Honey-Preserved Kumquats (Mi Jin Ju)

Why people make this

Preserved kumquats are one of those old-fashioned pantry staples that seem modest but turn out to be quietly indispensable. Keep a jar on hand, and you have a ready remedy for the moment a cough won’t quit, a big meal sits heavily in your stomach, or someone has had a glass too many at dinner. Kumquats are unusual among citrus fruits in that you eat the entire fruit — peel included — and in fact, about 80% of their vitamins A, C, and P are concentrated in the fragrant skin. Traditional food therapy values kumquats for warming and moving qi in the lungs and stomach: the kind of gentle, aromatic push that helps ease a tight chest, dissolve stubborn phlegm, or coax a sluggish digestion back to life. Curing them with salt first and then layering with rock sugar creates a sweet-sour, slightly salty syrup over the course of a month — a process that concentrates and mellows the fruit. Nourilo first made salt-preserved kumquats, but this rock-sugar version is sweeter and more versatile.

Method

1. Remove the stem end from each kumquat and wash thoroughly.
2. Place the kumquats in a large bowl, add 2 tablespoons of salt, and rub the salt all over the fruit.
3. Place a sheet of cling film directly over the kumquats, then set a heavy weight on top (a pot of water works well) to press out the moisture. Leave for about half a day (6–8 hours).
4. Drain off the liquid and pat the kumquats dry.
5. Into a clean glass jar, place a layer of kumquats, then cover with a generous layer of crushed rock sugar. Repeat — kumquats, then rock sugar — until the jar is full, finishing with a layer of rock sugar on top.
6. Seal the jar and store in a cool, dark place. The sugar will gradually dissolve and create a syrup.
7. The preserve is ready to use after about 1 month. For best flavour, wait 3–4 months.

To use: Take 2–3 preserved kumquats per serving. Add to a cup of hot water or black tea, crush the kumquats gently in the cup, and drink warm. Eat the fruit as well.

Nourilo’s Tips

Honey-preserved kumquat tea is best enjoyed when you have a lingering cough, especially a cold-type cough with thin or white phlegm. It also helps after a heavy meal that sits uncomfortably in the stomach, or after drinking alcohol. It is said to be beneficial for people prone to asthma or bronchitis when taken regularly as a preventive. One important note: do not drink milk within an hour of eating kumquats — the combination is known to cause bloating. The preserve keeps for 1–2 years, though it does not improve with age the way tangerine peel does; most people find it at its best around 3–4 months in.