Friends, Culture, Heat: Kumquat Hawaiian Vanilla Marmalade

Summer came in early and hot this year in Southern California, and living in the San Gabriel Valley, you could feel it often early in the morning…well not the heat, but the potential for it.

It is a difficult feeling to describe, but it is a palpable one. It may be say, 8 or 9 in the morning, but the last of the moisture that was held in the air all night hovers ghostly, ready to depart.

It is on days like this that I try and find somewhere else to be. So back in late May, when the heat would really hit again, I fled towards the Beach to hang with friends.

Torrance to be exact. It is a town that is a beach town, but known more for its industrial heart.

The place has headquarters for the likes of Alcoa, Exxon Mobil, and others.

But for me, Torrance always had a Japanese, and in particular Japanese Hawaiian heart. That is because Hawaiians of Japanese descent came to the South Bay and set up the farms and stores that would provide a foothold for the future, a future that would survive in the face of forced relocation during WWII and economic downturn. In fact this foothold set the stage for the city’s revitalization, with the likes of Honda, Toyota, and even smaller firms setting up their American headquarters in the city.

So I would escape the San Gabriel Valley early in the morning, and end up at Torrance in time for breakfast with friends. A regular spot for comida was King’s Hawaiian. Their puffy, pillowy, slightly sweet white bread makes for an amazing French Toast. Add some Portuguese Sausage and wonderful company and it is a great breakfast.

When we would come back to their place afterward, I was in awe of the kumquat tree on their property.

It was an old fella.

The equivalent of an Ent in Lord of the Rings. It was wizened, surviving the growth of the community around it, and many an overzealous gardener trying to trim back its prodigious nature.

And what a bounty it produced.

Its fruit was thumb sized. Its skin was sweet, flavorful, and candylike.

Growing up in California, kumquats were more likely to be projectiles against playmates than something that you would eat, or something that just got picked up off the ground when gardening.

But we have kept away from this thing for too long. You can make a great punch with the stuff (which one of these days I will share the recipe for), and then there is this, sure to be a king on your breakfast table, Kumquat Hawaiian Vanilla Marmalade.

Kumquats are really all about their skins. In a way, they flip the script from the rest of the citrus world, with a strong acidic, bitter pulp, but a sweet skin. This recipe makes them shine, and the vanilla supports the cooked kumquat flavor profile.

The fact is I wanted to honor the friends I have, and the history of where they live.

So I got a Hawaiian Vanilla bean, and some Maui sugar. Add the fruit from the tree and off I went.

The ingredients for Kumquat Hawaiian Vanilla Marmalade are:

6 cups whole kumquats

1 Hawaiian Vanilla Bean

2.5 Cups Maui Brand Maui Gold Sugar

2.5 Cups Maui Brand Natural White Sugar

9 cups water

Materials Needed for Kumquat Hawaiian Vanilla Marmalade are:

Glass canning jars with bands and lids

Cheesecloth

Large pot to cook marmalade in

Large pot to sterilize empty jars, canning funnel, and filled jars

Saucepan for bands and lids

Heavy wire rack for cooling

Canning funnel

Jar and lid lifters

Spoons

Tongs

The making:

Well there is a bit of early prep I did to start. Before getting the kumquats at my friends’ house, I actually started a week in advance by placing the whole vanilla bean into an airtight container with the sugar for the recipe.  Every couple days I pulled the bean out, stirred the sugar, and placed the bean back in. This was to try and maximize the bean and to have it perfume the sugar.

After getting the kumquats from my friends’ tree I gently rinsed and scrubbed the fruit, being careful not to release any oil or harm the skin.

I then halved, or quartered the fruit, and pulled out all of the seeds from them.

I am not going to lie to you folks, this is labor intensive.

I placed all of the seeds in a large cheesecloth square that I tied in a knot.

I then threw the cut fruit, water, and seed package in the large pot on the stove, bringing to a rapid boil, and then dialing down to simmer for 7 minutes.

I took it off the heat, covered, and once cooled down put pot and all into the fridge overnight.

The next day I took the lid off, brought the pot back up to a boil and cooked until the peels were tender. At this point I started to remove any foam that is produced by skimming off the top.

After the skins were tender I removed the seed packet, and added my perfumed sugar, saving the vanilla bean to add later.

The reason why this is that you are going to continue to cook and skim and you do not want to lose any of the vanilla because it can get trapped in the foam you are trying to remove.

Stir that pot.

Stir frequently.

Keep skimming off the top, and once you have no foam left, slice open the vanilla bean and scrape the insides into your marmalade. Stir well to mix.

Around here you should start prepping the jars as per the manufacturer’s instructions.

Continue to cook down, until the concoction globs together instead of dripping on a chilled plate from a freezer.

Once the marmalade has jelled, follow the instructions for your canning jars, placing marmalade in them, and then brought back to bathe and process the filled jars.

Pull them out of the water, let them cool, waiting for the blessed sound of the snap as the jar seals.

Dry off any excess water and tighten bands.

I know this takes awhile.

I mean, it takes a week for the sugar then multiple days once things get hot and heavy.

But it is worth it. And the haul will keep you in deliciousness for a long time, and crush anything in the stores. It will remind you of warm weather on a cold morning. And for me, reminds me of friends.

I think mine is best served on some King’s Hawaiian Bread.

Toasted. With a little butter. The marmalade is citrusy, yet will harken to flavors of other fruit preserves, and has the perceptible kick from the oil from the skin. A real complex and wonderful taste.

In a way it makes it full circle, this bread, like the marmalade, is a product of the South Bay of Los Angeles , and the friends and cultures who make the place so special.

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I would like to thank the staff of the Torrance Historical Society & Museum for their help with this article. http://www.torrancehistoricalsociety.org

Links to Producers/Supplies:

http://www.freshpreserving.com/

http://www.hawaiianvanilla.com/

http://www.kingshawaiian.com/

http://www.mauibrand.com/