Seville orange syrup (sharab al-busfeyr)

February 23, 2014  •  Category:

This delicious syrup is made with the juice of Seville oranges (busfeyr) and sugar. Now is the season for these types of oranges, which are prized in Lebanon (and the Eastern Mediterranean in general) for their sweet and sour flavor. Their season is short, so folks would either freeze their juice or make this syrup which lasts for one year at least, and drink it diluted in water in the Summer months. 

We tried planting these oranges in our orchard but it did not take (altitude is too high); my neighbor Camelia on the other hand, whose orchard is only a few feet lower, is able to grow a few trees and generously gives us a few pounds each year. She gave me her family’s recipe. 


I was offered this drink at the home of an acquaintance and when I was expressing my delight and sipping it slowly, he proudly said: “my wife made it”

NOTE: This syrup can be made with other types of citrus, such as clementines, tangerines, other types of oranges, etc. I found Seville oranges in Dallas in my neighborhood Middle-Eastern store as well as at Latino markets and upscale supermarkets. 

dup stir sugarINGREDIENTS:

  • 2 pounds of Seville (or other) oranges, juiced (can use more or less)
  • Sugar (use the same weight as the juice)

1. Juice the oranges; if using Seville oranges, be careful not to press too hard while juicing them, as the white pith is bitter and will increase the sourness of the juice. Measure the juice and transfer into a bowl; add the same quantity of sugar. Stir several times a day until the sugar dissolves. It may take a couple of days. Leave the bowl out on the counter. Make sure the utensils stay dry and not one drop of water gets into the bowl.

2. Transfer the syrup to a clean (and sterilized bottle) and keep in the fridge once opened; it will keep for a year. When serving, pour the syrup, say, 1/4 cup, into a glass; add 3/4 cup water, and stir to combine; top with crushed ice if desired. 

drink busfeyr

NOTE: Come to think of it, a blender could be used to stir the sugar into the juice; turn it on for a few seconds every so often throughout the day.

Comments

12 Comments  •  Comments Feed

  1. Alicia (foodycat) says:

    Oh how delicious! And then you have all the lovely peel to make orangettes with!

  2. Hannelore says:

    That sounds like it will be a wonderful treat in the heat of summer. I live in the Dallas area as well, and I’d love to know the name of the market you shop in.

    • Joumana says:

      @Hannelore: I have seen these at Sara’s Bakery on sherman and spring valley; also at Fiesta’s on coit; I have seen it at Central Market in Plano as well.

  3. tom | tall clover says:

    Joumana, what a nice quenching treat to enjoy. I don’t have access to Seville oranges but I may try a mix of Meyer lemons and Navel oranges and see if that works. Merci!

  4. Elizabeth says:

    Looks great I will bookmark this for our Seville orange season. I’m not so much of a marmalade fan so I can never be bothered to make it so this looks like a perfect use for Seville oranges for me.

  5. Oui, Chef says:

    YUM….bet this would be good with a fizzy water too!

  6. marlene says:

    hello joumana ! hope you’re doing good
    yesterday i received a bottle which looks exactly like sharab el busfeyr , but it turned out to be “passion fruit syrup” and it tastes really good . so i looked for a recipe here but i didn’t found one so i thought that you should try it too.
    have a nice day

  7. lara says:

    Bonsoir.je voudrais me renseigner sur votre livre.j’ai l’intention de l’offrir a maman et je voulais savoir si c’est les mêmes recettes que sur le blog( elle lit votre blog depuis bien longtemps ).merci et bonne soirée

    • Joumana says:

      @Lara: Le livre contient un mélange de recette traditionelles et de recettes plus “modernes” que j’ai crées. Certaines recettes viennent du blog, un peu modifiées quand meme, et donc j’ai été obligée de les enlever du blog pour plaire a l’éditeur. Merci de votre intérêt! 🙂

  8. lara says:

    mais de rien ! je vous en prie 🙂
    elle est une grande fan de vous , ca va lui plaire j’en suis sure!
    encore une question : maman est a la recherche d’une recette de pate a la farine de mais pour faire des galettes au thym depuis bien longtemps , est elle dans votre livre ? merci beaucoup. une excellente journee a vous 🙂

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