QUESTION ABOUT MAPLE SYRUP
Can someone tell me what effect genuine maple syrup in lieu of maple-flavored syrup has in a recipe?
In my recipe for pumpkin spice bread, I use imitation maple (pancake syrup)---I'm wondering what genuine maple syrup would do. I don't want to waste it if I don't have to, because my 12.5 oz bottle cost me a ridiculous sum. (It's Grade A Dk. Amber.)
Here's my ingredient list:
1-3/4 C AP Flour
1-1/2 sticks butter
1/2 C Dk. Brown Sugar
1/2 C Maple flavored Syrup
1/3 C Unsulfured Blackstrap Molasses
2 Eggs
1 C Pumpkin Puree
1/2 t. Salt
1/2 t. Baking Powder
2 T Ground Ginger
2 t. Ground Cloves
1 t. each cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice
Thank you for your input!
Ciao,
GinaG
Tags: maple syrup vs maple flavored syrup
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Replies to This Discussion
- Reply by Mike Nolan on October 28, 2011 at 2:41 pm
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My experience has been that with real maple syrup, you need a lot less of it than with the artificial stuff, maybe half as much. You might have to twiddle with the liquids a bit.
We use Grade B for cooking and baking. The guy I bought it from at the farmers market (a visiting vendor from Wisconsin) only brings a little of the Grade B with him, he keeps most of it for himself. I also got a nice bottle of maple syrup when we were in Canada this spring, I don't think they use the same grading/labeling standards there, but it looks like Grade B.)
The vendor at the farmer's market who makes a maple pecan roll also uses Grade B syrup.
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- Reply by GinaG on October 28, 2011 at 3:10 pm
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It must be nice to have options like that. Here in California, even in the Bay Area, 100% pure maple syrup is hard to find. I haven't seen Grade B syrup, but from the sound of it, am I right that Grade B would be a middle of the road option or is Grade B even better?
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- Reply by kidpizza on October 28, 2011 at 3:15 pm
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GINA:
Good day to you my friend. I believe that the recipes maple syrup would have more sugar in it than the real stuff you mentioned. It seems to me your recipe has enough sugar (sweeteners) in it as to not worry about subst. the real stuff if you are so inclined my friend. One more thing my friend, Gina notice you have 4 ingredients in this recipe that are somewhat acidic...don't we require "BAKING SODA. Also notice that there is only 1/2 tsp of powder...not enough without the soda. I believe you will need 1 teasp of soda. What do you think Gina????
Enjoy the rest of the day.
~CASS.
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- Reply by Mike Nolan on October 28, 2011 at 3:20 pm
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Some people think Grade B syrup is a lower quality than Grade A syrup. It is not.
As I understand it, Grade B syrup is made from sap harvested later in the season, when the sap has more solids in it, That is why it is darker than Grade A syrup. It has a more complex flavor, which is probably why it is preferred for cooking.
It is cooked down the same way and usually about the same in price, although you seldom see it in larger containers.
It is very hard to find Grade B syrup in stores here, too. I have found that our local coop sells it in bulk, but I stock up when I can in the spring and hope that it lasts through the winter.
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- Reply by meghildreth on October 28, 2011 at 5:42 pm
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I wish I could help you. We just drive up to Vermont to get our Grade B syrup.
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- Reply by GinaG on October 28, 2011 at 6:07 pm
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Thank you, Cass:
I thought I was being so careful with my ingredient list, but I did fail to indicate baking soda. But I don't remember a full teaspoon of the baking soda, I recall 1/2 teaspoon. I need to look.
I'm wondering what it would do to the texture more than the sweetness, although I find the pure syrup to be much sweeter than the fake stuff! This has me wary because I prefer "less-sweet" when baking desserts and such.
The pure syrup is also milder in maple flavor than artificial
which has me thinking Mike is right: Grade B would be a better choice.
Would I be better off leaving this as is, or replacing the artificial product with corn syrup--which is essentially what pancake syrup is?
That would be helpful to know!
Thank you all very much for your insightful input!
GinaG
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- Reply by frick on October 28, 2011 at 7:25 pm
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Featuring GinaG, bakingcircle comedienne extraordinaire!
BTW, due the extraordinary cost of maple syrup, we usually buy ours at Costco. It has always been Grade B in the past but sadly the last bottle was Grade A Medium Amber. IMHO pancakes are just an excuse to eat maple syrup.
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- Reply by GinaG on October 28, 2011 at 8:16 pm
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I'm flattered (blushing)...Commedienne extaordinaire, I don't know. Smarty-pants-girl, yes! But if we can all laugh together, it's all good, right?
Mike mentioned that he, too gets it at Costco. I'll take a look at both TJ's and Costco to see which version makes sense for me to get. I really don't use it much, but that could change.
I'm really intrigued by the different grades and how they come to be that way and how to use them. A former co-worker years ago who was born and bred in Vermont set us straight on the subject. She wasn't just incredulous that we knew no difference, I think we traumatized her.
She brought in her can of syrup to prove what imbecile's we were--no,no,kidding--she wanted to show us what REAL maple syrup was: It was crystal clear, next to no color. She explained grades, but clearly it wasn't THAT important to me or I would have filed it in my brain under the maple syrup section: Sadly, I don't have one. As you can see, it's under construction.
I still hope to get an answer about the texture issue.
The bottle I have is Grade A Dark Amber. Because the fake stuff does have a distinct flavor and is such a different animal from the real thing, I'm hoping the complexity Mike describes will hold up to all the spice in this formula as well.
Ahneewho, always a pleasure, Frick,
Gina :)
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- Reply by ZenSojourner on October 29, 2011 at 9:18 am
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Don't hate me cuz I'm beautiful - hate me cuz I boast about getting maple syrup right from the source!
*eyelashes going bat bat*
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- Reply by ZenSojourner on October 29, 2011 at 9:19 am
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For the first time in 40 years, I bought some Real Maple Syrup awhile back.
Neither my son nor I can stand the stuff. I don't know if I just lost the taste for it, or it's actually bad syrup.
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- Reply by swirth on October 29, 2011 at 10:12 am
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I'm so darned glad to hear someone else say they cannot stand the stuff!!! When our now 41 year old son was maybe 4 years old, we went to a festival in famous Brown County, IN in the spring when they were tapping the maple trees, gathering the syrup and boiling it in a shed. We saw the whole process from start to finish and bought a little container of it at a very high price.
We were all very underwhelmed with it and it sat in the fridge for years...it was so blah and tasteless and just a waste of our time and money.
I've never even thought of buying it again.
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- Reply by ZenSojourner on October 29, 2011 at 11:29 am
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Well the thing I can't figure out is I used to LOVE the stuff. I had the hardest time when it started to get so expensive regular people couldn't afford it any more. "Pancake syrup" actually doesn't taste like much of anything at all to me.
Possibly it's just a bad bottle or something, but it's so expensive I'm not inclined to go out and buy any more!
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- Reply by Mike Nolan on October 29, 2011 at 5:54 pm
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If we have pancakes or waffles, I'm more likely to use honey on them than maple syrup. But I prefer maple syrup on French toast. My wife had some of my home made grape jelly on her Challah French toast the other day, we had the Grade B out and she prefers the Grade A syrup.
I use maple syrup in my cooking more than I do as a table syrup. I use it when making sticky rolls and on baked Brussels sprouts, and I've used it as a glaze on baked ham, though I prefer to marinate the ham in Dr. Pepper for a day.
I think we have a bottle of 'lite' pancake syrup around, I have no idea how old it is.
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- Reply by GinaG on October 29, 2011 at 7:42 pm
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Which is the reason for my struggle: Is it worth the expense?
I'm not so sure I understand what the big hoop-de-ding is over pure maple syrup, but I cannot say I have ever tasted what's considered to be a superior specimen.
When the woman from Vermont attempted to educate us on the matter, I felt a little like how I'm sure I've made people feel when they thought Miracle Whip was "real" mayonnaise! In our house, store-bought mayo is ONLY Best Foods (Hellman's)!
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- Reply by Mike Nolan on October 29, 2011 at 8:02 pm
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I would say they're about the same for thickness, though I've not measured it.
It's been a long time since I've done any baking with artificially flavored maple syrup.
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- Reply by Mike Nolan on October 30, 2011 at 1:05 am
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I paid either $25 or $30 for a 64 ounce tin of Grade B syrup last spring.
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- Reply by GinaG on October 30, 2011 at 1:36 am
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Someday we'll all have to compare notes on what's readily available in our different regions and create a swap-program!
Can you now see why I struggle over this? I can get a lot of butter and flour for what I paid for something that isn't even likely the ideal for its intended use!
Argh! :{
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- Reply by Mike Nolan on October 30, 2011 at 10:29 pm
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If you're a tourist, then almost by definition the only places you go are tourist-y places. My wife bought a litre of maple syrup at the Byward Market in Ottawa for $16 in May, I'm not sure where in Ottawa to go to find 'local' pricing. (I may be back there again next May for the same conference, suggestions welcome.)
When we were in Vermont a year ago, the roadside maple syrup stands all seemed rather pricey.
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- Reply by GinaG on October 30, 2011 at 10:45 pm
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Thanks, I feel better, but you do know by now, don't you, that I'm a smarty-pants?
By the way, on closer inspection I see this bottle is from Canada.(!)
I still intend to see what, if anything Trader Joe's has. Not all stores are stocked exactly the same, but I never looked for maple syrup there. You have me eager to try Grade B.
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- Reply by PaddyL on October 30, 2011 at 11:56 pm
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Try the supermarkets, Mike. They generally sell the maple syrup in the 540 ml cans. The one I bought on Friday was on sale, but I can get it for $7.99, or two for $15 at a local fruit store. They tend to cost a small fortune if you buy it in bottles, or at cabanes a sucres (sugar shacks) where it's marked up in beautiful bottles for the tourists. I like to keep enough on hand so I can make maple sugar.
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- Reply by Mike Nolan on October 31, 2011 at 12:07 am
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I have a couple of 'tourist' maple syrup bottles that were gifts, they're shaped like a maple leaf. We refill them, they're kind of pretty at the table.
As I recall, we looked at maple syrup at the supermarket near downtown Ottawa, I don't recall what it was priced there, we were more interested in baked snacks that you just can't get in the USA!
What I really wanted to do was bring several KG of Montreal Smoked Meat back with us, but we didn't have space in the cooler.
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- Reply by Mike Nolan on October 31, 2011 at 12:54 am
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I've already tried making it once, and have a list of things to try to improve it next time. I haven't tried making Montreal bagels yet, having a wood fired brick oven may be a critical component, and that's not in the cards here.
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- Reply by GinaG on October 31, 2011 at 3:36 am
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I'm intrigued by this Montreal smoked meat: Is it the spices or technique or both? What kinds of meats are typically smoked and is it a cooking process or the process employed prior to cooking the meat?
I found a way to smoke meats in the oven, it comes out really nice. I love smoked meats!
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- Reply by Mike Nolan on October 31, 2011 at 10:16 am
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It's a smoked brisket that has been marinated in wine and herbs before cooking/smoking, the herbs are similar to the ones used to make pastrami, basically a Prague powder blend. (Although I leave out the garlic.)
The most important part to getting the right texture when serving it is to steam it before slicing it.
Here's a link to the recipe I used:
http://www.susanminor.org/forums/showthread.php?281-Montreal-Smoked-Meat
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- Reply by GinaG on October 31, 2011 at 2:45 pm
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It looks good! What kind of wine would you use? Does it matter?
I always have a selection of wine and beers on hand because I enjoy cooking with them. My pizza dough recipe, for instance has beer in it.
When I smoke meats in the oven, I don't cover the meat with foil. I instead cover it securely with a cut-open roasting bag; tucking all sides between the rack the meat is placed on and the broiler pan. I line the pan and rack with foil and place the hydrated chips in the broiler pan beneath the meat then roast it low and slow. This keeps all the moisture in and I can see how it's doing without uncovering it. I've done ribs, chicken and sausage like this, it produced nice results.
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- Reply by Mike Nolan on October 31, 2011 at 3:56 pm
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I think I used Marsala last time, next time I'll probably use a drier red wine, like a Cabernet or Merlot, and definitely will let it marinate longer, probably 2 days.
I smoked it on the gas grill outdoors using applewood chips.
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- Reply by dachshundlady on November 01, 2011 at 1:33 pm
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When we lived in Vermont, we discovered Grade B maple syrup. Soooo much better than Grade A. Our farmer neighbor made syrup and always kept the B for his family.
When DH was a vet in Northern NY, we always had a ton of syrup given to us. Funny, this morning I went down cellar to get some syrup for french toast I made from apple studel bread (to die for folks). I discovered we still have an unopened gallon and a couple quarts of the stuff. I just don't use it up fast enough. Am going to use it for Thanksgiving, though, to make pecan pie. I keep hearing how much better it is with maple rather than karo syrup.
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- Reply by Mike Nolan on November 01, 2011 at 1:38 pm
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Have you tried Lyle's Golden Syrup in a pecan pie? It is far better than corn syrup.
http://www.kingarthurflour.com/recipes/lyles-golden-pecan-pie-recipe
I like to add a little treacle (dark molasses) to a pecan pie.
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- Reply by dachshundlady on November 01, 2011 at 5:58 pm
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Yes, the recipe I have with the maple syrup also calls for a little molasses. I have never tried Lyles. Don't know if I have ever even seen it.
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- Reply by cwcdesign on November 01, 2011 at 6:45 pm
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Gina,
Grade B is harder to find. It has to do with how much you get during the processing - I know it was explained to me recently when I got some, but I can't remember right now - I will try to find the explanation for you at some point.
I have been able to find Grade B at Trader Joe's at the same price as Grade A. Grade A Dark Amber is between A and B. We used to get Grade B from a customer's son who made in NH - I won't tell you how long ago that was, but it does make a positive difference in baking or on pancakes.
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- Reply by Mike Nolan on November 01, 2011 at 8:09 pm
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Aside from the relative scarcity of Grade B syrup, because it only comes from the sap drawn late in the season, I really think the reason you don't see it in many stores is because some people think Grade B is lower quality than Grade A.
Celebrichefs like Alton Brown may have contributed to an increase in popularity and availability of Grade B syrup. 10 years ago you couldn't find Grade B syrup in ANY stores, now you can find it in some stores.
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- Reply by cwcdesign on November 01, 2011 at 8:12 pm
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From Vermont Living magazine
http://www.vtliving.com/maple/grades.shtml
As Mike said, Grade B comes from the sap tapped later in the season and here is a description of the various grades. (He beat me to it :-))
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- Reply by madaboutmadeleines on December 16, 2011 at 11:19 pm
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Adding my two cents' worth. Purchased a gallon! jug of grade B from a syrup producer at a farmers' market in East Otis, MA this summer. $56.00. Ecstasy.
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