Kumquat Marmalade with Vanilla Bean

My second recipe adds the distinct flavor of a vanilla bean with the sliced kumquats. I don't normally like vanilla in a citrus recipe but in this marmalade it creates a great blend. Enjoy!

Kumquat Vanilla Marmalade

3 cups sliced kumquats, de-seeded
1 cup water

1 1/2 cup sugar

1 vanilla bean

Preparation: Prepare 3-4 half pint jars in hot water. Using knife slice and de-seed your kumquats.   

Cooking: In a stainless steel pot combine kumquats and water.  Cook on medium/low till the skins of the kumquats are soft, about 30 minutes at a simmer. Add the sugar. Using a sharp knife split the vanilla bean lengthwise and scrap out the contents of the pod. Add to the marmalade.  Continue to heat on a low simmer for about 40 minutes till the marmalade is thick and passes the spoon or plate test, stir often. (see bottom of this site for description) Remove from heat.  

Processing: Ladle jam into hot, sterilized half pint canning jars, leaving 1/4" headspace. Remove air bubbles and refill if necessary. Wipe rims, and add hot lids and rings. Place the jars in the water bath making sure that the water covers each of the jars by 1 to 2 inches. Add hot water to the canner if it doesn't measure up. Cover the pot and turn up the heat under the canner and wait for the water to start boiling. Once the water has come to a boil start your timer for 10 minutes. When complete turn off the heat and remove the cover and let the jars sit for another few minutes. Remove the jars and place them back on the dishtowel in a place that they will sit overnight to cool. Do not touch or move them till the next morning.

Sealing: Sometime in the next hour your jars will be making a "pinging" or "popping" noise. That is the glass cooling and the reaction of the lids being sucked into the jar for proper sealing. Some recipes may take overnight to seal. Check your lids and reprocess any jars that did not seal.