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
Kumquat Curd
Ingredients
- 12 ounces whole Kumquats Meiwa preferred
- 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
- 3/4 cup granulated sugar
- 2 whole eggs
- 3 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. Add the eggs 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.
- 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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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!!