Mứt quất is a sweet made from whole marumi kumquats, and most Vietnamese families have it for the Lunar New Year (Tết). The fruit is scored, pressed flat and seeded, soaked in lime water, then cooked slowly in sugar until the syrup thickens. This is the author’s mother’s recipe. It takes two days because the fruit sits in sugar overnight, but each step is simple. Plan ahead: the lime water needs 3–4 hours to settle, the kumquats soak in it for 5–7 hours, and they sit in sugar for one night (8–10 hours) before cooking. Ingredients 1.2 kg marumi kumquats (quất) 600 g white sugar ½ teaspoon cooking lime (vôi), sold at Vietnamese markets 1 lemon How to make mứt quất 1. Clean the kumquats and start the lime water Wash the kumquats 2–3 times in water with a little salt, rubbing the skins gently with your hand. Leave them to dry. Stir the cooking lime into 2–3 litres of water and leave it for 3–4 hours. Don’t touch it while it settles. 2. Score and seed the fruit Hold each kumquat by the stem with one finger and use a knife to cut thin slits all the way around the fruit. Press it gently flat and remove all the seeds. 3. Soak in lime water Pour off the clear water from the top of the lime mixture and throw away the sediment at the bottom. Add 1–2 tablespoons of water. Soak the kumquats in this water for 5–7 hours. Then rinse them carefully in clean water 3–4 times and leave them to dry. 4. Leave the fruit in sugar overnight This is the step not to rush. The ratio is 600 g of white sugar to 1 kg of kumquats. Mix the fruit with the sugar and leave it for one night, or 8–10 hours, until all the sugar has dissolved. 5. Cook the jam The next day, cook everything over low heat for 20 minutes. Add 1 tablespoon of lemon juice and keep cooking for 45–60 minutes, until the kumquats turn golden brown and the syrup is thick. Turn off the heat. Share:
