Dade City's kumquat crop froze, damaged during cold snap

DADE CITY (FOX 13) - Bay Area farmers were busy this week protecting their crops from the recent cold snap, but unfortunately, Kumquat Growers in Dade City were hit hard after temperatures dipped into the mid-20’s wiping out the citrus fruit. 

One farmer tells FOX 13, tens of thousands of dollars worth of crop was lost. However, not all is lost. Farmers will harvest what's left and make it into jellies, jams and sauces. 

It also means this year's Kumquat Festival will not have fresh kumquats. As many as 40,000 people attend the festival every year.

The fruit closely resembles an orange but it’s much smaller. It's about the size and shape of a large olive with thin, sweet peel and a zesty, somewhat-tart center. You can eat them just like a grape, peel and all. 

"It's nature's sweet tart," said Greg Gude of Kumquat Growers in Dade City. 

Despite the lack of fresh kumquats, festival organizers tell FOX 13, there will be plenty of kumquat jams, jellies, sauces, cakes, award-winning kumquat beer from Big Storm Brewing, and a variety of other foods. There were also be plenty of family fun.

Dade City's Annual Kumquat Festival is Saturday, January 27 from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Head to the official website for additional details.