Max, how to store open maple syrup

**Cabin Fever** · #1 05/27/13, 07:57 AM

Can we keep the opened gallon of your great maple syrup in our pantry or should we keep it in the refrigerator?

Thanks!

Minelson · #2 05/27/13, 08:06 AM

I asked the same question...he said I should refrigerate any open containers

Forerunner · #3 05/27/13, 08:08 AM

A whole gallon ?!

Definitely refrigerate...... but, even better would be to heat that syrup to 170-180 degrees and can it in pints...... then you can open a pint and use it without the worry of mold forming or all that fridge space being lost.

Syrup will keep a week or so without refrigeration, once opened.

If a little mold does form on top, just peel it off and stick the jar back in the fridge.

Rick · #4 05/27/13, 09:03 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Forerunner

A whole gallon ?!

Definitely refrigerate...... but, even better would be to heat that syrup to 170-180 degrees and can it in pints...... then you can open a pint and use it without the worry of mold forming or all that fridge space being lost.

Syrup will keep a week or so without refrigeration, once opened.

If a little mold does form on top, just peel it off and stick the jar back in the fridge.

I checked Ball's blue book and they have a sugar corn riddled, maple walnut recipe - half pints water bath.

Any recommendation for pure maple, steam canned in pints or half pints?

I need a steam canning book as we have a team canner we have never used

Now that I realize how to eek the nectar of Max's hard labors....

MAXXXXXX????

Forerunner · #5 05/27/13, 09:16 AM

You don't have to pressure, steam or water bath can maple syrup.

Just heat it to 170-180 degrees and pour into hot, sterile canning jars with hot, sterile lids and seal.
You can use any size canning jar.

It'll keep forever that way.

Rick · #6 05/27/13, 09:18 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by forerunner

you don't have to pressure, steam or water bath can maple syrup.

Just heat it to 170-180 degrees and pour into hot, sterile canning jars with hot, sterile lids and seal.
You can use any size canning jar.

It'll keep forever that way.

wooo-hooooo!!!

greg273 · #7 05/27/13, 06:42 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Forerunner

You don't have to pressure, steam or water bath can maple syrup.

Just heat it to 170-180 degrees and pour into hot, sterile canning jars with hot, sterile lids and seal.
You can use any size canning jar.

It'll keep forever that way.

Good to know. Thats pretty similar to how we can our apple/pear/grape juice... we get it to 190 for 5 minutes then into the hot jars... Keeps well. Still drinking off the 2010 juice.

Macybaby · #8 05/27/13, 06:47 PM

I keep mine in the freezer. It never freezes solid, so when I need to refill a smaller containter, I take it out for an hour, then pour what I need and put the gallon back in the freezer until next time. I've never kept it more than about 6 months - use it up by then. Been getting it in half gallon containers the last few years, and one stays in the fridge and the others stay in the freezer. I have three freezers and one is dedicated to storing bulk dry goods, so the syrup goes in that one.

Forerunner · #9 05/27/13, 06:48 PM

Same here, Greg.

On a whim, one year, I decided to try heating my prized (to me

) grape juice to our typical syrup canning temps...... kinda felt bad about boiling it to death, yuh know ?

It worked just fine, and I've been doing fruit juice canning at lower temps, since.

**highlands** · #10 05/27/13, 07:06 PM

You are in a similar climate, I think, to us here in the mountains of central northern Vermont. We just store our maple syrup on the shelf in the pantry. I have never had it go bad. Same with honey.

sugarspinner · #11 05/27/13, 07:46 PM

Freezing the bulk is good if you have the room. It'll keep a l-o-n-g time that way, but canning also works well. I've kept it canned for years. We still have a couple of bottles we canned the first year we made it (about 45 years ago) and I opened one of them a year or so ago. It had darkened but was still good.
Highlands, you're right to not refrigerate your honey; cold is apt to cause it to sugar.

michiganfarmer · #12 05/28/13, 06:53 AM

Forerunner has it right. Once it is opened it either needs to be refrigerated, or re-can it in smaller containers. heat it to above 180, pour it into clean jars,and seal it

PNP Katahdins · #13 05/28/13, 11:56 AM

I buy Max's syrup in half-gallons and store the opened one in the door of the refrigerator. For the table, we use a smaller glass pint-size bottle which is also kept in the fridge door.

The unopened ones are in a dark storage cabinet in the mudroom.

Peg

Nimrod · #14 05/28/13, 11:21 PM

You can't preserve it. You need to use it up in a hurry before it goes bad. Why not have all the neighbors over for a pancake breakfast to use it up?

michiganfarmer · #15 05/29/13, 06:37 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Nimrod

You can't preserve it. You need to use it up in a hurry before it goes bad. Why not have all the neighbors over for a pancake breakfast to use it up?

way to sell more syrup. lol

suitcase_sally · #16 05/29/13, 09:52 AM

I heated mine to 180º and put it in sterilized beer bottles and capped them. Perfect size - 12 oz.

MDKatie · #17 05/29/13, 10:25 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Forerunner

You don't have to pressure, steam or water bath can maple syrup.

Just heat it to 170-180 degrees and pour into hot, sterile canning jars with hot, sterile lids and seal.
You can use any size canning jar.

It'll keep forever that way.

My sister's inlaws store theirs that way, and my sister says it tastes "off" to her...slightly funky.

We refrigerate or freeze ours. I have left it in our cool cellar before for a few months and it did ok, but it did eventually start molding. I strained it, heated it, then froze it.