Let me start this recipe off by saying that citrus from different growers or at different points in the season can be sweeter or less sweet depending on all the different variables. I like my citrus syrup on the tart side of sweet, so I don't add much in the way of additional sweeteners to this recipe - just a touch of honey. It is hard to tell how much honey you should add at the start of a recipe like this, so start with 1/3 of a cup and then taste again after the honey has warmed and mixed with the citrus juices in the pot. If you feel like you might want it a bit sweeter add more honey a bit at a time. I throw the vanilla bean in with the citrus because I love the combination of flavors, and I feel like the vanilla takes a bit of the edge off the citrus. Also, I would have used a higher ratio of clementine juice if I had more onhand.
1 1/2 cups freshly squeezed clementine juice (juice of about 10 clementines)
6 1/2 cups 100% orange juice
1 /3 cup honey
a 2-inch segment of vanilla bean
In a big, thick-bottomed pot over medium heat bring both juices, the honey, and vanilla to a healthy simmer. From here on it is just a matter of monitoring the heat and stirring every so often - you want to make sure the juice at the bottom of your pan isn't scorching. Cook the liquid down, down, down. The juices will take about an hour and forty-five minutes to get nice, thick and caramel-like - maybe more or less depending on the pot and power of your stovetop. Towards the end, as the juices really start to thicken up you are going to want to stir more often and reduce the heat a bit. Keep in mind that the syrup will thicken up a bit as it cools. Remove the pot from heat and allow to cool. Transfer the syrup to a jar - it should keep well in the refrigerator for a couple weeks.
Make about 1 1/2 cups of syrup.