Real maple syrup usually pours thinner than pancake syrup, tastes different, and belongs in the fridge once it's open. That's most of what changes when you switch. Here's what to expect from your first tin.
It pours thinner
This is the first thing people notice. Pancake syrup is allowed to contain thickeners. The federal standard for table syrup lists them as an optional ingredient. Maple syrup's standard doesn't. Maple syrup is sap boiled down until it's about two thirds sugar, and nothing is added to thicken it.
So it usually runs faster off the spoon and soaks into a pancake instead of sitting on top. Pour a little less than you're used to, then add more. You'll find your amount after a breakfast or two.
It tastes different
Pancake syrup is generally flavored corn syrup. Maple syrup tastes like maple because it comes from one. The Vermont Maple Sugar Makers' Association makes a kind point about this: a lot of what we like was set in childhood. So if you grew up on pancake syrup, the real thing will taste new at first. Give it a fair try.
The flavor also depends on the grade, which brings us to the next surprise.
It comes in grades
All the pure maple syrup sold in stores is Grade A. Within Grade A there are four color classes, from Golden to Very Dark, and the flavor gets stronger as the color gets deeper. Syrup made early in the season is lighter. Syrup made later is darker and more robust.
We sell two. Amber is warm and smooth with caramel notes, and it's the one that goes on everything. Dark is deep and robust, built for cooking and baking. If you're coming from pancake syrup and mostly want it for the table, start with Amber. Our Amber vs. Dark piece compares them in detail.
It goes in the fridge
Pancake syrup can contain preservatives. Pure maple syrup with nothing added does not, so it needs a little more care. Once it's open, keep it in the fridge. There's more in our guide on how to store maple syrup.
It costs more, and there's a reason
It takes about 40 gallons of sap to make 1 gallon of maple syrup, and the sap only runs for a few weeks a year. Sugaring season in Vermont usually lasts four to six weeks. Nothing about that can be hurried. We explain the rest in why real maple syrup costs more.
The label gets shorter
Turn a tin of pure maple syrup around and there isn't much to read. If there's an ingredient list, it names only maple syrup. Pure maple syrup is a single-ingredient food, so it doesn't have to carry a list at all. Our guide to reading a maple syrup label explains the rest.
Our product pages list one ingredient: "100% pure Vermont maple syrup." There are no flavorings or colors to list because there aren't any. Used to a bottle that says "maple flavored"? Here's what "maple flavored" means on a syrup label.
It might come in a tin
Ours does. A tin is opaque, so you can't see how much is left. Give it a shake before a big breakfast, and keep a second one in the cupboard if running out would ruin your morning. Our syrup comes in 8 fl oz and 16 fl oz tins, and the bundle gets you one Amber and one Dark.
It does more than pancakes
Once there's a tin in the fridge, it tends to wander into other meals. A spoonful in coffee. A glaze for salmon or carrots. A vinaigrette. You can bake with it too, in place of white sugar, with a few small adjustments.
Our list of ways to use maple syrup is a good place to start, and the guide to swapping maple syrup for sugar walks through the adjustments step by step.
A few tips for the first week
- Take it out of the fridge a few minutes before breakfast, or warm what you need gently in a small pan. Cold syrup on hot pancakes cools them down fast.
- Pour less, then add. It spreads further than you expect.
- Try it plain on a spoon once. It's the easiest way to taste what the grade means.
- Wipe the rim of the tin before you close it. Maple syrup is, as you may have guessed, sticky.
