While working at a night market one evening, I glanced over and saw my friend Camille snacking on tiny oranges. I exclaimed, “Are you eating whole oranges?” She gave me one and told me to eat the whole thing very quickly, so I popped it in my mouth and bit down. All at once I felt orange oil explode inside my mouth and I began chewing until the sting of the tart oil was eased by the sweet inside. I have been chomping on these beauties ever since. Camille has a honey business called Old Blue Raw Honey, and I created this recipe using her coriander varietal honey, which is my favorite.
2 pounds kumquats
4 cups apple cider vinegar
3 tablespoons Orange Peel Pickling Spice
1 tablespoon kosher salt
3/4 cup unsalted shelled pistachios
1 tablespoon local honey
Makes 6 half-pints
Assemble the canning stations as described on pages 5–7, steps 2–4. At the food preparation station, wash the kumquats under cold running water, pull off any stems, and compost or eat any kumquats that are soft. Slice the kumquats in half lengthwise and remove any seeds with the tip of a knife.
In a medium, stainless steel saucepan, heat the vinegar, 1 cup of water, Orange Peel Pickling Spice, and salt over high heat, until boiling. Turn down heat to a low simmer, add the pistachios and honey, and infuse for 5 minutes.
At the filling station, keep the jars and brine hot while filling each jar. Cold-pack the fruit into each jar, leaving 1 inch of headspace. Pour the brine into each jar, ensuring that both pistachios and spices go into each one and leaving 1/2 inch of headspace. Remove the air pockets, add brine if necessary, wipe the rim, and secure the lid. Place the jars in the water bath, covered by 1 inch of water. Once the water is boiling, process for 10 minutes (pages 11–14, steps 7–12).
TIP
The brine on this is a bit cloudy, which is a result of the nut proteins releasing into the liquid. Be sure to drain the brine before serving, saving it to use in the Kumquat Pistachio Chicken with Coconut Black Sesame Rice recipe.