Shop Products
Houzz Logo Print
sydneylanier

What to do with all that Calamondin fruit???

sydneylanier
18 years ago

I have a dozen or so citrus trees that I grow on my deck most of the year. The trees spend the coldest days of winter in the garage coming out only on those above 28 degree days. This year my calamondin has produced a bumper crop. I know what to do with the lemons - squeeze and freeze the juice, make pies and tarts, etc. Grapefruit we eat as it ripens. But what can I do with all those calamondins? Does anyone have any recipes? Can you make marmalade (so many big seeds!)? Can it be substituted for sour orange and be used to make marinades and mojo sauce? Or should I just enjoy the fruit and send it to the compost pile when it starts to rot and fall of the tree? Thanks in advance.

Comments (34)

  • becky3086
    18 years ago

    Here are a bunch of recipes for you. Hope that helps!
    http://www.cooks.com/rec/search/0,1-0,calamondin,FF.html

  • rjcantor
    18 years ago

    I leave them on the tree until they develop a more reddish orange color. I think the difference is clear once you see it. Then I eat them. Once they get that reddish orange color they are sweeter (But always very tart). Sometimes I eat them plain, sometimes I cut them in half and dip the cut end in sugar or honey, sometimes I slice them and let them soak in the sugar or honey for a while. The seeds pop out easily with the tip of a knife.

    As a note of caution, I also eat small slivers of lemons and limes (not the peel as you would with a calamondin), but I like Calamondins better - they are more complex and a little sweeter, I think.

  • gcmastiffs
    18 years ago

    I use Calamondins in tea, soda, seltzers - just squeeze several and drop the whole fruit right in the glass. It makes an excellent marinade for chicken or fish. I squeeze the biggest ones and make fruit ice cubes out of them.


    Lisa

  • bencelest
    18 years ago

    A simple recipe is add ice cubes and sugar to your squezed calamondin.

  • terryboc
    18 years ago

    I have tried a cake recipe that uses the fruit in both the cake and the glaze-delicious! One word of warning though-make sure you remove the ribs, otherwise you get a "chewy" puree. Remove the seeds too! You can then sprout them and get new baby trees to boot. I'd bake it in a bundt pan and drizzle the glaze down the sides. If you bake it in a square pan, the glaze will pool in the center or edges, depending on how the cake rises.

    I swiped this recipe from Orient Magazine, but it is posted on other web sites as well.


    1 box Yellow Cake Mix
    1 small package of lemon jello, or lime jello
    1/3 cup milk
    1/3 cup of calamondin puree*
    4 eggs
    1/2 to 3/4 cup oil
    1 tbsp. lemon extract
    Preparation:

    Combine above cake ingredients, adding eggs one at a time. Beat 4 minutes medium speed.
    Pour into greased/floured bundt pan (or 9"x12" pan or 2 bread loaf pans).
    Bake until done in 350 degree heat for 30-45 minutes.
    Cool, prick top and pour glaze over.
    To Make Calamondin Puree:

    Wash 14-16 calamondins. DO NOT PEEL the fruit.
    Quarter the fruit, remove seeds, and center rib.
    Puree or put through a food processor.
    Set aside 1/2 cup for the glaze.
    To Make Glaze:

    1/4 cup butter or margarine
    2 cups powdered sugar
    2 tsps. lemon extract
    1/2 cup puree
    1/8 tsp. salt
    Mix ingredients well and pour over top and sides of cake.

  • The Citrus Guy
    18 years ago

    Squeeze them and substitute the juice in your favorite Lemon Meringue Pie receipe. I do and it is delicious!!
    Darren

  • fsherwin
    18 years ago

    I met a guy years ago near Melbourne, FL who has just six 8-foot calamondin trees planted in the ground. He makes 'kalamansi' nectar and supplies Filipino stores under the brand Sunny Bear Kalamansi Juice concentrate.

    He harvests the fruit before they are very ripe (more ripe = less juice), washes them very thoroughly under running water, slices the fruits manually and squeezes them. Next he filters the juice to remove all seeds and debris.

    He then prepares a concetrated syrup to which he adds the juice to attain a certain final concentration so that, say, 1 tsp of his product per cup of water, makes the "right" juice for drinking. I cannot remember the exact recipe but that should depend on how sweet or tart you want your product to be.

    Finally, he fills plastic containers and pasteurizes the fruit juice concentrate. After cooling, he attaches his label. He produces a few dozen 8- or 12-oz bottles at a time and has steady demand from Filipino stores in Chicago and California. I do not know what the demand for this juice beverage is among non-Filipinos.

    You may supply a few oriental stores in the Buford, GA area. Even if you don't get a lot of money for your fruit, you might go home with some other oriental products (egg roll, soy sauce, fresh mushrooms, herbs, whatever) in exchange. I used to grow shiitake and oyster mushroom for a hobby and was usually overwhelmed when they would all produce at the same time. So I gave some to my favorite oriental store and they would give me back something in return or let me have a couple of items in my shoppping cart for free. Not bad for barter.

    I keep one potted plant in my greenhouse at work and the 4-ft plant supplies just enough for all my family's culinary needs. There is often a little extra to go around to my other Filipino friends. Hope that helps.

  • andrei_noone
    18 years ago

    Calamondin is best if it is still green in color. Squeeze the juice out and use it with soy sauce or fish sauce as a condiment for beef stew, chicken stew. Or you could combine it with barbecue sauce. Also a good marinade for grilled fish, grilled pork chop.

    Here is a link that might be useful: Calamondin facts

  • tamstrees
    18 years ago

    I'm not a big marmalade person but I love it made with calamondins. In fact I've purchased a bunch of 15 gallon trees for this reason. I have my whole family addicted to it and everyone is waiting for the next batch.

    I use the juice on seafood sometimes, although I prefer key lime it's a nice change. Try marinating chicken, ribs, duck with fresh herbs and juice. Then grill or BBQ.

  • susan_on
    18 years ago

    I grate the rinds to add to my orange/cranberry muffins.

    Susan

  • Millet
    18 years ago

    Give them to the people holding cardboard signs on just about every stree corner. Especially the old stand by "Will Work For Food" - Millet

  • tamstrees
    18 years ago

    I think we need a co-op so to speak. All these people with fruit and all these other people who want fruit. Also I'm sure there are people who will take fruit, make preserves and give some back. I sent a woman a large box of calamondins last year and she sent me back marmalade. It was a deal..only 8 bucks in postage.

  • bencelest
    18 years ago

    What about the guy who hold the sign: " Why lie? I need money for a beer!" (LOL) Just kidding Millet. But I see a sign like that truly.

  • eyeckr
    18 years ago

    Along with many other fellow members here, I have enjoyed making a Calamondin-ade juice drink. It takes a bit of work to squeeze all of those little guys but the taste makes up for it in the end. Here's a pic...

    {{gwi:590445}}

  • Laaz
    18 years ago

    Damn a lot of work there. How much sugar do you add to a gallon of juice ?

    Benny I need money for beer all the time ;)

  • drichard12
    18 years ago

    eyeckr..I must say it looks pretty darn good..Dale

  • bencelest
    18 years ago

    Laaz:
    So am I.

  • eyeckr
    18 years ago

    Laaz -I'm not sure how much sugar I end up putting in a gal of juice maybe 3/4 -1 cup. I do dilute the juice w/ some water though.

  • bencelest
    18 years ago

    Laaz:
    Just taste the juice at your hearts content until you are satisfiied of the mix.
    I have my kids be the taster.
    A long time ago when the cals were scarce, I had about 10 cal fruit and after I used the juice up for cooking I gathered all the rinds and put it in a glass filled it with icecubes and the rest water and add 2 tbspn of sugar thinking that I can have a juicy cal juice of my own. When I was ready to drink it my youngest asked me if he could TASTE it and after he asked me if he could have it. What can I say? I just drooled and gave it to him.

  • Laaz
    18 years ago

    Thanks eyeckr & Benny I have about 100 fruit ready right now...

  • kquat
    18 years ago

    Is Calamondin the sour kumquat? Or is it just the sour orange?

  • bencelest
    18 years ago

    Calamondin is a different tree of its own. Native of the Philippines. Kumquat is a different species. Sometimes cal is called a sour orange.

  • terryboc
    18 years ago

    I happen to like to eat them whole and spit out the seeds. I do that with my key limes as well, especially when the crop is scarce. They don't even make it into the house. I get a strange thrill eating those sour little oranges knowing that I grew them myself.

  • bencelest
    18 years ago

    Terry: Yikes! Boy, you must be brave. They are very sour. It is best to add salt first or better still, get about 3 or 4 cals squeeze them in an iced glass of filtered water add a full tablespoon of sugar and use them as lemonade er... calade. All my 3 kids love them. OPtion add 1 squezzed fresh orange.
    Better still (I've never done this yet) in a blender, add about half full of filtered water, 2 cups of ice and about 20 calamondin all squezzed first in a glass remove the seeds and pour the cals in the blender and add about 1/2 cup of sugar and blend for 30 seconds.
    I always do this with my Eureka lemon 1 lemon 3 oranges and 1/2 cup sugar, 2 cups ice 2 cups water and blend.
    This is a cheap pitcher of beverage. And healthy too.
    Bet your kids and family will love it.

  • bencelest
    18 years ago

    The reason why I don't use 20 cals in a pitcher is because I treasured my cal so much that I thought I could use them better in more ways than one. But now that I have plenty perhaps I will do it now. But then they are so pretty on the tree!

  • birdsnblooms
    18 years ago

    Ben, yep, they are pretty on a tree. Did you ever try making the jelly from the CAl citrus?
    I too have heard it referred to as a sour orange. Wonder why? LOL..Toni

  • lovethisweather2_YAHOO_COM
    13 years ago

    It is a standard joke in Florida. Every Floridian at some time or another must have a bowl of these for a visitor and entice them to taste the beautiful fruit. It was tried on me and I try it on everyone else.
    It is a wonderful fruit for cakes and marmalade. Your visitors will love it. Lots of recipes on the net. I bought my first box at a bazaar when someone put them in a basket with a pretty ribbon and a cake recipe. Yum! It is one of those things like Christmas turkey, you wait for it all year and when they are in season, they are so special. Use the skins for potpourri

  • newtie
    11 years ago

    Follow Fish Man's recipe above. Calamondins make the world's best marmalade! It's intensely orangey! There is none better. You cook the whole, ripe fruit after chopping. You can slice, chop, whatever, but you don't need to remove the seeds they will float to the top during boiling. You just skim them off. What could be easier? Calamondins are more cold hardy than other oranges and can be grown in zone 8b with protection below 20 deg F. They may defoliate, but they will bounce back. I love calamondins for the great marmalade.

  • tobybul2 - Zone 6 SW MI
    10 years ago

    Calamondins are very common in Asia and the tropics and are mainly used when still green, never when it turns orange or ripens. Its mainly used like we use lemon or lime in the US. But that's not to say that there are no other uses for it.

  • koiboy98
    7 years ago

    I live in North Florida and found I can grow Calamondins here. My first tree is now 12 feet tall and bearing loads of fruit every year. I tried cuttings last year and now have a couple dozen trees. The government stopped in and told me I couldn't grow them, propagate or sell them, or even give them away. Part of the new citrus "cartel" formed to channel the money to special interests. Still. I will keep them for my own use.

  • tobybul2 - Zone 6 SW MI
    7 years ago
    hmmm.... the government stopped in??? what do they care?
  • HU-440711976
    3 years ago

    boil the whole Calamondin fruit with honey and bottle them use it as a drink during hot weather. Add a spoonful of the Calamondin fruit with honey into a cup of water and drink it, very refreshing

  • HU-74808727376
    2 years ago
    last modified: 2 years ago

    Please let me know if you can send me a box of green calamondin fruits. i was from the philippines and i love calamondins. im willing to pay for postage plus some to make it worthwhile your time. i live in Wisconsin.