Zesty Vegan Kumquat Salsa Recipe
Pucker up, its time for a delicious, sweet and sour, spicy and salty treat- kumquat salsa! This simple kumquat salsa recipe uses just a few basic ingredients and really highlights the star of the show- the kumquat. It is fresh, bright, fruity, and crisp, with a pleasant hint of bitterness from the kumquat, a gentle heat from the jalapeño, and a wonderful, balanced blend of flavors.
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Let’s Eat Kumquats!
I do a lot of weird, food-snob type things- I’m part of a bean club, I’m willing to spend more on spices than I am on clothing, and I’m totally love spending several hours cooking dinner. I also have decided that I’m going to be spending $50 on kumquats every year, because those little grocery store half-pint sizes that I can only find for a couple weeks a year are just not going to cut it. So I start off every new year with a ten pound box of kumquats I get from Kumquat Growers and, although I share a few pounds with other people, that still leaves a lot of pounds for me. On with the kumquat recipes!
Looking for Kumquat Recipes? Try one of these!
- How to Use Kumquats
- Vegan Kumquat Cake with Chocolate Ganache
- Easy Kumquat Marmalade Recipe with Ginger
- How to Make Preserved Kumquats
Looking for Fruity Salsa? Try one of these!
- Papaya Seed Salsa/Papaya Seed Dressing
- Seared Maitake Mushroom Steaks with Persimmon Salsa
- Invasive Japanese Knotweed Salsa (Vegan)
All About Kumquats
In the beginning of citrus, there weren’t lemons. There were no grapefruits. Limes we’re still a thing of the future, and juicy sweet oranges were nowhere to be seen. But there were five different species of citrus, spread across Asia. The papeda, a not really so edible fruit, the citron, the pomelo, the mandarin, and the littlest of them all, the kumquat. Over history, other citrus fruits combined to create the oranges, lemons, and limes we know today, but the kumquat has more or less stayed to itself, in it’s original format. Kumquats are small, about the size of a large grape, and orange in color. There are four species of kumquat, the most common one called nagami or oval kumquats. Unlike most citrus, the kumquat can be eaten peel and all- just spit out the seeds. Kumquats are very high in vitamin C and fiber, and contain smaller amounts of many other vitamins, minerals and phytonutrients.
How to Eat Kumquats
So how do you eat several pounds of kumquats? Easily! Kumquats are in season from November-March, so they’re a perfect winter food. Eating whole, raw kumquats is a bit like eating a sour candy in reverse- the outside is sweet, and as you bite in you’re met with a mouth-puckering burst of sour kumquat juice. I can eat a whole lot of kumquats that way, but when you have 10lbs to get through, you might need a few recipes too. Kumquat marmalade is a fantastic option- because the kumquat peel is delicious, it’s really well suited to be eaten in the marmalade. Kumquats also work well in baked goods, like cakes, tarts, and breads. They make an exciting salad topper, and can be candied. Of course they’re delicious in salsa. If you just can’t get through your kumquats, you can also remove the seeds and blend the peel and insides into a puree, which can be frozen for later use.
Making Kumquat Salsa
If you’ve come for a complicated recipe, I hate to disappoint but this one isn’t it. Make sure your kumquats are nice and clean, and then remove the seeds. A quick(er) way to remove the seeds is to cut the bottom of the kumquat, around 1/3 of the way down. The tips of the seeds should be just poking out. Squeeze gently to release the seeds. I do this over a strainer, with a bowl underneath so that I can catch any juice that drips out in the process. Put the kumquats in your food processor, and pulse around 10 times, until it’s finely chopped (but not pureed!). And that was the hard part. After that, just chop and combine the remaining ingredients. And guess what? You’re done. You can eat it right away, but I think this salsa tastes best after it’s sat in the fridge for a couple hours and the flavors have all marinated together.
Zesty Kumquat Salsa Recipe
Ingredients
- 250 grams kumquats (about 25 kumquats)
- ½ cup cilantro, finely chopped and lightly packed
- ¼ purple onion
- 1 jalapeño
- 3 cloves garlic
- 1 tbsp. lime juice (or apple cider vinegar)
- Salt and pepper, to taste
Instructions
- Wash your kumquats. To easily remove the seeds, cut about 1/3 of the way up from the bottom and gently squeeze to remove the seed. Place the de-seeded kumquats in a food processor, and pulse several times until you have a chunky, minced texture.
- Wash and finely chop the cilantro (leaves and stems). Dice the purple onion. Mince the jalapeño and garlic. Place them in a large bowl along with the processed kumquats, add the lime juice, salt and pepper, and mix. Taste and adjust seasonings as desired. Serve immediately, or store covered in the fridge until serving.
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