Store unopened maple syrup somewhere cool and dark, and keep it in the fridge or freezer once it's open. Sealed pure maple syrup is very shelf-stable and has no fixed use-by date, but opened syrup that isn't kept cold can grow mold. If you ever see mold, throw the syrup out.
Before you open it
A sealed, unopened container of maple syrup has a long shelf life if you keep it somewhere cool and dark. A kitchen cupboard or pantry away from the stove works well. It doesn't need the fridge yet.
Why sealed syrup keeps so well
Sealed syrup is packed to last. Producers pack it hot, at 180 to 190°F, to prevent spoilage, and seal the containers quickly. Its density is kept in a narrow range, which the Vermont Maple Sugar Makers' Association says keeps maple syrup shelf-stable. Once the seal is broken, though, it needs the cold.
After you open it
Once it's open, keep your syrup in the fridge or the freezer, no matter how long it'll take you to finish it. That's the advice from the Vermont Maple Sugar Makers' Association and from UVM Extension's maple specialist. When mold shows up in syrup after it's been opened, the specialist says it's probably because it wasn't kept in the fridge or freezer.
The fridge is the easy spot for the syrup you use every day, and an open tin can go right in. Put the lid back on after each pour. The side of our tin spells it out: refrigerate after opening, and use within 1 year of opening. Odds are it'll be gone before its color or flavor has a chance to change. In Vermont, the association says, an open container doesn't last long.
Does maple syrup need to be refrigerated?
Not before you open it. Yes, after. A cool, dark cupboard is fine for a sealed container, and the fridge is the place for an open one. The Massachusetts Maple Producers Association gives the same rule: keep unopened syrup in a cool, dry place, and refrigerate it once it's open.
If you grew up with pancake syrup in the pantry, this is the habit that changes. The rules for what goes into pancake syrup allow preservatives. Pure maple syrup with nothing added has none, and once it's open it needs the cold. Here's what else changes when you switch to real maple syrup.
Can you freeze maple syrup?
Yes, and it's a good way to keep syrup for the long term. Because it's so high in sugar, it won't freeze solid. It does get thick enough to be hard to pour until it warms up, so the freezer is better for storage than for everyday use.
Bigger containers are sometimes a better price per ounce, the Vermont association points out, and repacking is how you make that work. If you have more syrup than you'll use soon, pour some into clean glass jars and freeze them. Mason jars work well, since you can see how much is in each one. UVM Extension recommends glass for freezing larger amounts, to keep the flavor. The Vermont association says many people keep a "daily" container in the fridge and their "future" syrup in the freezer.
When you need a frozen jar, give it time to come up to room temperature before you pour.
Does maple syrup go bad?
It can. Pure maple syrup is very shelf-stable, and a sealed container has no fixed best-by or use-by date. Stored well, it keeps for a long time. Stored badly, it can grow mold or pick up off flavors.
Mold is the thing to watch for. It can come from storing syrup the wrong way, and it can also come from a problem at the producer's end. Either way, if you see it, throw the syrup away. You may have heard that you can skim off the mold and reboil the syrup. UVM Extension's maple specialist says that advice is out of date, because too many problems won't boil or filter out. The Vermont association puts it plainly: food safety comes first.
If a container already has mold the first time you open it, let the producer know. It can point to a problem with how the syrup was packed. If it's one of our tins, email us at hello@eatsticky.co. More answers are on our FAQ.
A quick storage checklist
- Unopened: a cool, dark cupboard.
- Opened: the fridge.
- Keeping it a long time: clean glass jars in the freezer.
- Mold: throw it out.
Our syrup comes in 8 fl oz and 16 fl oz tins. If a tin tends to last you a while, start with the smaller size. Shop Amber and Dark.
