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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about to use the Fiona Neville recipe, having just been given a kumquat tree (in a pot still) laden with kumquats. Its been on my ‘to do’ list for decades to make the liqueur having sampled it way way back. What good use can the flesh be put to, once the skin is pared and placed in the bottle?? thanks
When I was growing up, we used to make drinks with the cumquat juice just like the way we make lemon juice drinks. As for the rind, we just salt it and leave it in the frig. When we have a sore throat, we soak the salted cumquat in hot water to make a drink; supposed to be soothing for the throat.
Annie W
use the flesh to make jam, keep a small amount of skin to allow it thicken.
Wonderful recipes everywhere
I live in Italy and annually make lemoncino from my fresh homegrown lemons. Within 2 weeks I have lemoncino to drink (although I’m sure it betters with age). It is made with the rind of the fruit, alcohol and sugar. So why does kumquat liquer take so long to be ready for consumption ???
Hi, Thanks for all the great ideas for kumquats and i will definitely try the brandy recipe. I make marmalade with them normally and the thought of skinning them for Chello is too much. Yesterday i peeled and scraped 40 oranges for this as i have an abundance of them. I put the fine peel into rum for a change so we will see the results.
Irene.
I have just picked my first crop of cumquats and plan to make some liqueur. Which is best, the brandy or gin?
Also would love the chutney recipe.
Thanks
I use a good bottle of brandy with a cup of sugar with pricked cumquats skin and all. Leave until all sugar has dissolved perhaps 2-3 months…strain into a separate bottle with cork or screw top…serve as liquer with coffee!!
I have just read about kumquat marmalade by Barb on April 22nd 2009. I would LOVE the recipe, if anyone has it.
Many thanks
Hi and new to this page. Lovely to hear about all of your bright ideas. I made damson gin, plum gin and sloe gin and bought a bottle of white rum and a bottle of brandy as I know all these things I make are wonderful presents at Christmas. This “look what I made” is enormous fun and fantastic taste.
Hello Helen
Kumquats make a delicious liqueur. Hic.
Thanks, I have some in my pantry over 3 years old,but wasn’t sure. So I’m happy. Along with some of my home pickled olives which didn’nt all fare so well. The air tight lid makes all the difference.
Will make a new batch today with Kumquats off my mother’s tree.
Cheers,thanks for the recipe and the comments were VERY helpful. Can’t wait to start drinking!
Helen Clark Enmore, Sydney
Hi
I have 5 Kumquat trees in my garden on Costa del Sol ( marbella )…with loadsa fruit….have already got the Liqueur on the go….two bottles so far haha…also make Kumquat Marmalade of which neighbours also enjoy….and the Chutney…mmmm…really fine….so I am happy that I am making use of the fruit….making more tomorrow….think I might just get a couple more bottles of Gin and get brewing hahha..Thanx for these recipes…
Hi Barb
All I can say is that I’m green with envy. I’d love to own 5 kumquat trees. Kumquat marmalade sound fab – any chance of the recipe?
The liquer is well worth making.
Hello Hilda
Well done growing your own kumquats. I know what I’d make with them 🙂