A Look Down the Evaporator Chimney

[Caw]

We were at a Mennonite store last week and they had some kind of maple syrup they were really proud of for $54/gallon. It sounds expensive to me, but I really don't know what it's going rate is.

Believe it or not that's actually a pretty reasonable price for quality syrup. The best stuff out of Vermont is around $70 a gallon + shipping.

They changed the grading system about 5 years ago. Previously the two darker grades were "Grade A Dark" and the super dark "Grade B". Now they've combined those grades and the term you're looking for is "Grade A Dark Color/Robust Taste".

You could always get just a pint for $10-$15 to give it a whirl. I'd sell you some of mine but my kids would riot!

I think once you try it you'll never go back

 

[SpaceBus]

Believe it or not that's actually a pretty reasonable price for quality syrup. The best stuff out of Vermont is around $70 a gallon + shipping.

They changed the grading system about 5 years ago. Previously the two darker grades were "Grade A Dark" and the super dark "Grade B". Now they've combined those grades and the term you're looking for is "Grade A Dark Color/Robust Taste".

You could always get just a pint for $10-$15 to give it a whirl. I'd sell you some of mine but my kids would riot!

I think once you try it you'll never go back

I only buy maple syrup from local sugar shacks, before that we only bought real syrup at the grocery store, but that still isn't as good.

 

[Caw]

I only buy maple syrup from local sugar shacks, before that we only bought real syrup at the grocery store, but that still isn't as good.

Yeah at this point that all I do also. Family friends from VT have a 3,000 tree operation I get mine from them or make it myself!

 

[MoDoug]

Scientifically pure maple syrup is mostly a sucrose solution. Just pure natural water/sucrose boiled down to 67% concentration. Corn syrup is 100% glucose. Dark just means it has molasses added to it. So, being different sugars, they will behave differently in certain recipes.

From a cooking point of view there are other differences. Karo is thicker and it doesn't have much taste...just sweetness (dark will have molasses taste). Dark maple syrup is a little thinner but has robust maple taste with all sorts of other complex earthy flavors mixed in.

So yeah you could definitely use one in favor of the other for pie I think. Candy I wouldn't substitute tho as those sugars crystallize at different points.

I've been thinking about this post, I appreciate the basic lesson on syrup, the differences between maple and corn, the coloring and flavors added.

You guy's have me wondering what I've been missing out on my whole life, no doubt that's one of the perks of growing up in the NE. That's as long as you're taking advantage of it, I'm sure there's still a lot of people there that don't know what they're missing.

 

[Caw]

It's a lot of work to harvest and produce your own that I think most people aren't willing to do. But if you are willing to put in the work, like most things, you get rewarded!

I love living in New England. I grew up here and I know it's not for everyone (more people...depending on where, very expensive, people are meaner on average lol) but I've been all over the country and it's just my favorite place. I can do just about anything I want within a few hrs drive: Boston is 45 mins, Cape is 1.5 hrs away, NYC is only 3 hrs, great skiing and what not a few hrs north in VT/NH/Maine. There are other areas I like out west like Colorado and Montana but everything is so far spread out and far from the coast. I definitely feel the need to be near the ocean. Helps with burning that I'm surrounded by A+ hardwoods too!

 

[MoDoug]

It's a lot of work to harvest and produce your own that I think most people aren't willing to do. But if you are willing to put in the work, like most things, you get rewarded!

I love living in New England. I grew up here and I know it's not for everyone (more people...depending on where, very expensive, people are meaner on average lol) but I've been all over the country and it's just my favorite place. I can do just about anything I want within a few hrs drive: Boston is 45 mins, Cape is 1.5 hrs away, NYC is only 3 hrs, great skiing and what not a few hrs north in VT/NH/Maine. There are other areas I like out west like Colorado and Montana but everything is so far spread out and far from the coast. I definitely feel the need to be near the ocean. Helps with burning that I'm surrounded by A+ hardwoods too!

I've spent a fair amount of time in NYC for work, some great deli's, pizza joints and restaurants, not to mention the landmarks. I never really got to know anything beyond that, but it sounds great!

 

[firefighterjake]

It's probably wrong to admit this . . . seeing as I live in a maple syrup producing state and have a buddy that even has a sugar shack . . . but I honestly prefer the fake stuff to the real stuff.

 

[wishlist]

It's probably wrong to admit this . . . seeing as I live in a maple syrup producing state and have a buddy that even has a sugar shack . . . but I honestly prefer the fake stuff to the real stuff.

Oh say it isn’t so ? Since your definitely in a maple state , chances are you’ve tried good maple syrup . I have had a few people who said they tried maple syrup before and didn’t like it . Said it was bitter . I actually have gave them a pint and now I have return customers ! There’s alot more to making good syrup then just putting some heat under a pan .

This years US crop will be significantly smaller . We just didn’t have a good nice slow warm up to spring . Here in mid Michigan my first boil was February 28th and last boil was March 22nd . I usually can get a boil or 2 in the first week of April . Last I knew Quebec was still making syrup and they make a ton of it .