Preserved Kumquats with Rosewater and Vanilla

This makes 2 half-litre jars.

1. Wash and pick your kumquats over, making sure there are no stem remnants. Then halve or quarter (if very big) and carefully remove any seeds with a sharp knife.

2. Put the fruit, sugar, vanilla and water in a large heavy pan (non-aluminium so it doesn’t react) and leave to macerate for 3 hours.

3. Bring the pan to the boil and leave on a medium heat, stirring occasionally until the sugar has dissolved and the syrup is thick. Try not to break the fruit up too much as you want it to retain its shape in the jar. My syrup needed a good 45 minutes. Skim any scum off the top.

4. Leave it to cool and infuse overnight if you can (6 hours minimum).

5. The next day, bring to the boil again and while it is boiling, sterilise your jars in hot water and then dry them off in an oven on about 120ºC for about 10 minutes. Remove the jars carefully, taking care not to touch the inside and leave to cool on a steel rack. When the preserve has boiled for 10 minutes, turn it on low and add the rosewater, carefully stirring it into the syrup and turn off the heat.

6. Leave the mixture to cool for 20 minutes then ladle the fruit into jars and top up with syrup. Leave to cool and then seal.