Should maple syrup be stored in the refrigerator?

Question

Is there any reason to store maple syrup in the refrigerator? It tastes better when it's a little warmer.

Answer

I'll assume that you're talking about pure maple syrup in a glass container; if it's that adulterated pancake syrup then it's probably riddled with preservatives, so any advice here doesn't apply.

Pure maple syrup can and will grow mold on the surface if left in a cupboard. There are several reports of this happening, and although several of those people say that it's OK to simply strain the mold and re-boil the maple syrup, (a) I wouldn't chance it, and (b) that process is hardly any more convenient than simply taking it out of the refrigerator a half-hour earlier and letting it come up to room temperature.

Maple syrup should be stored in the refrigerator. It doesn't have to be, and it will probably take at least a year for it to grow any mold if left in the pantry. But it will last longer in the refrigerator; I've seen refrigerated jars 3+ years old without any mold.

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What is the impact of repeated cooling and reheating of maple syrup?

Question

Today I discovered a 1/4-full bottle of pure maple syrup had gotten moldy, so searched this site and came across this question: Should maple syrup be stored in the refrigerator?

My follow-up question is: Will there be any ill effects (such as altering the flavor or changing the molecular structure such that it's dangerous to eat, etc) from repeatedly heating maple syrup for serving, and re-cooling in the fridge?

If so, I'll try to only heat as much syrup as I'm likely to use at a time, although this will be more hassle, naturally :)

Answer

Flimzy,

If you use a lot of maple syrup, you won't need to refrigerate it; it'll keep at room temperature (depending on the temperature of your room) for a few weeks.

Repeated heating and cooling, in my long experience with pure maple syrup at home, does not affect the flavor or color of the syrup. This makes sense when you realize that maple syrup is boiled for hours in its manufacture.

However, it can cause the syrup to crystallize, and I haven't found a good easy way to decrystallize syrup (the hard way is dissolving it in water and boiling it down again). For this reason, I only heat up the amount of syrup I intend to use at a time.

I am not a food safety expert; I'm just speaking from my experience at home.

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Can I replace honey with maple syrup in recipes that require honey?

Question

There are many recipes (or recipe variants) that require honey as ingredient.

• Barbecue Spareribs
• Honey Lamb Chops
• Honey Raisin Choc Drops
• Honey Shortbread Biscuits
• Chocolate Chip Cookies
• Krispie Shortcake
• Honey, Lemon and Rosemary Marinade
• Pear and Almond Tart

May I generally use maple syrup in recipes that call for honey?
Are there guidelines for when that substitution will work well?

Answer

Generally speaking, maple syrup will work fine in any recipe that calls for honey. They may have slightly different viscosities and water content, but that could be true between two honeys as well, so I wouldn't worry about it a lot. The only thing I think you really have to consider is whether the flavor of maple syrup is appealing in the dish you would substitute it in. In most cases, I think it will be fine, especially if the dish would have worked well with a dark, fully flavored honey. You might also like to try sorghum syrup, molasses, or agave nectar as other possible replacements.

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