A fruit a month (AFAM) event. April 2008.
Posted by Fiona Nevile in Liqueurs | 7 comments
A pile of kumquats
Last day today.
Blogging events are good news. They open up the blogging world, introduce people to new blogs and ideas and a whole lot more. It’s easy to slip into the rut of writing a post, chatting to virtual friends and rarely leaving home.
I travelled in seconds to Coffee & Vanilla and on to Beyond the Usual (I just had to go there!). This is where the concept for AFAM was born. I discovered two good blogs, put down my trug and am participating in this event.
The theme is kumquats.
I used to ponder about this diminutive fruit that I discovered on the supermarket shelves a few years ago. Exotic and mysterious, I imagined myself running up a superb sauce with slices of kumquat. The problems was that I couldn’t find any recipes. So they remained tantalisingly out of reach until Gilbert introduced me to Kumquat liqueur. This is my entry for the event – Gilbert’s Kumquat Liqueur (Gin or Vodka) recipe.
April 2008 has suddenly 31 days. Flowers tomorrow.
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Hello Belinda
If fruit flies get into fermenting wine they turn it sour. Don’t know what they’d do to vodka. If it was me, I’d remove the larvae and set aside well corked for a couple of years and mark the bottle so you don’t forget its history.
Meanwhile make another batch. Make sure that the grog is always well corked from the word go. If there are fruit flies around don’t make it.
Anyone got any tips on what to do with kumquat liquor that after a couple of days has fruit fly lavae floating in it? this has happened to me and i really dont want to pour it down the sink as I have used a quiet expensive vodka in it? In 2 years will it be drinkable?
Hi Margot
I’m impressed by the breadth of recipes that your event has generated. Well done!
Hi,
Just a short note to let you know that April’s AFAM (Kumquats) round-up is now online:
http://www.coffeeandvanilla.com/?p=2213
Margot
Hi Kate(uk)
Thanks so much for the recipe for Kumquat sauce and even two versions (sweet and sour). Like all your recipes this is much appreciated.
Hi Gillie
I think of liqueurs as an investment for the future!
We loved your comment! The money that you saved on the goose eggs (I wonder how much these would be over the counter?) could be reinvested in kumquats. Paying for the gin/vodka is the more ticklish issue unless you have your own still!
Wonderful -two uses for the kumquat on one post (I never really knew what to do with them either) … but is this in keeping with my saving money routine? In the interests of keeping my brain young I shall have to come up with a foolproof reason why I should buy kumquats and make liquer rather than just the tomotoes for this evenings omelettes (eggs from our geese so extra brownie points there which perhaps I could spend on kumquats?!)
Kumquat sauce- cut your kumquats in half, add a little fruit juice ( flavour of your choice), a little butter and a slug of cointreau. Cook gently with a lid on until the kumquats are soft to the point of mashability and the mixture very fruity. Add sugar/fruit jelly to taste ( depends what you want the sauce to go with sweet /savoury) stir it in until it melts. Mash the mixture up a bit so it is a thick sauce rather than a thin sauce with big bits of kumquat, thicken with a bit of cornflour ( stir into cold juice before adding to hot mix so it stays smooth) if required…the possibilities are endless.You may well eat it before it hits the plate, the aroma is fab.