stir until the sugar dissolves then bring to a boil and continue to cook on high, uncovered and without stirring for 20 minutes or until the jam has reached setting point.
- To test if it's ready, place a small plate in the fridge. Spoon a little jam onto the plate and put it back in the fridge for a few minutes.
- Run your finger through the middle and if the jam stays separated then it is set.
- When the jam is ready take it off the heat for 10 minutes and carefully scoop out any pips you can see.
- Divide between sterilised jars and seal them up.
Michael says
Hi Claire is the 5 cups of water in addition to the water used to soak overnight?
Wendy says
Just made this jam. Thank you for the recipe. Biggest issues were the pips (didn't know there were so many to remove :-D) and the length of time it took for the jam to look anywhere near set. I took the advice from a previous comment, and reduced the water to 4 cups per kilo. However, it was still bubbling away after 60 minutes and quite runny. The jam is a beautiful amber hue, but I didn't want to cook it longer - just in case it burnt. Will wait and see now if it will be used as a jam, or dessert topping.
Danielle says
Hi - quick question, how much water should I add to the Cumquats while soaking overnight? Is it just enough to cover them?
Claire says
Hi Danielle. Yes enough to cover them by about 2cm.
Patsy says
I want to try your recipe but wonder about bringing the cumquats, presoaked and cooked, to a 20 minute rolling boil after you add the sugar. Shouldn’t you stir occasionally-every 5 minutes to keep it from scorching? Instructions said no stirring?
Claire says
I didn't Patsy and it still turned out but stirring certainly wouldn't hurt
Mike says
I have now used your recipe 4 times. It does make great jam but what I find each time is that the amount of water you suggest is always too much. I need to boil for at least 40 minutes to get the right thickness unless I put in only 4 cups per kg. The worst thing about having to boil so long is that the mixture looses all the golden colour and will always end up brown.
Claire says
Oh dear I can imagine that might look a little off-putting. I guess it does also depend on how juicy your fruit is too. There's no problem with adding less water if you feel it needs less. Good luck with the next batch!
Tony says
Thank you for such a great recipe which worked seamlessly. I macerated the fruit and water after the initial 30 minute boiling in a food processor.
Claire says
You're welcome Tony!
Melinda says
Hi my apologies if you have already been asked this, can I use caster sugar instead of brown?
Claire says
I think that would be ok Melinda it just wouldn't be as rich. You could add a little golden syrup or rapadura or coconut sugar as well.
Kavita Kumari says
Hi Claire ,
I am so tempted to make this jam! Have lots if cumquats in my garden . What I would like to know is....... If we cover the jar while the jam is hot will moisture not for on the lids ? Will it be good for preserving the jam ? Will I need to refrigerate it ?
Thank you
Kavita
From Jaipur, Rajasthan INDIA
Rita Dunphy says
Hi I love chia seeds do you think they could be added to this recipe please?
Claire says
Definitely!
Kay says
Thanks Claire. Easy and delicious! Thanks goodness I have a friend with a Cumquat tree! In fact I'm going to pick some more tomorrow and make some Cumquat Brandy. It needs to age for at least 6 months so you have to be strong!
A fantastic season this year on the east coast of Australia.
In response to your query re marmalade or jam... I've always known it to be called marmalade. However, after a quick search I've found the following info "Cumquats were once classified as Citrus but they now are accepted as belonging to their own genus Fortunella."
So I am assuming you are quite correct in calling it jam.
Whichever it is, it's truly a delicious jamalade or marmajam ;)
Claire says
How interesting Kay! Good luck with the brandy that will make a rather delicious treat when it's ready.
Katrine Schleiger says
Love this recipe, thank you Claire! It worked a treat when I made it last year for the first time and by now it is a firm staple of my kitchen repertoire :). Now I just have to get myself a cumquat tree for the garden, that would be dreamy. Homemade jam is just the best, isn't it. Especially on homemade bread!!
Claire says
It sure is Katrine! Yes definitely get a cumquat tree they're fantastic. So much fruit for not too much effort.
Michael Sweeney-Knapp says
Hi Claire. I'm about to try the recipe (first timer) just wondering if white sugar would help it to not turn brown ?
Claire says
Hi Michael. You could give it a go?
Lisa says
I've used this recipe a few times now and each time it comes out very dark brown, even though I am using white sugar, the taste is okay but the colour is a bit off putting. I don't understand how you get such a golden result. Any ideas?
Claire says
Hi Lisa. I think it would just depend on the fruit and how long you cook it. The longer you cook it the darker it will go.
Colin says
I made a 2kg batch and de pipped them .followed the recipe and mine did not set. buying pectin3 today and redo
Claire says
Colin did you take the pips out before you cooked it? They are what helps it set. If you want to take them out, wrap them all up in a muslin bag and pop it in the mixture. That will do the job of bought pectin.
Jeunesse crane says
Hi Colin as your comment was in June you have probably fixed your problem, but in case you didn't I always get a hit and miss with jams and marmalades not sure why tried using thermometer tried using jam setter and sometimes it just don't wanna work. Now I put a lemon jelly in if it doesn't set on the plate. It doesn't change the taste of the jam coz it already has some lemon in it anyway. And I wouldn't want to change Claire's beautiful recipe. I just open the packet and stir it in when it's finished cooking, when its melted bottle it. I know this is cheating but it works for me. Thanks Claire for sharing your very easy recipe :)
Christine says
Marmalade is similar to jam but made only from bitter Seville oranges from Spain or Portugal. Also when making a marmalade, the skin is used and not the whole fruit, for instance kumquat jam. Jelly uses the juice. Marmalade came from the Portuguese orange Marmelos. Old English marmalades are very bitter. I prefer the jams. We as a race have lost our bitter taste buds over the centuries, to a degree.
Lesley says
I've just harvested and prepared my kumquats, I don't worry about the seeds as mine are VERY seedy, I always use a heavy based pan to cook them in. Before I the sugar I find I can skim off most of the pips out, if some are left behind its quite easy to get them out when you spread it. Hope this recipe will make lovely marmalade, I'm going to try adding some passionfruit to a couple of jars and brandy or whiskey to another couple of jars, I have in the past used chopped glacé ginger chopped finely to it, yum!
Claire says
Ooh love the idea of the added extras Lesley. Yum!
Ann says
If you cook the cumquats with the pips in wouldn’t you need to remove them before bottling them?
Marea says
ok so made this with only 400g fruit and reduced the amount of sugar and water
Still a little sweat but thought it ok
Had some difficulty as the bit where you dont stir I ended up with burnt fruit sticking to the bottom of pan despite having made it in my heavy based pan. Did go very dark and assume this is from the raw sugar.
I ended up putting it all through a sieve and using it as a drizzle on numerous desserts
Lovely non the less
will try reducing heat to just boiling and see how that goes
thanks for the recipe
Marea
Claire says
Great idea to strain it and use as a syrup Marea. Yum!
Vicky Mackey says
A Wonderful easy recipe - I made it last year and it worked great. It is easy to scoop out the pips they seem to float to the top - the few that don't are soft and edible if they get noticed at all. The colour was fantastic. I went into a panic yesterday when your blog wasn't finding the recipe for me and I couldn't find any other recipe where you left the pips in. I'm so glad it popped up today - I'm going to save it and print it off - thanks again for the great recipe. BTW I have made lemon and lime marmalade and that was delicious - but more time consuming than this simple easy pesy recipe.
Claire says
You're very welcome! So sorry you couldn't find it the other day. There was some glitch with the search.
Bernice says
Joyanne did you try it with less water and sugar? Diabetes runs in my family so. Looking for recipe w less sugar.
Nicolei says
I made the marmalade and had 5 kilos of cumquats. My situation was the same Joyanne. It has become very dark. I definitely think that there should be some comment about ratio of water to sugar especially if you are cooking large quantities. I am very disappointed in the way the recipe has worked out for me as I have spent a lot of time doing this and my results are poor. I am a first time maemalade maker and I don't think that it is an easy thing to get right and your instructions made it seem like it should be.
Claire says
Oh no Nicolei I'm sorry it didn't turn out well for you. I always try to work with smaller quantities just in case.
Cass says
Nicolei you can't increase the amount so much and get a good result. Next time try 2 kilo max. I'm cooking tomorrow as a friend had a late last harvest from their tree. I've got 3 kilos. Better to do two batches.
Joyanne says
I tried making the jam as you described. I found I had to boil it for a lot longer though to get it to the consistency I wanted. The jam in turn became dark brown, but the flavour is really nice. It may just be personal preference, but next time I'd like to use less water (and sugar as a result) to get a jam with a thick consistency and a higher fruit to liquid ratio. Do you think this would work or was there a reason to use 5 cups of water for one kg of cumquats?
Claire says
I can't see why that wouldn't work Joyanne if you like it a bit thicker. I'm just about to harvest from my tree this year and make another batch!
Rosemarie says
Sounds great, I have a bumper crop this year from just 2 pots of nagami kumquats and will give this recipe a try. They were also big and juicy. The last recipe took hours of cutting into very small slices and I was exhausted after making it. Thank you for sharing this recipe.
Rosemarie
Claire says
You're welcome Rosemarie. I'm about to do the same! My little man is going to help me this year.
Astrid says
1kg-1cup doesn't sound right! 1Kg-2lbs!
Claire says
Hi Astrid. Sorry I'm not sure what you're asking sorry?
Karin says
Hello I have one small question after you put your jam (which is so tasty) into your jars do you put them into the fridge? Probably a silly question but I have never made jam before
Claire says
Hi Karin. No problem at all. You don't need to refrigerate it until you open the jar.
Jo says
Great recipe, Thank you Claire! I was given 2kg of cumquats from my neighbours tree and gave them a jar of this jam as a thank you. The recipe was so simple even for a jam beginner like me - with a 2 week old baby watching on! Thank you x
Claire says
Oh Jo you're amazing making jam with a 2 week old baby! So glad you liked it x
Jan Jury says
First timer here, do you leave the skin on the cumquats before cutting please?
Claire says
Sure do!
Amma says
I guess I figured it all out!! The best kumquat jam I have ever made!!!
Thanks for sharing
Claire says
Well done Amma! So glad you liked it and you are welcome.
Amma says
1kg -1 cup
Wasn't sure if that could possibly be right?
1kg - to 5 cups of sugar???
Also by cutting them only on quarters, does the peel stay whole?
I am trying to make this now
Claire says
It sure is a lot of sugar! You could experiment cutting it down. Yep the peel stays whole but it does significantly soften.
Lynne says
Claire, you have just taken all the stress out of my jam making. I make it every year from home grown cumquats, but the setting of the marmalade was always hit and miss (mostly "miss" ). Then I found your recipe and it has worked really well. I've just made the third batch this morning and they all look like yours! Golden and perfectly set. Thank you!!
Claire says
Yay! So glad I could help Lynne. I'm just waiting for the fruit on my tree to ripen so I can make some myself.
Amy says
How many cups = 1 KG of Kumquats?
Claire says
Hi Amy. Sorry I'm not sure the answer to this and can't seem to find it on Google. As soon as I have cumquats from this year's harvest I will measure it for you.
Mariana Goodwin says
I was so excited with this recipe. I've had cumquats for a while and never new what to do with then. Since I'm just a beginner in jamming, I followed the recipe head to toe, and it tasted delicious so far and was going great. But the last 20 min on high for 20 min was enough to burn my jam and stick it all to my pot. Very sad :( Luckly I have more cumquats in my backyard and will try again with a different cooking approach.
Claire says
Oh no Mariana how disappointing I'm sorry. You have to keep a very close eye on it as every stove and pot is a bit different. I hope the second batch is just right.
Teresa says
I just can't believe how much sugar people add to kumquat jams!!!!!!!!!!
I do jams every year using my own version. And I don't weight anything, just use my senses and cool judgment. I cut my load to remove the seeds and sprinkle the whole lot with sugar to drain off excess juice. I might do the same with a grapefruit or orange. The next day I put everything into the food processor to mince.
Also I grate a few sweet pears or apples with some ginger and put into the micro oven for a few minutes. Then I simmer the whole lot for about 30 minutes, add some spices if I fancy, few tablespoons of sugar ( to taste!) and put into sterilised jars. All DonE!
Claire says
That sounds wonderful Teresa. Love the addition of the apples!
keren says
Have tried many cumquat recipes but THIS one is just wonderful so easy to prepare with great results, love it, great texture. Will be making this again and am sharing the recipe with friends who had given up making the jam due to the tedious job of cutting the peel finely. Thank you
Claire says
So glad you like it Keren!
Pam says
Easy recipe and turned out just wonderful. I threw a vanilla bean in when boiling the fruit just to mKe it a bit more interesting. Thank you
Claire says
Great idea Pam!
Pam says
i love my cumquat jam but the pips in the slicing preparation ! How do you find it with the pips in amongst the jam?
Claire says
Hi Pam. I do a bit of a scrape before I jar it and get rid of all the ones that are easy to get up but it doesn't seem to be a big deal. When you're spreading it you only get a couple and they're easy to scrape off. Much easier than taking out all the pips at the start!
Erin says
Hi Claire,
Thanks for a great recipe! Would it work with regular sugar instead of coconut sugar? We bought some for a different recipe but like yours lots better! Not having to remove the pips and slice the cumquats is so awesome!
Thanks! Erin
Claire says
Hi Erin. Yes indeed. I actually prefer it with raw sugar. Enjoy!
Lydia says
Just picked about 2kg of cumquats from a friends tree and was a bit hesitant to use her recipe after she told me how long (hours!) it took her to remove the pips before boiling the fruit. Hence, I can't wait to try your recipe. And i had such a big belly-laugh when i read about the auto-correct error. LOL!!! And your jam jars have been dressed so beautifully with green and twine :) LOVE!
Claire says
Haha Lydia yep I'm way too lazy to remove all the pips! Happy jamming!
STEPHEN says
Marmalade can only be made (and named Marmalade) with Seville Oranges. everything else must be named Jam
Claire says
So I named it correctly! Thanks Stephen!
Jen says
According to the Collins dictionary....marmalade is jam made from citrus fruits. Anyway, I have made your recipe thank you. Mine is browner. And I cut the fruit into slicers and took out all the seeds. Am just waiting to try some on a piece of bread and butter. Yum yum.
Claire says
Yum Jen. You're much more patient that me removing all the seeds!
Anna says
Hi marmalade/jam debaters. All citrus fruit make marmalade not jam regardless of type. Seville oranges make great tangy marmalade and are highly prized but grapefruit, cumquats, lime all make marmalade too.
Claire says
Thanks Anna!
The Life of Clare says
I think it becomes marmalade when there's skin/zest in it. Jay loves making lime marmalade, so I think it'd be similar to lemon.
Claire says
I'm going to give it a go and see what it's like. Just need the lemons to ripen. There are so many tempting me!
Lorraine @ Not Quite Nigella says
Bahhaaa! That is hilarious about the typo!! One letter makes the world of difference doesn't it! :D
Claire says
It sure does!
My Kitchen Stories says
A delicious looking jam as Guppy says. I love the flavour of cumquats. There is so little time sometimes between feed sleep and loosing it isn't there?
Claire says
There sure is!
Hotly Spiced says
That was a very awkward auto-correct! You must have aged your poor mother. I'm glad Guppy is still alive and kicking. The jam/marmalade looks so gorgeous with the green covers. I think the difference between a jam and a marmalade is that jam uses only fruit but marmalade uses the peel as well xx
Claire says
Haha yes I think I did. Ahh yes that would make sense. Thanks Charlie x
Maureen | Orgasmic Chef says
I was drinking tea like a normal person until I read dead old woman and nearly fainted. Poor Guppy!! I'm glad she liked the jam. I thought it was marmalade if it had the peel in it. That said, I have no idea what the difference is. It sure looks good.
Claire says
Haha nope just deaf! Yeah I think this is a marmalade but I'm going to be a rebel and call it jam.
Jill Fellows says
I think, also, it is marmalade when the skins are included. Not when lumps of fruit are included.
Claire says
Yes I think you might be right Jill
sherry from sherryspickings says
this looks much easier than the time i made cumquat marmalade. it took forever! cos yes i had to take out every pip first. I think the only difference between jam and marmalade is marmalade is made with citrus fruits!
Claire says
Ahh well then I guess this is a marmalade or can I call it a citrus jam? Yes I wasn't keen on taking out the pips!
Chris @ The Café Sucré Farine says
Claire, such a funny story. I think it plays tricks on all of us from time to time. I believe that you are correct in calling this jam as "marmalade" is supposed to be made with citrus. So when you do it with the lemons it will truly be marmalde. I've made a zillion different kinds of marmalade but I don't think I've ever made lemon. It sounds good though.
Claire says
It would be interesting wouldn't it? Might be a bit too zingy?
Pamela says
How much is kg, in cup (1kg of cumquat is how much in cup or quart or?
Claire says
Hi Pamela. That one is a bit tricky to answer. You really need to go by weight not volume as it can vary so much depending on the size of the fruit/juiciness etc.