Candied Kumquat Rosettes

This is the second post in a three part series. To see the first post, click here.

I only needed a couple kumquats for the candied flower project so I had a bunch leftover. Instead of candying just the peel, I decided to candy the entire fruit, turning them into little candied rosettes. Since I was giving these kumquats as a gift, I also needed to figure out a way to package them, a la Mari.

CANDIED KUMQUAT ROSETTES
Makes 28 or one pint’s worth 

1-pint organic kumquats
2 cups sugar
2 cups water plus additional for boiling

Wash the kumquats well. With a paring knife or Exacto blade, make 6-8 evenly spaced cuts, about ¾-inch long. Gently squeeze the kumquat from top to bottom to expose some of the fruit’s center. With a toothpick or small hook-y tool, pick out as many of the seeds as possible.

Put cleaned kumquats into a small pot. Cover the kumquats with cold water by one inch. Bring water to a boil, lower heat and cook for 10 minutes. Drain water and repeat one more time.

Add the two cups of water and sugar to the pot. Bring to a boil, lower heat and cook for 45 minutes. Wash down sides of the pot with a clean brush dipped in water. Remove from heat, cover with a cloth and let sit for 8-12 hours or overnight.

Heat oven to the lowest temperature possible. I set mine to 170 degrees. Drain kumquats on a wire rack that's over a piece of waxed paper (dried sugar is a beast to clean!) On a parchment paper covered cookie sheet, place kumquats about an inch apart from one another. Gently press down to flatten them. Bake in the oven for 6 hours, flipping them over after 4 hours.

Let cool to room temperature. Store in an airtight container, separated in between layers of waxed paper. Enjoy!

These are really good with a little dark chocolate too. I don't know how they'd look dipped in chocolate. I was afraid to ruin the translucent, glossy shininess. If you try dipping them, let me know how they turn out!