AI-generated image
Quinotos en almíbar (Argentine kumquats in syrup)
Whole kumquats candied slowly in syrup and kept in jars
In Buenos Aires and the river provinces of the Litoral, kumquat trees ripen in the middle of winter, between June and August, and the fruit goes straight into jars of syrup. Grandmothers' pantries held quinotos for the whole year, brought out for birthdays and long Sunday lunches. Each little fruit turns glossy orange and translucent, with a soft, bittersweet skin and a sharp, juicy centre. Spoon them over vanilla ice cream, serve them with a slice of fresh cheese in the style of postre vigilante, or eat them straight from the jar. Many bar menus offer them steeped in spirits; this version keeps only the syrup. Naturally egg-free, the quinotos rely on sugar syrup to preserve them, while pectin from the peel gives the syrup a light, jammy body. Chef's tip: blanch the fruit three times from cold water; the common mistake is skipping this, which leaves the skins tough and bitter.
- Total time
- 120 min
- Difficulty
- medium
- Serves
- 12
Ingredients
- 2 ¼ lb kumquatsfirm and bright orange
- 1 ¾ lb white sugar
- 3 ¼ cups waterplus extra for blanching
- 1 tbsp lemon juice
- 1 cinnamon stick (optional)
Shop this recipe on Amazon
Spices & pantry
Fresh ingredients (1)
Links open Amazon in a new tab. As an Amazon Associate, WhatToEat.Today earns from qualifying purchases.
Method
0/7 doneStep 1: Wash 2 ¼ lb kumquats and pull off any leaves. Prick each fruit 4-5 times with a needle or the tip of a small knife, right through the skin.
Step 2: Put the kumquats in a pan, cover with cold water and bring to the boil. Simmer for 5 minutes, then drain.
8 minStep 3: Repeat twice more with fresh cold water, until the skins feel soft when pressed.
16 minStep 4: Put 1 ¾ lb white sugar, 3 ¼ cups water, 1 tbsp lemon juice and 1 cinnamon stick in a wide pan and stir over a medium heat until the sugar dissolves. Boil for 3 minutes.
8 minStep 5: Add the kumquats, lower the heat and simmer very gently, uncovered, for 60-75 minutes, until the fruit is glossy and translucent and the syrup reaches 225°F and coats the back of a spoon.
70 minStep 6: Meanwhile sterilise 3 x 400 ml jars by drying the clean jars in a 250°F (200°F fan) oven for 15 minutes.
15 minStep 7: Spoon the hot kumquats into the hot jars and cover completely with syrup. Seal and cool. Keep in a cool, dark place for up to 6 months; refrigerate after opening. They taste best after a week.
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 220 kcal
- Protein
- 1 g
- Carbs
- 55 g
- Fat
- 0 g
- Fibre
- 3 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does quinotos en almíbar (Argentine kumquats in syrup) take?
- About 120 minutes in total: 30 minutes to prepare and 90 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 12 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it vegan?
- Yes. It has no meat, fish, dairy or eggs.
- Is it gluten free?
- Yes, as written. Check the labels on stock, sauces and spice mixes, which sometimes contain gluten.
- Can I make it ahead?
- Yes. It keeps well, so you can cook it earlier in the day or the day before and reheat it.
- What can I use instead of white sugar?
- Caster sugar, same amount.
- What can I use instead of lemon juice?
- Lime juice, same amount.
Reviews
No reviews yet. Be the first to cook it.
Rate this recipe
Sign in to rate and review this recipe.
You might also like
Kartoshka cakeCocoa and cake crumb truffles
Soviet cafés and school canteens sold these knobbly brown 'potatoes' for a few kopecks, and they began as a thrifty way to use up sponge and biscuit trimmings at the bakery. Crumbs are bound with butter and sweetened condensed milk, flavoured with cocoa and vanilla, shaped into little potatoes, rolled in cocoa and finished with two dabs of pale butter cream for the sprouts. They are fudgy and dense like a brownie truffle, need no oven, and children love making them. Traditional bakers added a spoonful of rum, an optional extra for adult batches only; this version is alcohol-free with vanilla. The usual slip is coarse crumbs, which make the potatoes crack, so blitz them as fine as sand. Chef's tip: chill the shaped potatoes for at least 20 minutes so they hold their shape and slice cleanly.
Russian
Undu walaluFried urad dal rings in treacle
Walalu means bangles, and these dark, sticky rings of fried urad dal soaked in kithul treacle are a sweet that Sinhala families bring out for Avurudu and for special almsgivings, often made in large batches by an aunt known for her steady hand. A thick, fluffy paste of ground black gram is piped into loops and fried until crisp, then plunged straight into warm treacle, so the rings stay crunchy on the outside while drinking up the syrup. They taste a little like a darker, smokier jalebi, with a toffee finish from the palm treacle. Watery batter is what ruins them; it spreads into flat blobs, so grind the soaked dal with as little water as possible and beat it until light. This recipe uses no asafoetida, so it is naturally gluten free. Chef's tip: pipe the rings onto small squares of baking paper and lower them into the oil paper and all; the paper peels away in seconds.
Sri Lankan
Apple & pear puree
A smooth, naturally sweet puree of gently stewed apple and pear, one of the first foods for babies of 4–8 months. The fruit cooks in a little unsweetened apple juice, so nothing else is needed. Serve it lukewarm; any leftover keeps covered in the fridge for a day, or freezes well in small pots.