Ingredients
- 1 kg Seville oranges
- 500 ml Québec maple syrup
- 1.5 litres water
- 60 ml lemon juice
Method
- Halve the oranges, remove the seeds, tie them in cheesecloth, and slice the peel and flesh thinly.
- Simmer the fruit, seed bag, and water for 90 minutes until the peel is tender.
- Remove the bag, squeeze its pectin-rich liquid into the pot, then add maple syrup and lemon juice.
- Boil rapidly to 104 °C, test for a wrinkle on a chilled plate, and fill hot sterilized jars.
Conversion and rationale
Original sweetener (classic version): 1 kg white sugar
Conversion used: Replace the sugar with 500 ml maple syrup and reduce the traditional water by about 250 ml; cook to the same gel temperature. No oven adjustment.
Why Quebec maple syrup: Maple softens Seville orange bitterness with a warm, woody sweetness. The reduced added water preserves the concentrated texture expected of traditional marmalade.
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 →