FAPC Member Spotlight – Kumquat Growers
As a child growing up in Central Florida (shout out to DeLand!), there were kumquat trees growing throughout my neighborhood. It wasn’t until years later that I even realized there was a commercial crop of kumquats in Florida. The kumquat is an interesting little tropical citrus fruit. While it resembles an ovoid orange, the peel is the sweet part and the flesh is the tart part.
I’ve had the pleasure of working with Greg and Fanchone Gude of Kumquat Growers on several occasions. They are a dynamic husband and wife duo who work hard to produce, create value added items out of and sell kumquats. We were last together at the Florida Farmers Market Weekend at Epcot, and they were the driving force in getting that weekend going.
The Kumquat Growers display at the Epcot International Flower & Garden Festival
The Kumquat Growers store and family members are based in Dade City, Florida, north of Tampa in Pasco County. By the beginning of November, the kumquat harvest season was in full swing, and the farm store will be open until the beginning of April. If you get a chance, stop by the store to get fresh kumquats and delicious products like kumquat salsa (a real hit at an 8-year old’s birthday party this year!), salad dressing and kumquat ginger marmalade.
One of the most popular kumquat recipes is for Kumquat Pie. Check it out and be on the lookout for more information about the 2010 Kumquat Festival in January!
Kumquat Pie
By the way, kumquats should be in grocery stores so you don’t have to travel far to find them. Do you have a favorite way to eat or prepare kumquats? If so, please share with us!
I am a Reference Librarian at Palm Harbor Library in Palm Harbor, Florida. A member asked an interesting question today that I am passing along through this email to learn if anyone who frequents this site knows the answer. The question is, “How can kumquats be preserved whole in a large glass jar to be used as a display?”
Thank you for any input.
Kathy Souers
souersk@yahoo.com
Kathy, this is a great question! I checked the Kumquat Growers website and they have a recipe. Try this link: http://www.kumquatgrowers.com/recipe004.html. Thanks for writing.