🍊 Oranges after the Portugal Fashion (Sir Hugh Plat, 1609)

Originally published 1/18/2015 - Updated 9/10/2025

Description. This dazzling Renaissance confection comes from Sir Hugh Plat’s Delights for Ladies (1609). “To preserve Orenges after the Portugall fashion” describes a labor-intensive but show-stopping sweet: whole oranges boiled to temper bitterness, candied in syrup, then stuffed with marmalade made from their own pulp. Once finished, they’re sliced like hard-boiled eggs—revealing a jewel-bright center.

Note: Period cooks likely used Seville (bitter) oranges. Sweet oranges make a gentler, less astringent modern result; either works with the method below.

Candied whole oranges simmering in syrup.

Historical Recipe (1609)

To preſerue Orenges after the Portugall faſhion. Take Orenges & coare them on the ſide and lay them in water, then boile them in fair water til they be tender, ſhift them in the boyling to take away their bitterneſſe, then take ſugar and boyle it to the height of ſirup as much as will couer them, and ſo put your Orenges into it, and that will make them take ſugar. If you haue 24. Orenges, beate 8. of them till they come to a paſte with a pounde of fine ſugar, then fill euery one of the other Orenges with the ſame, and ſo boile them again in your ſirup: then there will be marmelade of orenges with your orenges, & it will cut like an hard egge.

— Sir Hugh Plat, Delights for Ladies (1609)

Modernized Transcription

To preserve oranges after the Portugal fashion: core each orange on the side and soak in water. Boil in fair water until tender, changing the water to reduce bitterness. Boil sugar to a syrup sufficient to cover and put the oranges in so they take sugar. Of 24 oranges, beat 8 to a paste with a pound of fine sugar and fill the remaining oranges. Boil again in the syrup: you’ll have marmalade of oranges within the oranges, and it will cut like a hard egg.

Modern Recipe: Oranges after the Portugal Fashion

Ingredients

• 8 oranges (6 to candy and fill; 2 for the marmalade paste)
• Sugar (enough for a 2:1 sugar:water syrup to cover ~⅔ of the oranges in the pot)
• Water (for boiling and syrup)

Method

1. Prepare the oranges. From 6 oranges, cut a round “lid” near the stem, about the size of a 50-cent piece; reserve lids. Quarter the remaining 2 oranges and reserve their pulp and peel for the filling.
2. Reduce bitterness & soften peel. Put the 6 whole oranges in a pot, cover with water, bring to a boil, simmer 5 minutes. Drain. Repeat 2–3 times until peels are tender and bitterness is tempered. Handle gently—peels soften as they cook.
3. Make the syrup. Combine sugar and water at 2:1 by volume. Heat gently until fully dissolved and clear. Choose a pot deep enough that the oranges sit mostly submerged and can be turned.
4. Candy the oranges. Slide the 6 whole oranges into the hot syrup. Simmer very gently ~30 minutes, turning occasionally so they “take sugar” evenly. Remove to a rack or plate to drain (hole-side down helps keep shape).
5. Make the marmalade paste. Weigh the reserved pulp + peel from the 2 oranges. Add an equal weight of sugar (1:1) and blend or process to a thick paste.
6. Fill & finish. Spoon the paste into the hollow oranges. Return them to the syrup and simmer another 20+ minutes. Remove, set hole-side down, and cool. Refrigerate to set.
7. Serve. Slice into wedges like hard-boiled eggs. A little surface crystallization is normal and period-appropriate.

Safety note: Hot sugar syrup clings like napalm—use tongs, wear shoes, and keep fingers clear.

Which version should you make?

Using Seville (bitter) oranges? Choose the Plat-faithful (bitter orange) recipe for a sliceable, firm marmalade filling—closest to the 1609 intent.
Using common sweet oranges? Choose the Modern (sweet orange) recipe with adjustments for extra juice & lower pectin.

Factor	Seville (Bitter)	Sweet Oranges
Pulp volume	Lower	Higher (juicier)
Pectin	Higher (firmer set)	Lower (softer set)
Sugar for filling	Fixed by Plat (by count)	Adjust by weight & strain
Result	“Cuts like a hard egg”	Softer unless adjusted

Modern Recipe (Plat-Faithful, Bitter Orange)

Scaled directly from Plat’s ratio: 1/3 oranges for filling, 2/3 stuffed; filling sugar fixed by count.

Ingredients (makes 8 filled oranges)

• 12 Seville (bitter) oranges total
  • 8 oranges: left whole (cored and candied, to fill)
  • 4 oranges: beaten for the marmalade paste
• 225 g / 8 oz (½ lb) fine sugar for the filling paste (Plat: 1 lb per 8 oranges → ½ lb per 4)
• Sugar + water for syrup: use a 2:1 sugar:water syrup, enough to cover ~⅔ of the oranges in your pot

Method

1. Core & prep. From 8 oranges, cut a round “lid” near the stem and scoop out pulp; reserve lids. Keep peels intact. Quarter the remaining 4 oranges; reserve their pulp (and any finely chopped peel if desired) for the paste.
2. Temper bitterness. Boil the 8 whole peels 5 minutes; drain. Repeat 2–3 times until tender and pleasantly bitter. Handle gently.
3. Make syrup. Combine sugar and water at 2:1; heat until fully dissolved and clear.
4. Candy peels. Simmer the 8 hollow oranges in the syrup ~30 minutes, turning to “take sugar.” Remove to drain, hole-side down.
5. Make filling (fixed sugar by count). Beat the pulp from the 4 oranges with 225 g / 8 oz sugar to a thick paste (traditional, sliceable “marmelade”).
6. Fill & finish. Spoon paste into the candied oranges. Return them to the syrup; simmer another 20+ minutes. Cool hole-side down; refrigerate to set.
7. Serve. Slice into wedges—should “cut like a hard egg.”

Note: If your Sevilles are very dry, you can moisten the paste with 1–2 tbsp of the hot syrup; if very juicy, cook the paste briefly to thicken before filling.

Modern Recipe (Sweet Orange Adaptation)

Keeps your method but corrects for extra juice and lower pectin so the filling sets.

Ingredients (makes 6 filled oranges)

• 8 sweet oranges total
  • 6 oranges: left whole (cored and candied, to fill)
  • 2 oranges: for the marmalade paste
• Sugar for the filling by weight (see Step 5): start with 1.25× the weight of drained pulp; you may need up to 1.5×
• 1–2 tbsp lemon juice (acid boost helps set)
• Sugar + water for syrup: use a 2:1 sugar:water syrup, enough to cover ~⅔ of the oranges in your pot

Method

1. Core & prep. From 6 oranges, cut a round “lid” near the stem and scoop out pulp; reserve lids. Quarter the remaining 2 oranges and reserve pulp.
2. Temper bitterness (lighter). Boil the 6 hollow oranges 5 minutes; drain. Repeat 1–2× (sweet oranges need less shifting) until tender.
3. Make syrup. Combine sugar and water at 2:1; heat until clear.
4. Candy peels. Simmer the 6 hollow oranges in syrup ~30 minutes, turning to “take sugar.” Remove to drain, hole-side down.
5. Make filling (adjusted).
   • Drain the pulp in a sieve 10–15 minutes; press gently to remove excess juice (save juice for drinks).
   • Weigh the drained pulp. Add 1.25× its weight in sugar (increase to 1.5× if very loose) + 1–2 tbsp lemon juice.
   • Cook in a small pan over low heat 5–8 minutes, stirring, until thick and glossy (soft “ball” when dropped on a cold plate).
6. Fill & finish. Spoon the paste into the candied oranges. Return to syrup and simmer 15–20 minutes more. Cool hole-side down; refrigerate to set.
7. Serve. Slice into wedges. Expect a slightly softer set than Seville, but it should slice cleanly if well-reduced.

Why these tweaks? Sweet oranges have more juice and less pectin than Seville; draining, higher sugar by weight, lemon juice, and a brief cook concentrate the paste so it behaves like Plat’s “marmelade.”

Updated September 2025: Added Plat-faithful (bitter) and modern sweet-orange versions with guidance on ratios and set.

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Dietary Notes 🥕

• Vegetarian: ✅
• Vegan: ✅ (sugar, water, citrus)
• Gluten-Free: ✅
• Common Allergen: Citrus

Period-authentic versions use Seville (bitter) oranges; sweet oranges are a gentler modern adaptation.

Course Placement: A sweet entremet or banquet-course confection. Serve between heavier dishes or at the end of a feast alongside marchpane, comfits, and candied fruits.

Finished “oranges with marmalade within,” ready to slice like eggs.

🍊 Context & Background

What does “Portugal fashion” mean?

In late 16th–early 17th-century English cookery, recipes labeled “after the Portugal fashion” usually indicated a method or style associated with Iberian (especially Portuguese) practice—often involving citrus and sugar preserves. Portugal’s trade networks brought cane sugar (Madeira, São Tomé, Brazil) and citrus into wider European circulation, and English sources borrowed both ingredients and techniques. Sir Hugh Plat’s title aligns with this trend of Iberian-styled sweets and preserves.

Further reading: Plat’s Delights for Ladies (1602/1609) via EEBO; academic discussion of “Portugal” labeled dishes in early modern English manuscripts; and notes on sugar/citrus trade in the Renaissance. Sources: EEBO/UMich: Delightes for Ladies (1602); Valent 2018, Early Modern Anglo-Iberian Food; Renaissance Confectionery overview.

Bitter vs. Sweet Oranges

• Seville (bitter) oranges dominated early European recipes; their peel balances sugar during candying and marmalade-making.
• Sweet oranges spread through Europe via Portugal in the 16th–17th c. and became fashionable in elite courts—hence the prestige of “Portuguese” oranges.

See: History of citrus trade in the Low Countries; Early marmalade & Portuguese origins.

Banquet Culture & Sugarwork

• Filled, candied fruits were theatrical showpieces at the banquet course, presented with marchpane, comfits, and crystallized peels.
• Sugar was a status ingredient; combining it with imported citrus broadcast wealth and worldliness.

Technique Notes

• Repeated boiling/“shifting” water tempers bitterness and softens peel—still standard for Seville oranges.
• Plat’s “marmalade within your oranges” reflects older stiff-paste marmalade (like quince paste), not the modern spread.

Try This in a Feast Plan

• Serve wedges in a small coupe or on trenchers alongside marchpane and comfits.
• Pair with hippocras or a light citrus posset for a complete banquet vignette.

Reader prompt: Would you plate these as an entremet in the middle of a feast, or save them for a banquet table? Tell us how you’d present them!

Sources

• Sir Hugh Plat, Delights for Ladies (1609).
• Project Gutenberg – Delights for Ladies
• Archive.org – facsimile