Kumquat Marmalade

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In fall 2008, I made some marmalade from the kumquats that I picked off my aunt's trees. The marmalade was so delicious that my aunt cleaned out her jar in a week. This year, I'm making this delicious marmalade again, but with a twist.

I used the same kumquat marmalade recipe as last time, except with some minor changes. You'll need:

• 2 pounds of kumquats
• 5 cups of water
• 4 cups of sugar
• juice from 1 lemon
• 3 Earl Grey teabags

First, clean and slice all the kumquats. Last year, I was a little too perfectionist and sliced them really thin. The resulting marmalade didn't have as many fruity bits as I liked. This year, I made thicker slices, about 4 to 5 slices per kumquat. Reserve the seeds and tie them in a cheese cloth bag.

Place the sliced kumquats and the bag containing seeds into a large non-reactive pot. Add 4 1/2 cups of water. Cover and refrigerate overnight.

Steep 3 teabags in 1/2 cup of boiling water for at least 5 minutes. Bring the pot to boil. Add juice from 1 lemon and Earl Grey tea. Reduce heat to simmer for 1 hour. Do not overcook. It's pretty easy to overcook this, because it will appear watery. It's just fine if it appears runny. Add 4 cups of sugar. Stir constantly. Cook for another 30 minutes. The marmalade should have a rich amber color. It will gel slightly as you spoon it away from heat. Remove the cheese cloth bag.

At this time, the marmalade is done. It can be canned immediately. I got about three mason jars out of this recipe. Otherwise, you should refrigerate it before serving.

I can't really identify the Earl Grey tea in the final product, but it does add another dimension to this already delicious marmalade. If I get more kumquats, I would try to make this with only Earl Grey tea and no water and see where that takes me.