Kumquat Marmalade (Photography Tips and a Recipe!)

Sooo my boyfriend has a kumquat tree...

And when it was ripe, he picked all the fruit.  And for a week, on his table sat an untouched bowl of lovely kumquats.

So I decided something must be done with them before they went bad and were wasted.

This led to me making, of all things--Kumquat Marmalade.

I've never made any sort of marmalade or jam before (and in truth, I don't even know the difference between marmalade and jam!) so I did a little internet research and found it was pretty simple! This is what I did...

Ingredients
-2 cups kumquats (sliced and seeded)
-4 cups water
-1 1/2 cups sugar

Directions
Slice the kumquats and remove all the seeds or any thick membranes.  Keep the peels!  Put the 2 cups of sliced kumquats in a pan that can go on the stove with the 4 cups water and let it sit overnight. Also place a couple of metal spoons in the freezer.

In the morning, (or after 12 hrs) add the sugar, mix, and bring to a bowl.  Remove any seeds that float to the top.  If you like you could also add some spices like cinnamon, cloves, or vanilla beans.  Bowl for about 45 minutes to an hour.   After 45 minutes place a little bit of the marmalade on one of your frozen spoons and put it back in the freezer for 3 minutes.  When you check the spoon after 3 minutes, it should be neither hot nor cold.  Tip the spoon forward and if the marmalade runs, bowl for another 5 minutes and try again on one of the other frozen spoons.

When its cooked enough that it doesn't slide off the spoon, your marmalade is done.  Turn off the heat and let it sit for about 5 minutes.  Pour the mixture into jars and refrigerate overnight.  Makes about 12 ounces of marmalade.

The final product tasted especially wonderful on a piece of bread with some brie cheese! I may have to do a photo shoot of this creation next!


And a note on the food photography...I normally shoot food pretty light and bright, using window light on one side and a reflector on the other to fully light my dish. I tried something a little different here. The color of the marmalade was so bright and rich, I really wanted it to stand out against dark surfaces. I had this rock that I thought would work well as a little dish, and I placed it on a little wooden box I had. Underneath the box I draped a piece of black cloth across the table and over one of the chairs. I had window light on the left, but instead of using a reflector to add more light, I used a board to block light from the back and create more shadow.

 I was pretty happy with the result. I'm sorry I forgot to take a pull-back shot! Will try to do that next time!

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