With the Holiday season here, I’m looking for some great hostess gifts to take to all the parties and events that there are to attend. I love taking something homemade, so this year, I’m making this Pineapple Kumquat Cardamom Marmalade. It might be the best preserves I’ve ever made. Or Kumquat tree is loaded with sweet, juicy fruit so I wanted to use them in a jam of some sort. This marmalade is definitely a twist on the traditional, with the taste of the tropics with sweet pineapple and a little spice with a healthy dose of freshly ground cardamom (my FAVORITE flavor!!!!!).

And to sweeten this gift a little more, I cut out cute little vinyl pineapples from Damask Love’s designs for the Cricut Gold Explore Machine for JoAnn Fabrics. This adorable modern pineapple is the perfect finishing touch for this homemade gift. Really, there’s no other label needed for these preserves. Whoever receives this marmalade is sure to remember the gift giver.

You know I’m a huge fan of Cricut. It’s really the best crafting tool I own. I can give gifts a custom look with very little time or effort.

I cut this pineapple shape in both white and gold vinyl and using transfer tape, adhered them to the outside of the filled jars.

Pineapple Kumquat Cardamom Marmalade

• 20 oz. can of crushed pineapple
• 2 cups of thinly sliced kumquats ( I used my mandolin slicer and then cut those slices in half)
• 4 cups sugar
• juice of one lemon
• 1tbsp. freshly ground cardamom
• 1 envelope liquid pectin

In a large heavy sauce pan, combine all the ingredients except the pectin. Stir to combine. Heat over high heat until the marmalade come to a rolling boil. Boil one minute and then add the liquid pectin. Bring back up to a rolling boil and boil for one more minute. Remove from the heat.

Pour the hot marmalade into prepared canning jars. Seal and process for at least 10 mins. in boiling water.