Vermont Fancy Maple Syrup

[JBinKC]

It’s the time of year to celebrate excellent maple syrup: Vermont Fancy, U.S. Grade A and Canada #1. These true maple syrups are the best. Americans who buy corn syrup-based imposters don’t know what they’re missing. Mrs. Butterworth’s ingredients tell the tale: high fructose corn syrup, corn syrup, water, salt, cellulose gum, molasses, potassium sorbate (preservative), sodium hexametaphosphate, citric acid, caramel color, natural and artificial flavors. No maple trees are harmed in the production of Mrs. Butterworth’s. For just pennies more per serving, we can enjoy great maple syrup -- an American treasure.

[masseyfarm]

You should have put this on the ICON thread.
Dave

[Elvie]

Seems like I read somewhere that Grade B was better, that is more nutritious. Something about needing some of the things that are taken out of Grade A?

[tlavergne]

The different grades have to do with when it is made. Some states grade it A,B,C while others grade it fancy, light amber, medium amber, and dark amber. It gets darker towards the end of the season due to bacteria. Fancy grade is almost clear and it gets darker as you go down. You tend to get a stronger maple taste as it goes from fancy on down, thus the lower grades are typically used for cooking and putting into cakes or cookies. At the end of the year when the trees bud the season is over. At that point you get a bitter product that is referred to "buddy syrup". We had our first run here in Ohio a day ago. Sugar season is on! It is uplifting to know that when sugar season is over the snow is gone and it is warm. Time to clean the buckets and pull the Airstream out of the barn.

[ALANSD]

That High Fructose syrup is another reason diabetes and obesity runs rampant in out land.
The real stuff or nothing!

[Ultradog]

My extended family has been making maple syrup for well over a hundred years.
Gone are the days of boiling it over a wood fire in a big black kettle.
One of my cousins does it commercially.
They use a 1.3 million btu oil fired evaporator.
I snapped a few pictures of their operation a couple of years ago.
It's still a lot of hard work.

maple syrup pictures by Ultradog - Photobucket

[mutcth]

I have to admit, we buy the Grade C stuff from a farm in the Berkshires. We like the very strong taste and don't mind the color. It isn't syrup for wimps though...

Tom

[Lily&Me]

Yum--real maple syrup!

Although, Mrs. Butterworth's Lite is our favorite everyday syrup, and what goes on the grandbabies' buttermilk pancakes that their Grandma Maggie makes for them.

If you ever drive the Cane River plantation road in Louisiana, there is a place at the south end that sells real maple syrup with roasted pecans in it. The most delicious and decadent syrup I have ever eaten.


Maggie

[Over59]

I like the B stuff myself, more flavor and it's easier to find on your plate to rub the pancake in it.....

[SpaceEgg]

In Quebec, at the bottom of a ski slope, some enterprising (and very stoned) kids sell maple syrup on a stick.

They heat the syrup in a cast iron kettle over a wood fire then ladle the hot syrup over a self-constructed snow table. They take popsicle sticks and work the congealing syrup around the stick so the end result looks like a jumbo Sugar Daddy. For a couple loonies, your wait for the parking lot shuttle is certainly sweeter.

Ahh, the French. Always such happy memories.

[Mexray]

Ultradog....After viewing your pics, I'm reminded of some kin, located way back in the hills of an unmentioned southern state...

They make their own 'syrup' that also could be graded A, B or C...the 'fresh' stuff comes out quite clear and has a noticable 'tang' to it...the B & C grades begin picking up the 'color', and are a bit more smooth, depending on the amount of time the 'syrup' spends in charred oak barrels...

Come to think of it, I might suggest to my kin that they utilize old Maple Syrup containers to package their 'syrup'...They might even consider planting a few maple trees on the property and some appropriate signage, to give their current 'processing plant' an air of legitimacy...