Author Topic: Kumquat varieties update  (Read 13918 times)

brian

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Kumquat varieties update
« on: January 18, 2017, 01:20:13 PM »
I've accumulated pretty much every kumquat and hybrid that I can find.  Here's my impressions so far...

Nagami (Nordmann Seedless) - excellent taste.  Sometimes a slight soapy taste if not 100% ripe, somewhat astringent also
Nagami - excellent taste but has seeds.  More sour than nordmann because its fatter and so has more juice.  Sometimes a slight soapy taste if not 100% ripe,   somewhat astringent also
Marumi - excellent taste, some seeds
Meiwa - excellent taste, some seeds.  Less sour than other kumquats because it has more flesh than juice
Fukushu/Changshau - my personal favorite.  Initially mine were about the same size as marumi/meiwa and nearly seedless.  More recent crops have been much larger, about the size of a golf ball, and with significantly more seeds.  The smaller ones were better in my opinion.  I'm hoping that limiting pollination or using giberellic acid would help reduce seed count and also fruit size.
Hong Kong - not really edible because of tiny fruit size, no juice, all seeds.  I did eat a bit of the flesh on one and it is somewhat sweet but this is a pure oranamental & breeding parent
Indio Mandarinquat -  poor taste for two years in a row.  Skin is thin and dry, not enough sweetness to offset sour juice.  Off taste similar to Rangpur but less spicy.
Centennial Variegated - poor taste for me on my first crop.  Similar to Indio Mandarinquat.  Thin is skin and dry, not enough sweetness to offset sour juice.  Off taste similar to Rangpur but less spicy.    This variety supposedly has a reputation for good taste so I'm hoping it will improve next year but I don't expect the character to change.
Nippon Orangequat - decent but somewhat bland taste.  Skin is thick and bland, whole fruit is a bit sloppy as the flesh is soft and juicy.  Not worthwhile in my opinion because skin is not sweet like more common kumquats, size is as large as a navel orange, taste inferior to navel orange, and has seeds.  You'd be better off with another kumquat or a sweet orange.
"Excalibur" Red Lime - UCR mentions likely Kumquat/Rangpur hybrid.  This one was a surprise to me.   I couldn't locate one forever and ended up trading with Lorewren on this forum who lives nearby to me.  I've been eating the first crop over the past four months and they keep getting better the longer they hang on the tree.  They are now dark orange and about the size of a Clementine.  They taste quite good, like what I was expecting from Nippon Orangequat.  The skin is sweet and relatively thick.  When first turning orange 3mo ago they were sour but now they are sweeter and I eat them out of hand.  There is a bit of the Rangpur taste but not strong.  Seedy, though.

Lakeland Limequat - typical lime flavor.  Thin rind that was rather dry and not at all sweet.  Few seeds.   I wouldn't recommend over a Bearss lime unless you need the cold hardiness. 
Sunquat -  bright yellow like a meyer lemon, and tasted similar.  Thin skin, not sweet but not too dry.  Much sweeter than a true lemon.  Again, if you need a lemon I'd stick with a real one, but the Sunquat fruit is very attractive looking as it's perfectly round and bright yellow.   I'm thinking I will keep this as an ornamental.    (RyanL - you called it)
« Last Edit: September 08, 2017, 01:01:20 PM by brian »

countryboy1981

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Re: Kumquat varieties update
« Reply #1 on: January 18, 2017, 01:51:11 PM »
Limequat amd lemonquats are also very good in my opinion.  Last year I left the centennial kumquat fruit on the tree to early February and they were very good.  This year I had to harvest them early January due to a 20 degree night and they are still sour.
« Last Edit: January 18, 2017, 07:57:06 PM by countryboy1981 »

adriano2

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Re: Kumquat varieties update
« Reply #2 on: January 19, 2017, 06:37:50 AM »
I have 2 nagamis planted in the ground and one on the balcony. All of them have one thing in common: they are slow growing citrus.
I love them anyway.

Central Floridave

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Re: Kumquat varieties update
« Reply #3 on: January 19, 2017, 11:04:19 AM »
Thanks for the recap.   I have the Nagami and always wondered if there were better variety. I like Nagami. Mostly grow it as an ornamental and novelty fruit. 

brian

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Re: Kumquat varieties update
« Reply #4 on: January 19, 2017, 12:28:25 PM »
My centennials still have a slight striping and are not as dark orange as my other ripe kumquats, yet they come off the tree with only the slightest effort and sometimes drop on their own.  Maybe the tree is struggling and trying to shed fruit rather that mature it fully

adriano2

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Re: Kumquat varieties update
« Reply #5 on: January 27, 2017, 02:43:02 AM »
here is one in local bar loaded with fruits.

image hosting no sign up

RyanL

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Re: Kumquat varieties update
« Reply #6 on: January 27, 2017, 09:57:56 AM »
Brian, Very accurate description. I share your opinion of nippon, Indio and nagami. However I dont find fukushu to be very good, the only one I still have is meiwa, the best kumquat, in my opinion. I did have a sunquat, I think you will find them in the same arena as indio and nippon, more of an ornamental. One application though is for cooking and candying.

brian

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Re: Kumquat varieties update
« Reply #7 on: January 27, 2017, 02:21:51 PM »
I feel that meiwa, marumi, nagami, and fukushu are all a cut above the rest and personal preference makes the final call. 

Central Floridave

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Re: Kumquat varieties update
« Reply #8 on: January 31, 2017, 04:22:32 PM »
Wow, that Crotia tree is loaded!  What is that yellow piece of paper in the tree with holes?

Sylvain

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Re: Kumquat varieties update
« Reply #9 on: January 31, 2017, 05:41:50 PM »
It is a glue trap for insects. The black spots are insects, not holes.

Central Floridave

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Re: Kumquat varieties update
« Reply #10 on: January 31, 2017, 06:01:19 PM »
Interesting. Looks like it works!  But, why?  fruit fly?

adriano2

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Re: Kumquat varieties update
« Reply #11 on: February 01, 2017, 04:25:38 AM »
Yes, all kinds of insects. Fruit flays, CLM...

Galka

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Re: Kumquat varieties update
« Reply #12 on: February 01, 2017, 12:36:16 PM »
Centennial Kumquat when is ripe looks like in the picture below and the taste is excellent. Meiwa is one of my favorite too. The Red lime is a disappointment for me.


brian

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Re: Kumquat varieties update
« Reply #13 on: February 01, 2017, 02:00:14 PM »
The centennial in the picture looks nicer than the ones on my current crop.  Hoping it improves next year.   My first crop of Meiwa was very poor, but subsequent ones have been great.

brian

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Re: Kumquat varieties update
« Reply #14 on: September 08, 2017, 12:54:50 PM »
I had some ripe Lakeland Limequats and a Sunquat today for the first time. 

The lakeland had typical lime flavor.  Thin rind that was rather dry and not at all sweet.  Few seeds.   I wouldn't recommend over a Bearss lime unless you need the cold hardiness. 

Sunquat was bright yellow like a meyer lemon, and tasted similar.  Much sweeter than a true lemon.  Again, if you need a lemon I'd stick with a real one, but the Sunquat fruit is very attractive looking as it's perfectly round and bright yellow.   I'm thinking I will keep this as an ornamental.    (RyanL - you called it)

countryboy1981

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Re: Kumquat varieties update
« Reply #15 on: September 08, 2017, 06:19:07 PM »
I dont know if there is a difference between a sunquat and a lemonquat, but I am a big fan of the lemonquat.  It is my favorite lemon by far, even over a store bought lemonade lemon.

brian

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Re: Kumquat varieties update
« Reply #16 on: December 11, 2018, 09:33:40 AM »
Its kumquat season again for me.   Not much has changed.  I still think the Indio Mardarinquats and Centennial variegated are far inferior to the nagami/marumi/meiwa types.  The nordman nagamis and fukushu are still great.   I didn't get much marumi or meiwa as the trees have been unhealthy.  Hopefully they'll bounce back soon. 

Millet

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Re: Kumquat varieties update
« Reply #17 on: December 11, 2018, 04:49:15 PM »
I've been picking a lot of Fukushu kumquats. Great tasting as a snack food. I originally purchased the cultivar due to a suggestion from Brian.
« Last Edit: December 11, 2018, 04:52:20 PM by Millet »

Yorgos

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Re: Kumquat varieties update
« Reply #18 on: January 14, 2019, 01:57:49 PM »
As my changshou/fukushu has matured (it is now 4 years in the ground) it has gotten better and better.  I have a very fecund meiwa that is 20+ years old I almost ignore due to the fukushu. And meiwa is pretty darn good, let me tell you.  The meiwa is most excellent in salads.  I didn't do marmalade this year so jury is still out for which variety makes the best jam.
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SoCal2warm

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Re: Kumquat varieties update
« Reply #19 on: January 14, 2019, 09:55:23 PM »
Does Ichangquat count as a kumquat variety?


brian

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Re: Kumquat varieties update
« Reply #20 on: January 18, 2019, 12:24:44 PM »
I've never heard of a Ichangquat, and I'd be interested in sampling one, but my experience so far with kumquats is that only fukushu, nagami, meiwa, and marumi are worthwhile unless you are specifically looking for extra cold-hardiness and are willing to compromise on taste/seedlessness. 

I believe a seedless fukushu would be the best fruit around.  Nordmann is great but nagamis have a very slight off taste that doesn't appear in fukushu, meiwa, marumi.

Btw, cut up kumquats in vanilla ice cream is amazing.
« Last Edit: January 18, 2019, 12:30:16 PM by brian »

countryboy1981

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Re: Kumquat varieties update
« Reply #21 on: October 29, 2019, 12:21:51 PM »
I had my first fruit from my lakeland limequat tree (record buck cutting) and I have to say it is better than any store bought key lime that I have had.  My eustis limequat makes huge fruit (for what it is) about the size of a bearss lime but the peel is thicker and the peel has a kumquat-ish smell--the taste of the fruit is lime-ish.  The eustis is on volkemer lemon rootstock which would explain the larger fruit.  The lakeland limequat is slightly smaller than a golf ball and has a thin peel which does not have any kumquat smell to it more of a tropical lime.  It was starting to turn slightly yellow.  I cannot compare it to any homegrown key lime but if you have a choice between a homegrown lakeland limequat or a store bought key lime, the lakeland limequat wins hands down.  I was not expecting it to be this good due to having a few years worth of eustis limequat harvests; the eustis is not a bad fruit but is substantially inferior to the lakeland limequat.

brian

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Re: Kumquat varieties update
« Reply #22 on: October 29, 2019, 07:01:36 PM »
Thanks for the reminder, I think my lakeland has some fruit that may be ripe by now.  I have to find it in the greenhouse jungle.

I have a huge crop of nordmann nagamis I have been eating for weeks, calomondins, “excalibur” hybrids, and a bunch of Fukushu and centennial ripening

countryboy1981

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Re: Kumquat varieties update
« Reply #23 on: October 29, 2019, 08:49:56 PM »
Most of mine are still green.  The best centennial i had was in February after it had some time to sweeten up on the tree.

will2358

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Re: Kumquat varieties update
« Reply #24 on: October 30, 2019, 12:09:15 PM »
I have a grafted changshou/fukushu about 2ft tall. I hope to get some fruit soon. How hardy are kumquats?



















































































































































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