Kumquat Liqueur (Gin or Vodka) recipe
Posted by Fiona Nevile in Liqueurs | 27 comments
Kumquats ready for converting to a liqueur
Our old friend Gilbert introduced us to kumquat liqueur. He serves tiny glasses of this elegant tipple with an exotic fruit salad on Marjorie’s birthday. We were intrigued and clamoured for the recipe. Gilbert refused to share his secret. The resulting impasse was a challenge. If he hadn’t topped up our glasses it could have been war.
We couldn’t take up this challenge for months as we had to wait until kumquats appeared in the local supermarkets. Finally the day came and I rushed home with two small packs of kumquats and a large bottle of gin. Danny picked one up and sniffed it suspiciously. We sampled the rind and the flesh and decided to make two versions of the grog.
Danny carefully pared the rind off his pack of kumquats, using only the rind in the brew. I sliced mine into small rings. Two years later my kumquats looked very pretty in the jar but Danny’s brew won hands down. Mine was bitter-sweet. We had discovered Gilbert’s secret. The sweetness of the kumquat is in the rind rather than the flesh.
The other tip is that most citrus fruit liqueurs (such as our Lemon Gin) need a decent amount of time to develop. I insisted that we kept our kumquat gin for a couple of years before sampling. Two years later Danny carried the bottle in and polished a couple of glasses to recieve the precious liquid. The wait was well worthwhile. Absolutely exquisite.
If you make citrus based liqueurs each year, within a few years you’ll always have some bottles reaching their peak.
“A rock solid investment.” As Gilbert sagely advised us all those years ago.
| Kumquat Liqueur (Gin or Vodka) recipe |
- 1.5 litres of good quality gin or vodka (it does make a huge difference. We use a good supermarket brand).
- 300g of kumquats
- 100g granulated sugar (just to start it off as the rind is sweet).
- Pour off 200ml of yhe gin/vodka into a small jug to make space in the bottle.
- Carefully pare the rind of the fruit, avoiding the bitter pith and add this rind to the bottle.
- Using a funnel, add the sugar.
- Top up the remaining space with the gin/vodka from the jug.
- Pour yourself a large gin/vodka and tonic using the remains from the jug. This might take the edge off the prospect of the long wait ahead.
- Leave the bottle on the side and turn it every day for a few days to dissolve the sugar.
- Hide the bottle in a dark place for at least two years before sampling alone.
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Ya-Boo Sucks!!! Clever me, I grow my own kumquats! Actually I’ve had the tree 10 years & this is the first year I’ve had it full of kumquats! Undecided whether to have them brandied or chutneyed. Leaning towards chutney as I wont probably be here in 10 years to enjoy the brandy!The gypsies on the local market were selling 4 large mango’s or 3 Papayas for 1 euro (pinched of course)so Im in the chutney mode at the moment. Perhaps I’ll do both! Hilda
Hello Hilda don’t know if you are still around as you say. If you are would love to have recipe for the Kumquat/mango chutney. I have just put down 5 ltrs of liqueur, it sure is going to be difficult to wait 2 or 3 years to try LOL.
Hello Kate
Thanks so much for this recipe I must keep my eyes peeled for kumquats as I’d love to try this!
Kumquat brandy liqueur
About half a kilo of kumquats, 250 grams of sugar and a bottle of brandy. Spike the whole kumquats with a fork and place in large jar (empty coffe jar is fine) top with sugar and fill up with brandy. Store in a dark place and turn jar upside down every few days until sugar has melted and then leave it in peace for as long as you can. I have tasted a 10 year old kumquat liqueur and that was really special. Me? I have kept a jar for three years and I can tell you – it was pretty good. It can be drunk after about a year but if you leave it for several years it mellows a lot.
Don’t use cheap brandy – this liqueur needs a half decent brandy to set it off……….enjoy!
Hi,
I’m hosting AFAM – Kumquats event:
http://www.coffeeandvanilla.com/?p=2011
Today is the last day and I would love to have this recipe as your entry, it is awesome.
Margot
Hi Sam
Your excellent comment made us laugh 🙂 🙂
When Nick tastes the grog he will not regret the wait.
it’s certainly going to be a bit chocker in there!!! i have the lemon gin, the lime gin and the lemon vodka….. it’s only a little ford fiesta you know!!
i mentioned to nick that i was very tempted by this new tipple, i don’t think he was very impressed as we now have a boot full of booze and the cupboard under the stairs also houses quite a bit of grog!!! “when are we going to drink all of this?” he asked….” “not for several years” i replied. he was quite crestfallen! i remain VERY tempted!
sam
Hi Sam
This is well worth making. In the boot for a year if you have any space left!
i could buy less and looking at your recipe again, i wouldn’t need as much as a kilo to make a goodly amount of it. does this one need to go in the boot as well? if i get pulled over by the local constabulary, i would be some serious trouble, i think!!!
Hi Sam
Kumquats would be expensive – you’d get a lot in a kilo.
You can make kumquat sauce and ice cream I think. I haven’t tried either.
Kumquat liqueur is well worth making. Although it does take time. Can you buy less than a kilo?
hi fiona,
i was in the local farm shop when i noticed a bejewelled tray…..lo, it was full of kumquats! £5.99 per kg seemed a bit steep to me. i think i will have to do some research. i would prefer to use the farm shop, as we frequent it for most things, but still!
also, is there anything i can do with the actual fruit after i have disrobed it?!
I am lucky enough to be able to grow kumquats. You can use them in marmalades and the skins flavour vodka or gin, vodka works better. The liqueur is absolutely delicious and so is the marmalade.