Kumquat Vanilla Bean Marmalade

Citrus season abounds. I can’t seem to buy fruit quickly enough around here! We are eating oranges and satsumas and tangerines every day – I even ate a Meyer lemon when a craving for citrus hit and the fruit bowl was empty. Citrus’ bright flavor is a burst of sunshine during these winter months and just what we need to tide us over until the first whispers of spring arrive.

With lemons, limes and oranges spilling over at the markets, I decided to revisit marmalade. I have not been a real fan of marmalade in the past ... eating peels never really grabbed me. But I do like kumquats and happily eat them sliced, peel and all, in salads. Having never cooked with them before, I began to wonder if they would open me up to marmalade?

Kumquats are pretty adorable.  Tiny and cheery in appearance, they have a thinner, sweeter skin that is much more appealing for me to eat. Perfect for marmalade! As thoughts of marmalade evolved, I knew I wanted to include some other flavors to round out the tartness of the kumquats. My brother and his family are living in Vietnam and sent us some plump vanilla beans and fragrant cinnamon sticks over the holidays. Adding the warm, cozy flavors of vanilla and cinnamon sounded just marvelous and I headed to the kitchen.

The pot of marmalade bubbled away on the stove and the scent was intoxicating. After cooling a bit, I gave it a taste. Flecked with specks of vanilla bean and a hint of cinnamon, citrusy and sweet from a bit of honey – yes, I had found my marmalade!

I was inspired further and decided to bake with the kumquat marmalade. I chose the barley flour scones from Kim Boyce’s Good to the Grain, where the marmalade is baked in the center. They emerged tender and buttery from the oven, with bits of kumquat peeking out.  Let me tell you, nothing cheers a dark winter afternoon like a marmalade-filled scone and a cup of tea!

Kumquat Vanilla Bean Marmalade
Makes 1 cup

12 ounces kumquats, thinly sliced, seeds removed
2 cinnamon sticks
1 vanilla bean, seeds scraped out and pod reserved
2 tablespoons honey
2 cups water

In a medium sized sauce pan, combine all the ingredients (including the reserved vanilla pod) over medium-high heat and bring to a boil. Give a stir, partially cover the pan, lower the heat and let simmer until very soft, about 45 minutes. Uncover and cook for about 10 minutes more to thicken a bit, stirring to prevent sticking or burning.

Remove from the heat and let cool. Take the vanilla bean and cinnamon sticks out and spoon the marmalade into a clean jar. Cover and pop into the fridge (it will thicken further as it chills). The marmalade will keep for a month in the fridge.

Homemade Vanilla Extract: Tackling My DIY List

I’ve been bitten by the do-it-yourself bug and have created quite a list of kitchen ventures that I am eager to try. It’s an evolving list – the type of list where you cross one item off (bread) and add two (Worcestershire sauce, yogurt) thus ensuring I will never be without a new challenge. My DIY repertoire now includes sriracha, ricotta cheese, pickling, spice rubs, cocoa mix, zhoug and granola. As I happily fill my Mason jars with homemade goodness, thoughts of, “What else can I make?” dance in the back of my mind.

When I was graciously given a stash of vanilla beans last fall, I immediately knew what I would create with this valuable treasure. Homemade vanilla extract has been on my list for some time now. I go through a lot of vanilla and cringe a little each time I buy a huge bottle of pure extract with its equally huge price tag. Vanilla beans are not cheap either, which has deterred me from making extract at home. Did you know that vanilla beans come from orchids? That helps explain their high price tag. I’ve read numerous recipes for making vanilla extract and it’s quite simple – vanilla beans, alcohol, a jar and time are all you need.

The most traditional alcohol to use appears to be vodka, with rum and bourbon following. Since I had a generous supply of beans (and alcohol!) I decided to make two different vanillas and compare their tastes. I split some vanilla beans lengthwise and used a knife to scrape out the beans. I divided the beans and pods between two jars and filled one with vodka and one with bourbon. I popped lids on each jar, shook them up, labeled them, tucked them in a dark spot and proceeded to wait. I’ve read that you should wait anywhere from eight to twelve weeks so I split the difference and waited ten weeks. I also read to add anywhere from three to six vanilla beans per cup of alcohol, so I created some decadent vanilla with ten beans to each of my one and half cup jars of alcohol. As the vanilla is used, you can replenish it by topping off the jar with more alcohol and giving it a little shake.

To taste test our vanillas, I baked a batch of sugar cookies and split the batch in half, adding a different vanilla to each. Using minimal ingredients (flour, sugar, butter, salt and eggs) allowed the vanillas to shine. The cookies baked with bourbon vanilla were the unanimous favorite. With each bite, we got a little blast of bourbon flavor that quickly settled into a warm, fuller flavor of vanilla. The cookies just seemed more “vanilla-ey” and had a vanilla punch to them. The scent of the bourbon vanilla was warm and toasty – a pleasing mix of bourbon and vanilla.

In comparison, the vodka vanilla had a more traditional vanilla taste and fragrance and was quite delicious, too. Depending upon what you are baking, this one may be a more appropriate choice. I will certainly be happy to bake with the vodka vanilla and to use it when I want a more subtle hint of vanilla. Either way, you can’t go wrong with homemade vanilla and I encourage you to try it. A more cost effective source of vanilla beans than the grocery store is to order them online (Amazon.com sells them fairly reasonably) and make a large amount of vanilla extract. The vanilla will last indefinitely in your cupboard - or not, if you bake as often as I do. And if you have a surplus of vanilla beans (a happy situation indeed) you can slip a split bean into a jar of sugar to create vanilla infused sugar. Happy baking!

Vanilla Extract
Makes 1 cup

6 vanilla beans
1 cup of your chosen alcohol (vodka, bourbon or rum)

Have a clean, dry jar and lid ready (I used 1 pint Mason jars). Split each vanilla bean lengthwise and use your knife to scrape the beans out into the jar. Add the vanilla pods (push them down or cut in half if needed). Pour in the alcohol, screw on the jar lid and gently shake. Label the jar with the date (and type of alcohol if using different ones) and place in a dark spot for ten weeks. Once a week, give the jar a little shake.