Pure Vermont Amber Rich Maple Syrup

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Vern_in_IL

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I've read and heard that this is the best syrup you can buy. Grade "A"

I bought some and it's kinda runny, other than "no fructose corn syrup" I really don't see, or taste what makes this the best maple syrup in the world. Is there a flavor note I should be tasting?
So I'm asking the connoisseurs on here, is there a special taste, the viscosity, or method that makes this a premium syrup?

I don't know much about syrups.
 
That's because it's not. Quebec makes the best maple syrup in the world.

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My wife uses the grade A maple syrup in her candied yams at Christmas. We had pancakes this morning and were low on pancake syrup so we used her leftover grade A maple syrup from Christmas. We weren't impressed with the flavor either, and like yours it was thin and runny as well. It's fantastic in her yam dish but not so much on pancakes. The bottle says made in Canada, IDK.
 
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The taste and quality of maple syrup varies considerably, although I agree with Snagglefoot that in general Canadian maple syrup is the best. That said, I like Anderson's maple syrup, which is Wisconsin made IIRC.

Regardless, I cannot understand how people can eat that fake corn fructose garbage. Gross!! It's real maple syrup for this Cali boy!

Scott
 
What you have should be a fine syrup for pancakes. I can see how it might seem unusual if you're used to the Log Cabin, etc. type syrups.

USDA changed the grading system a few years ago. "Amber Rich" is equivalent to what used to be called Grade A Medium Amber. The new system does away with Grade B.

Basically, the lighter the color, the lighter the maple flavor. Lighter grades tend to cost more. Sugar content and viscosity are the same across grades. Real maple syrup is like 0W-20, where the other stuff is comparable to 20W-50. Apparently, early-season sap makes lighter syrups and later-season makes the darker ones.

I grew up eating Grade A Light and Medium from a family operation. At age 10 or so, when I first tried it, I couldn't recognize the typical grocery store syrup as syrup. I have been known to take my own syrup to pancake restaurants.
 
I prefer the dark grade b. To me it has a deeper flavor and I use less.
 
People have been conditioned by artificial food standards. A good example is how we expect fruit to be perfect in all aspects: uniform size, perfectly polished, zero blemishes. People equate high maple syrup quality with the artificial thickness of Mrs. Butterworth's, Aunt Jemima, etc.. Pure maple syrup will never be as thick as the commercial products. One needs to change their metrics.

The maple syrup grading system changed about 5 years ago. All maple syrup is now different levels of Grade A. They did away with the negative connotation of the Grade B category for marketing purposes (IMO).
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Pure maple syrup is very similar to wine when discussing flavor quality. Flavor varies wildly from year to year, early season vs. late season, annual weather pattern, locale, etc.. Some consider the lightest, most subtle flavored syrup produced at the season start-up to be the very best (I think it is bland). Others prefer the more robust flavor and darker color that develops as the season progresses to the end. Don't get hung up on the grade rankings. If you like Boone's Farm out of the box better than a Chateau Lafite Rothschild, so be it.
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However, Michigan produces the best pure maple syrup by far. Vermont and Canada are all about image.
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Vern, you can find some great buys on Ebay, about $50 a gallon delivered. Try one of the middle two darker grades this time.
 
Originally Posted by irad
I prefer the dark grade b. To me it has a deeper flavor and I use less.

That is wife's favorite for same reason . Mum made Mapleine from extract. For many yrs, store brand pancake syrup had the highest %of real maple compared to any of the name brands. None use maple anymore. Store brand is fine for my occasional stack.
 
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How is the maple syrup sold at Costco's in the little jugs? always wanted to try.
 
Its King syrup or nothing. Used to come in a can when I was a kid, but now in bottles.
 
Originally Posted by Malo83
How is the maple syrup sold at Costco's in the little jugs? always wanted to try.


IDK, I get
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quarts for $11 at BJs wholesale (not the same price across all stores.)

I've made my own. A big part of it is filtering out all the bugs.
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I spent almost as much on propane to boil it down vs just buying it from the store.

Darker is better. I remember Grade B being "our little secret" but then the tourists stomped through and got their way.

Early season stuff I find nasty- it almost has a wood pulp quality to it, gross.
 
You haven't lived until you've had a cup of syrup directly from the tap on the boiler. Taste difference between that and anything in any store is as dramatic as the difference between water and Jägermeister. One of the first things I learned when I moved to Vermont! Nowadays we make our own at home from trees we tapped on our property. About two dozen trees yields a few gallons of syrup to last us all year with enough left over to give as gifts.
 
Most definitely, whether canned or fresh tapped.

Originally Posted by Snagglefoot
That's because it's not. Quebec makes the best maple syrup in the world.

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Originally Posted by Snagglefoot
That's because it's not. Quebec makes the best maple syrup in the world.

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+1,000. As much as Ontarians hate Quebec folks (not me, but generally the attitude in Ontario), we love their maple syrup.
Every time I visit my brother in Boston there has to be some in the suitcase along with Ketchup chips (although I think the chip thing changed recently).

It's the price of admission to his house.
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