Kalamansi / Calamondin Jelly a la Marketman

jelly1

I figured that since I was going to go through the trouble of making kalamansi marmalade, I might as well attempt to make a kalamansi jelly as well. It seemed logical that a jelly would have all the key flavors I was seeking, without the added bitterness of actually eating the rind and pulp of kalamansi. I have never come across a kalamansi jelly (though I am sure jelly2someone must have thought of and tried this before). I had no recipe to guide me and it was pure chutzpah to attempt this…though increasingly I am finding that if you have some degree of confidence in the kitchen, trying out new things is usually a satisfying experience. At any rate, I wanted a jelly that quivered like a firm jello. I had previously made some guava jelly rather successfully, albeit it being a bit overcooked and thus more honey-like in viscosity…

To make this jelly, I selected about 1/2 kilo of kalamansi fruit. Frankly, blemishes aren’t much of an issue here as the rind will not end up in the finished product. Slice up the kalamansi into fairly small cuts, though attention to uniformity is again less of an issue since the rinds will be discarded eventually. As with the marmalade recipe, measure the jelly3chopped kalamansi and pulp and for each cup of this add just under a cup of water and boil this mixture for about 17-18 minutes and turn the heat off. Let the mixture cool off for say 30-45 minutes before continuing with the process. Once the liquid has cooled off a bit, put it in a jelly bag and suspend it over a bowl to extract the juices. Do NOT squeeze the bag and wring juices out of it, let it seep out naturally. Without a jelly bag, you can also just use a sieve lined with some cheese cloth (which you can pre-soak in hot water so the dry cloth doesn’t absorb lots of the kalamansi flavor) and let the boiled kalamansi drain through there. You can let it drain for 3-5 hours, or in some cases, some people let it drip overnight.

To each cup of the strained liquid, add about 1 cup of granulated white sugar and place this in a small to medium sized enameled pot. Bring this to a boil, skim any scum on the surface and allow it to boil for about 18 minutes or until it reaches the setting point of 220F. Take this of off the heat and place the jelly into a sterilized jar. My half kilo jelly5yielded less than a medium sized Ball jar… Leave this to rest overnight. If it is too watery, you didn’t cook it enough. If you overdid it, it will sieze up and be hard after a nap in the fridge. The jelly I made came out perfect…just a bit jiggly, like a firm jello. It spread nicely and had few impurities… it was nice and clear, and a caramel colour with a strong kalamansi fragrance. Taste wise, it was less bitter than the marmalade, but don’t kid yourself… if you aren’t into that bittery lime vibe, don’t try this recipe.

I also tried this jelly on toast with butter…it was more smooth or soave than the marmalade which had a few tougher larger slices of kalamansi. But the marmalade seemed to have more appealing overall mouthfeel. This jelly, as with the marmalade, had verve, character and heart. It’s hard to describe it, but it felt really good to make this wonderful jelly4jelly at the same time as I was tinkering with the marmalade. Besides enjoying this with toast, I am thinking of using it in a basting concoction of say soy sauce and kalamansi jelly for chicken or as a flavor enhancer for baked goods… Overall, the marmalade and jelly were time well spent in the kitchen. Oh, and btw, if you are in Manila, this is a perfect gift to make and give to a friend or relative that lives abroad and who pines for the flavors of home… Oh, and double btw, it seems there is a LOT of calamondin grown in Florida by home gardeners and you might even be able to make this jelly/marmalade if you get hold of fresh calamondin. I noticed that calamondin in the U.S. turns orange if allowed to ripen on the plant… At any rate, enjoy this purely local, uniquely Filipino, bitterish kalamansi jelly…

Facebook
Twitter
Pinterest

4 Responses

  1. aridelros, thanks… actually, after de-seeding a kilo of kalamansi you won’t feel like doing it again for another year…

  2. Hello MarketMan,

    I am wondering, what is a jelly bag and where could I get one? I am planning to make this kalamansi jelly, since my uncle would be going to the US and Canada this first week of November. I would like to give this to our relatives there.. ;)

  3. Blaise, you may want to make kalamansi marmalade instead, recipe in archives. I liked the results of kalamansi marmalade better than the jelly…

  4. Thanks for the info, MarketMan..

    My problem with the marmalade is that it is quite idfficult to have access with really good blemish-free kalamansi..

BLOG CATEGORIES

MARKETMAN ON INSTAGRAM

Subscribe To Updates

No spam, only notifications about new blog posts.