Ingredients
- 1.5 kg yellow onions, thinly sliced
- 180 ml Québec maple syrup
- 250 ml apple cider vinegar
- 120 ml dry red wine
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 1 tsp salt
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 tsp black peppercorns
Method
- Warm the oil in a heavy pan and cook onions with salt for 20 minutes until soft and golden.
- Add maple syrup, vinegar, wine, bay leaves, and peppercorns.
- Simmer uncovered for 45 to 55 minutes, stirring often, until dark, jammy, and nearly dry.
- Remove the spices, pack into hot jars, refrigerate, and use within 3 weeks.
Conversion and rationale
Original sweetener (classic version): 200 g brown sugar
Conversion used: Replace 200 g brown sugar with 180 ml maple syrup and reduce the classic wine by 60 ml. Cook uncovered to evaporate syrup moisture; no oven step, so −15 °C does not apply.
Why Quebec maple syrup: Maple adds a clean caramel note to the traditional sweet-and-sour onion condiment. The vinegar keeps the flavor balanced and the refrigerator method avoids overstating its shelf stability.
General rule: 1 cup (250 ml) sugar ≈ 3/4 cup (180 ml) maple syrup; reduce liquids by 45–60 ml per cup of syrup and lower oven by 15 °C. Substitution calculator →