(macerating fruit before cooking)
It turns out I have a great talent for caramelizing things, so most of what I made did just that. It definitely is a bit overcooked, and I had a pectin crisis (i.e. none formed after 45 min. at a hard boil) but with a packet of powdered pectin, it was salvageable. To me it tastes overcooked, but I know what it was supposed to be. It's really not so bad.
Next was Candied Caramelized Kumquats.
No longer orange, but a soft shade of brown, these are bittersweet, just like the experience of making them. Please make sure you slit your kumquats before cooking. I pin-pricked them, but it turns out that method is ineffective in keeping their plump, oblong shape. Perhaps skewer next time? Half are ok, the other half are shriveled up. You can't see it though, since they are encased in caramel.
Last up, Southern Comfort Spiced Oranges.
These are a cross between candied and pickled. With some SoCo for luck. They're actually quite good. Which brings me to this: Old-fashioned oranges. No, not some old-timey heirloom cultivar. Oranges for old-fashion-eds. That's right. I had some not-quite-so-pretty slices after I finished packing the jars, when it dawned on me to chop them up and add the leftover kumquat syrup to wetten them up and voila, instant macerated, muddled oranges. Add one teaspoon of these babies and some bitters with your favorite bourbon. Add ice, top off with soda, and you have an awesome interpretation if I do say so myself. I used a recipe from a 1970s pickling book. It's called "Orangerie."
Here is the final pic (minus the grapfruit, which hadn't been made yet)
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