Ngl, I dropped $18 on some small-batch Grade A Dark from a vendor in Burlington last summer. Tasted amazing straight, but soon as I heated it up on pancakes it turned into a watery mess. Total waste. Stick with the big jugs from the grocery store for cooking.
I was grabbing groceries last Tuesday and this cashier was talking to an older lady about syrup. She said the grading system changed back in 2014 and most people still dont know. The lady was asking why one bottle was darker than the other and the cashier basically explained it's all about taste now not color. I always thought darker meant better but she said it just means the sap was boiled longer and the flavor is stronger. I grabbed a bottle of the dark stuff and honestly it was way better on my pancakes than the light stuff I used to buy. Has anyone else found that the darker syrups taste better or is it just me?
I was talking to a guy at the farmer's market last Saturday (he runs a small sugar bush up in Vermont) and he told me something that made me mad. He said some of those big store brands mix in a tiny bit of corn syrup but still call it "pure maple" because the rules are fuzzy for flavored syrups. I checked three bottles at the grocery store after that and two had "natural flavor" added as the second ingredient. Has anyone else caught a brand sneaking in extra stuff like this?
Last Sunday I went to pour some of my usual Grade A dark amber from a local farm in Vermont. The new bottles have a different pour spout - one of those plastic tips instead of the old metal ring. I tipped it like normal and got a waterfall of syrup all over my plate and the table. Ruined three pancakes and a good cloth napkin. They changed the packaging about a month ago and didn't say anything on their site. Has anyone else dealt with a brand changing their bottle design and messing up your pour?
Drove up to the Rutland Maple House last weekend after hearing all the hype. They charge $28 for a half gallon of their "reserve" grade A dark amber. Tasted it side by side with a $12 bottle from the grocery store down the street. Honestly couldn't tell much difference except the price tag. The tour was nice and all, but I feel like people get tricked by the rustic barn vibe into paying triple. Anyone else think the small family operations are way overpriced compared to the big brands?
Tried to speed-chill a bottle of dark amber syrup from a farm stand in Vermont but it shattered all over my frozen peas, so now I use plastic squeeze bottles for bulk syrup storage even though they feel cheap.
I finally had to make a real choice last weekend at the farm stand. I usually grab the Grade A light amber because it's what my mom always bought, but this guy next to me was raving about the dark stuff and how it's got more flavor. So I grabbed a quart of each and did a side by side at home with some plain buttermilk pancakes. The light was fine, sweet and mild, but the dark had this almost toasty, buttery taste that just worked better with the pancakes. I even tried it on oatmeal the next morning and it was amazing. Now I'm wondering if I've been missing out on dark syrup my whole life. Anyone else made the switch and never looked back?
I was at the farmers market last Saturday and the guy running the maple stand told me that Grade B got renamed to Grade A Dark back in 2014 or something. I always thought Grade B was the cheap stuff but apparently it's just darker and more maple-y. Has anyone else noticed stores still calling it Grade B though?
I used to think Grade A dark amber was the only real maple syrup. For like 10 years I'd pay $12 for the fancy stuff and look down on anything labeled Grade B. Last month at my church's pancake breakfast in Akron, they ran out and someone brought a $6 bottle of Grade B from the discount grocery. I was skeptical but tried it out of desperation. The flavor was way stronger and richer, not as sweet, and honestly it worked better on the pancakes. Now I'm sitting here wondering if I've been overpaying for fancy labels this whole time. Has anyone else made the switch from Grade A to Grade B and regretted it or not?
I always nuked my Grade A dark amber in the microwave for 30 seconds before pouring it on pancakes. Last week my buddy from Vermont saw me do it and said I was basically boiling off all the flavor compounds. He showed me to just put the bottle in hot tap water for 5 minutes instead. Anyone else make this mistake or am I the only one?
I picked up a bottle of that expensive organic stuff last Saturday at the Whole Foods in Denver. Figured paying double was worth it for good quality. Poured some on my pancakes Sunday morning and it was thin and barely had any maple flavor. My wife even asked if I forgot to buy syrup. Went back to my usual $4 store brand from Safeway the next day and it was way richer. Reminded me of when I used cheap concrete mix on a job once and had to tear it out. Anyone else been burned by a pricey bottle that didn't deliver?
I mean maybe it's just my area but last week the same bottle was $6.25. That's a 35% jump in 7 days. Checked the cap and it's still Vermont made, same brand. Manager said something about a freeze in Quebec messing with supply but idk if I buy that. Anyone else seeing prices spike this fast?
Took me 4 batches before I realized I was boiling it too long past the thermometer reading. Target temp should be 219F at sea level not 220F like I kept doing. Switched to a new digital probe from Thermoworks and nailed it on the first try. Anyone else run into this with their own taps?