Kumquat marmalade and other goodies available at annual festival in Dade City

DADE CITY, Fla. - The end of January means the peak of the fruit season for the area’s kumquat growers. The fruit is in the citrus family, but it’s smaller than a tangerine and just larger than a grape.

The backstory:

The annual Kumquat Festival offers a flavorful small-town experience in Dade City. Growers bring the fruit to market and creative folks make all sorts of things from the tiny kumquat fruit. 

The Greater East Pasco Chamber of Commerce hosts the annual event which brings out more than 300 vendors and sponsors. The downtown streets come alive with bakers, beer makers, smoothie creators and more. All with the tiny fruit in common.

WATCH: Get a taste of what to expect during this year's Kumquat Festival

Greg Gude from the Kumquat Growers Association walked us through the process of creating a marmalade out of the citrus fruit. That recipe is below.

Kumquat Marmalade Recipe

Ingredients:

• 1 & ½ Cup kumquat fruit (fresh from the tree or store)
• 1 & ½ Cup granulated sugar
• 1 & ½ Cup water
• 1 packet of Sure Jell

Directions:

• Wash the fruit and place the whole fruit, rind and all, through a grinder or blender.
• Grind coarsely — the goal is to purée the fruit rind and all.
• Place the fruit purée into a microwave-safe bowl.
• Add the sugar to the coarse fruit mix and stir.
• Add the water to the mix and stir again.
• Cook the mix in the microwave for 3 minutes.
• Remove from microwave and stir.
• Add the packet of Sure-Jell to thicken the mixture.
• Cook the mix in the microwave for 3 more minutes.
• Stir and pour the mixture into glass mason jars.
• Let the jars stand to cool before refrigeration.
• Yield is five 9-ounce jars of finished product.

Gude’s farm is family run, and their products will be available for sale at the Kumquat Festival. 

They are hosting an open house on Thursday and Friday before the festival at their grove located at 31647 Gude Road in Dade City. You can find out more about them and their products here. 

READ:  Kumquat Festival pays homage to tiny fruit with funny name

What's next:

The annual Kumquat Festival takes place on Saturday, Jan. 31, from 9 a.m. until 5 p.m. in Dade City. There will be free parking and free admission. The information booth is located at the intersection of 7th Street and Meridian Avenue.

Learn more about the 2026 Kumquat Festival here.