What the Heck is a Kumquat? Let’s Cook Roasted Pork Tenderloin with Kumquat & Pineapple Chutney

What the heck is a kumquat? My mother-in-law had one of these citrus trees growing in her backyard in Houston. She loved to just pop the tiny fruit into her mouth as a snack. Oh my, the fruit has so many seeds. Plus, the fruit packs a strong citrus punch. Nevertheless, the kumquat tree is one of the most cold-hardy citrus trees around. That’s my kind of tree. So, I planted a kumquat tree in my backyard several years ago and am now harvesting my own kumquats. To use the fruit, I made “Kumquat & Pineapple Chutney” which is a jazzy little relish containing kumquats, pineapple, jalapeño peppers and onions. I served it along with “Roasted Pork Tenderloin.” It was delicious.

What Is a Kumquat?

A kumquat is a small citrus fruit about the size of a cherry tomato. The fruit reminds me of a miniature orange. It has an intense citrus-type flavor — sweet, sour and tart. So you don’t need many kumquats to flavor your dish. The fruit has lots of seeds and pith and not much pulp. Although you can eat the raw fruit (peel and pulp); often only the kumquat peel is used in cooking. Add kumquats to chutney, sauces, marmalades and as candied fruit. Make kumquat curd (rather than lemon curd) and serve over biscuits. I saw one recipe entitled, “Kumquat Jubilee,” which substituted kumquats for cherries. The flaming, brandied sauce was served over ice cream. Yum! Kumquats would be great when steeped in alcohol for a liqueur and then added to cocktails. Pair kumquats with meat, salmon and hard, salty cheeses. Toss raw slices in salads. Pair with chocolate or vanilla flavored desserts.

Nutritionally, kumquats have a similar nutritional profile to oranges and other citrus fruit. They are rich in Vitamin C, fiber and antioxidants. They certainly are a healthy fruit.

Growing Kumquats in Louisiana

Kumquats are native to China and Southeast Asia where they have been referenced in literature since the 12th century. The trees are also found Japan where the fruit is popular. Kumquat trees were brought to the Southeastern states around the 1850s — along with many other fruit tree species. These were the Nagami or Oval Kumquat varieties which were introduced from Japan.

The kumquat trees which are sold commercially here, as well as around the world, are grafted onto rootstock. These trees bear fruit in just a few years as opposed to 15 years if you grew the tree from seed. The trees are small, evergreen shrubs or trees and can grow to be 8 to 15 feet tall. Plant them in a sunny location and they will be happy. There are both sweet and sour varieties of kumquats — I have the sour Nagami variety!

Since this tree is one of the heartiest citrus trees which you can grow, I planted my own kumquat tree a couple of years ago in my backyard. After several years, I harvested a small bowl of fruit. This year, I was surprised to go into our backyard in January and still see fruit ripening. However, to protect the tree, I did cover it during our historic snowstorm where the temperature dropped to 7 degrees. I think the kumquat tree has survived.

Here is my mother-in-law’s kumquat tree in Houston several years ago. It is loaded with fruit.

Like oranges, kumquats don’t ripen substantially after they are picked. So, the fruit is left on the tree until bright orange and fragrant.

Recipe

Since I only had a small handful of kumquats this year, I decided to try to make a chutney. (It turned out more like a sauce!) A “chutney” is an Indian condiment or relish which is made with chopped fruit cooked with vinegar, spices and sugar. Perfect for using my kumquats. I added in pineapple tidbits to tame down the strong citrus flavor and extend the sauce.

Here are the ingredients for my “Kumquat and Pineapple Chutney.” In addition to kumquats and pineapple, I added onion, jalapeno pepper, sugar, a bit of salt and Marsala cooking wine. (The oil is for sautéing  the onion and peppers.)

Making the Recipe

To remove bitterness, boil the kumquats in water for one minute, then dip in cold water. Do this process twice. Then, use a melon baller to scoop out the seeds and pith and discard. We are using the peels in this recipe.

Mince up the kumquats, onion and jalapeño pepper. You can either do this by hand or use a small food chopper. Then sauté the onion and jalapeño in a small amount of oil.

Add in the kumquats after the onions become translucent. Add the pineapple tidbits and enough water mixed with juice to equal one cup. Also add the Marsala wine, sugar and a pinch of salt. Boil, reduce the heat and let the sauce simmer on the stove.

To thicken the sauce, I mixed cornstarch with cold water and then added this to the sauce. Cook until the sauce bubbles, thickens and becomes translucent.

The chutney “sauce” is finished and ready to serve. Next, on to cooking the accompanying entrée, which is “Roasted Peppercorn Pork Tenderloin.”

Roasted Peppercorn Pork Tenderloin

I love to cook with whole pork tenderloins. They make the perfect accompaniment to fruit sauces such as my “Kumquat & Pineapple Chutney.”

Pork tenderloins are lean and tender. They are small, weighting about one pound each. Just right for our small family. These tenderloins are frequently sold as two roasts/package. When our local Rouse’s grocery store featured a sale on these tenderloins, I jumped and purchased several packages. I froze some of the meat and decided to roast one package for our supper meal.

My favorite recipe for roasting a whole pork tenderloin is so simple. I simply season the tenderloin with course salt and whole black peppercorns and lather on Dijon mustard. Roast in a 350 degree oven.

This doesn’t take long to roast the tenderloins; only about 40 minutes. I use a meat thermometer to keep track of the temperature. Remove the tenderloin from the oven when the meat is cooked to 165 degrees.

Let the cooked tenderloins “rest” for about 10 minutes and then slice crosswise. Serve with the “Kumquat and Pineapple Chutney.” The sauce shines when served along with pork in this dinner entrée.

So, now we know that kumquats are a small citrus fruit which came to this country in the 1800s from Japan. And, the fruit is still very popular in Japan as well as Southern China and Asia. The small fruit is full of seeds and pith, but you can eat the whole raw fruit, if you wish. I prefer to cook with the peel!

Kumquats ripen and are found in grocery stores during the winter months. So, the season to finding this fruit in stores is ending. If you live in the South and are interested in starting a fruit orchard, it is generally recommended that you plant fruit trees during the winter and early spring months. Now is the time to start gardening in Louisiana!

This combination of ingredients works to make a “jazzy” chutney. I love the citrus flavor of the kumquats blended along with the onion and jalapeño pepper. This is a mildly sweet sauce because of the pineapple, Marsala wine and sugar. The kumquats and wine add a little tartness. The chutney makes a good complement to the “Roasted Peppercorn Pork Tenderloin.”

Enjoy this recipe!