This kumquat curd is good with everything. On toast, on a biscuit or just by itself. I fell in love with kumquats last year and now look forward to when they are in season. This recipe is really easy and you'll really like this curd. I hope you give it a try.
WHICH KUMQUAT TO USE FOR THE CURD
A few words about kumquats. Kumquats are distinctive in that it is the only citrus fruit that can be eaten, skin and all. There are four different types of kumquats.
- Hong Kong Wild
- Marumi
- Meiwa
- Nagami
The Meiwa and Nagami are the ones available at my local grocery store. I love the Meiwa because they are so sweet and it's almost like eating candy. Because of that sweetness, I prefer the Meiwa for making the kumquat curd. But regardless of which kumquat is available, taste them first to see how sweet or tart they are. If the kumquats are really tart you may want to add a little more sugar to have a more balanced flavor.
How to Make Fruit Curd
I love fruit curd. It's a funny word that doesn't sound at all that appetizing, but it is one of the best things you'll ever eat. I discovered it and learned how to make it when I bought The Cake Bible by Rose Levy Beranbaum. That cookbook was a real game-changer for me as a baker in that it introduced all kinds of desserts and sweet treats that I had never heard of before. If you new to baking or even if you've been baking for a while that is a book that should be in your collection.
This recipe is really easy to make. I initially pureed the kumquats in a blender but it was hard to get all the puree out of the blender and I left a lot behind, so I switched to a food processor. I had to process the kumquats longer to get the same consistency, but it was easier to get all the puree out of the food processor. If you don't have a food processor, you can definitely use a blender.
I used the recipe from a well-known food recipe site for my first try at making kumquat curd. That recipe used cornstarch, which I think is too much. The curd ended up very thick and kind of gummy. It tasted okay, but I didn't like the texture. This particular curd doesn't need cornstarch for thickening because you are cooking the whole fruit and kumquats skins have a lot of natural pectin. Pectin is a natural thickener. I modified the recipes three different times to finally come with a recipe that works.
This curd is so good I eat it by itself (just a little), but because it is so good it really does taste good on toast and banana bread. Give it a try and let me know what you think.
And check out my other Fruit Curd Recipes
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Kumquat Curd
Ingredients
- 12 ounces whole Kumquats Meiwa preferred
- 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
- 3/4 cup (150 grams) granulated sugar
- 2 large (100 grams) whole eggs
- 3 large (60 grams) egg yolks
- 8 tablespoons unsalted butter cut into 8 pieces
Instructions
- Cut the butter into 8 pieces. Next to the stove place a medium course strainer over a bowl. This bowl is for the finished curd.
- Place kumquats and the lemon juice in the bowl of a food processor. Process until the kumquats are puréed, about 1 minute. You may need to stop the processor after 30 seconds and scrape down the sides. Add the sugar and process for about 10 seconds.
- Place the pureed kumquats in a 3-quart saucepan. Taste the mixture before adding the eggs. If it is too tart, add 1 or 2 tablespoons or additional sugar and whisk it in. But remember that the curd is supposed to be tart.
- Add the whole eggs and egg yolks, and whisk to combine. Place pan over medium heat and whisk continuously until the mixture reaches 180 degrees, about 6-8 minutes. Remove the curd from the heat and whisk in all 8 tablespoons of butter. Pour the curd into the strainer and use a large spatula to press the curd through the strainer and into the bowl below. This step will take a while because the curd is thick and has a lot of solids (kumquat skin and seeds).
- Cover the curd with plastic wrap by placing a piece of plastic wrap over the bowl, lightly press it onto the surface of the curd. Place the bowl in the refrigerator and allow to finish cooling.
- Once the curd is cooled it can be used as a spread on toast and biscuits or used as a filling for a tart. This curd is also thick enough to use as a cake filling.
Storage
- The curd can be stored in the refrigerator in an airtight container for up to two weeks. It can be frozen for up to one year in a freezer safe container. When ready to use the curd after freezing place it in the refrigerator the night before to thaw before using.
Stefanie Gerneth says
Hello Cheryl,
thanks for this wonderful recipe. I found it on pinterest and tried it today. It's easy to make and tastes yummie! I like it smooth and clean so I squeezed two tbs through a strainer. I couldn't do more because it's too hard work 😉 And I did a little bit less of butter.
Thanks a lot, greetings from Italy
stefanie.
P.S.: The metric system button for changing the recipe's ingredients doses doesn't work.
susan yarnall says
Hi Cheryl - I love kumquats and curd. I just came home with about 5 lbs of assorted organic kumquats from a store called Berkeley Bowl in Berkeley CA. They had a variety that I had never seen before - called a Nordmann kumquat which apparently is a newer seedless variety. It is quite tart - more so than a Meiwa. I will probably candy it and save the Meiwas for curd and marmalade. Thanks for the recipe, I am looking forward to trying this as well as your meyer lemon poppyseed poundcake.
Cheryl Norris says
HiSusan
Thank you for writing. I'm impressed with your kumquat haul. The Nordmann kumquats sound interesting and I hope I can find them locally. I made a marmalade using the Meiwa and it was really good. Please let me know what you think of the curd. I think you'll really like it.
susan yarnall says
Hi Cheryl - I made the kumquat curd today! I had a combination of Meiwa and Nagami left from making marmalade so I used them. I made a few changes - I sliced and seeded the kumquats as I was not sure if the seeds added anything to the flavor/texture - for a total of 12 oz. I cooked the egg/sugar/kumquat/lemon juice mixture in a medium size bowl over a pot of simmering water as this is typically how I keep my curds from.....curdling! I added the butter at 165 as the curd was getting thick at that temp. I did strain the mixture with a fine sieve. The finished product is silky and very tasty!
Thanks for a fun and creative idea to use up my kumquats.
Cheryl Norris says
Hi Susan
Thank you for trying the recipe. I'm so glad that you enjoyed the kumquat curd. I like eating Meiwa kumquats straight and this curd is my 2nd favorite way to use them. You're right that seeding the kumquats, in the beginning, does make it easier to strain it later, but I left them in to save on the work upfront.
Maya says
I was anxious to try this recipe with whole kumquats (seeds and all), but I’m so happy I did! It is the easiest and tastiest of recipes! Thank you!!
Cheryl Norris says
Hi Maya
Thank you for visiting the blog and trying kumquat curd. I made it about 3 times before I settled on using the whole kumquat. I thought that there had to be an easier way than taking out all those seeds in the kumquats. I'm so glad that you enjoyed it. That's the best compliment I can receive.
Joelle says
Love the curd! Just wondering how long it lasts in sterilised jars?
Cheryl Norris says
Hi Joelle
Thank you so much for visiting the blog and trying this recipe. I'm glad you enjoyed it. I don't know how long it will last in sterilized jars. I looked it up and one article said it should last 3-4 months.
I do know that you can freeze it for up to a year and then thaw it in the refrigerator when ready to use.
Janet Bennett says
Hi Cheryl I live in Spain and have an abundance of kumquats on my tree but unfortunately do not know what type. I do know that they are full of seeds though. I have made marmalade with them (painstakingly taking out the seeds) in the past and was wondering if I made your curd would I have to go through the same process?
Renie says
Can you double the recipe?
Cheryl Norris says
Hi Renie
Thanks for visiting the blog. Yes you can double this curd recipe, but I would caution against it just because it does take some time to strain the curd when it's done. The final texture is absolutely worth the effort but it does take time.
Laura Ly says
I’ve made this twice now, the second time I doubled the recipe because it was so good the first time! Easy and delicious! Best way to use kumquats (my friend’s tree had tons and tons of fruit this year), so delicious!
Natalie says
Hi! Your recipe calls for two whole eggs and three yolks, but I don't believe you mention in your recipe when to incorporate the three yolks. Thanks!
Cheryl Norris says
Hi Natalie
I do say "add the eggs, but you're right that the instructions aren't absolutely clear. I will update the instructions so it's clear that you're adding the whole eggs and egg yolks. Thanks for that feedback.
Anne Stockwell says
Really tasty! My kumquats were on the bitter side, so before I processed them I blanched them whole for about 5 minutes, rinsing them in cold water afterward. When I had processed them with the lemon juice and sugar, I added the eggs and egg yolks and processed them just a few pulses more, before I transferred them to a saucepan.
I strained the finished product as directed, but I didn't find it tedious at all - using a small flexible spatula I just stirred the mixture inside the strainer, scraping the inside bottom of the strainer with each pass so it didn't get clogged up. Took maybe 5 minutes tops.
I'm very pleased and I'll make this again! Very easy to make.
Thea says
I am looking forward to making this! Do you process the seeds in processor too? Is the nutritional info for the 2 cups? Thanks so much!
Francis says
I live in Bodrum, Turkey and have some kumquat trees in the garden. I used your curd recipe as a guide and made 2x the recipe. It was really easy. The thing I changed was that I did not put anything through a sieve and simply left all the very soft pits and peel in the final product. I left the mixer on for a while so that the bits were tiny. Believe me it is like an explosion of citrus when you taste this. Not traditional but I love it.
Cheryl Norris says
Hi Francis
Thank you for trying this recipe and left this wonderful review. I'm so happy that you enjoyed it and that you enjoyed the unstrained version. That's good to know. It's also pretty cool that you have kumquat trees.