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Cumquat Preserves

Wash a quart box of fruit, make a small slit in the ends of each cumquat, and let soak in cold water over night. This slit lets the water through and softens the otherwise tough skin. In the morning pour off the water.

Cover with fresh, cold water and bring to boiling point, then let cook until the skins are tender. Set aside over night. Next day take the weight of the cumquats and liquid in sugar.

Heat the liquid and fruit to the boiling point; add the sugar gradually, that the boiling may not cease and let boil rapidly until the syrup is clear and thickened somewhat. Store as canned fruit or as jelly.

Cumquat Preserves No. 2 Cut the cumquats (without peeling) into halves or quarters and take out the seeds.

Weigh the pieces of cumquat. Take one pound or three fourths a pound (according to richness desired) of sugar for each pound of fruit, also half the weight of the fruit in water. Let the fruit simmer in the water until it is perfectly tender but not in the least broken. Skim out the fruit. To the liquid, which has lost in volume by evaporation, add water, that the whole may equal half the weight of the sugar; add also the juice of a lemon for each pound of fruit. When the sugar has melted, let the whole boil five or six minutes, then skim, add the cumquats, and let simmer until transparent.

Should the syrup be too thin, reduce it by boiling. The syrup should be of the same consistency as that in jars of preserved ginger. This may be stored in empty ginger jars.