Candied Limequats

When we were out in California for the holidays, we couldn't resist buying all kinds of wonderful produce at the farmers' markets there (since we were driving and could take stuff home.)  We got persimmons, Meyer lemons, berries, Brussels sprouts, chanterelles, and a few odder items... Buddha's Hand citron, and limequats!

The limequats looked basically like tiny greenish lemons, and the tart juice had a lovely lemon-lime flavor. The rind was a bit sweet, but not as sweet as a kumquat's. They were kind of enjoyable raw, but pretty puckery.




I read a few recipes for candying whole kumquats, and decided to try this method. It's taken me a while to get around to posting it, but they turned out fantastic!

1 cup water
1 cup sugar
Pinch of salt
2 cups whole limequats
4 half-pint canning jars

Make 4 small slashes, lengthwise, in each limequat. Use a toothpick or the tip of a small knife to pop the seeds out through these slits. Don't worry if you don't get them all - the rest will slip out during cooking.

Bring the water, sugar and salt to a boil in a large pot (a 2-quart saucepan will not do) because the syrup bubbles a lot during cooking. Cover with a lid left slightly ajar. Simmer on medium-low heat until the rinds of the limequats are mostly translucent, 20 minutes or so.

Use a slotted spoon to remove the fruits from the syrup and pack them gently into 4 sterilized half-pint canning jars. Pour syrup over, leaving 1/2 inch of headspace at the top of the jar. Save any remaining syrup for drinks or something else. Put on hot lids, and process the jars in boiling water for 20 minutes (this is for 5000ft - if you're at sea level it's 5 minutes less, at 7000ft it's 5 minutes more).

Now I just have to think of a use for these little beauties!