No inverted sugars in maple syrup

[SWEETER CREATIONS]

I have a question for all of you our maple syrup has NO invert sugar in it . Just wondering if anyone has the same problem ? Its very hard to make maplecream with no inverted sugars!!! We even bought a glucose meter thinking uors was broke , we compared the 2 meters and they say LO, what can we do. We dont want to use anything that makes it an additive !!! Can anyone shine some light on my problem ? We even waited for some dark syrup to blend and that to the meter says LO , please help!!!

[SWEETER CREATIONS]

sorry we're trying to make maple cream

[northwoods_forestry]

I'm far from expert in these matters, but I beleive there are more invert sugars in light syrup than in dark. What grade syrup are you using?

[SWEETER CREATIONS]

We have tried everything light ,med ,dark still no inverted sugar measurable with a glucose meter .

[Toblerone]

It's my understanding that darker syrups have more invert sugars in them, but I also thought that, for maple cream, you don't want invert sugars so you should use the lightest syrup you have. Invert sugars tend to not crystallize and stay liquid and maple cream should fully crystallize into tiny crystals.

Invert sugars and syrup color have been discussed on here before. A quick forum search should find them.

My guess is that your problem lies not in the sugars but elsewhere. What is the problem you're experiencing and what is your process/recipe?

[wiam]

what process are you using to test for inverts?

[SWEETER CREATIONS]

The process we are using is 90 grams of water and 10 of maple syrup diluted in the water and tested with a glucose meter. In the maple confections workshop a certain amount of invert sugar is the key it should measure betweem 70mg or 1.4% to 80mg or 1.6% invert. We use a turn style paddle cream machine. We are heating the syrup 22 to 24 degrees above the boiling point of water using a digital thermometer,cool it to 65 degrees and turn the machine on .

[Toblerone]

I have no experience with measuring invert sugars, but I've made my fair share of cream by hand and it sounds like you're doing it right. Could it be that the meter you're using won't test below a certain threshold?

The North American Maple Syrup Producers Manual says this "Syrup that contains from 0.5 to 2 percent of invert sugar will make a fine-textured spread that feels smooth to the tongue. Syrup with from 2 to 4 percent of invert sugar can be made into spread by heating it to 25°F above the boiling point of water ( instead of the usual 22°F to 24°F). Syrup with more than 4 percent of invert sugar is not suitable for making spread. It will not crystallize, or it will crystallize only if heated to a much higher-than-normal temperature."

It also says to "Remember to establish the exact temperature at which water boils on the day maple spread is prepared since boiling temperature varies depending on atmospheric pressure." Also says it should be rapidly cooled in shallow pans to "50°F or below." And "It is considered sufficiently cooled when the surface of the cooked syrup is firm to the touch." Then it says stirring can take 1 to 2 hours!

What is the main problem with your results?

[wiam]

The process we are using is 90 grams of water and 10 of maple syrup diluted in the water and tested with a glucose meter. In the maple confections workshop a certain amount of invert sugar is the key it should measure betweem 70mg or 1.4% to 80mg or 1.6% invert. We use a turn style paddle cream machine. We are heating the syrup 22 to 24 degrees above the boiling point of water using a digital thermometer,cool it to 65 degrees and turn the machine on .

Sounds right on your ratio. Reading of lo seems odd though.

[SWEETER CREATIONS]

The cream has a sandy , grainy texture to it

[ToadHill]

Everything you describe about how to measure the invert sugar and how to make the cream is correct. If you have low invert sugar you will tend to get very large grainy crystals. If you go to the Northern New York Agricultural Development Program website you will find all of the Cornell bulletins related to testing invert sugar, making cream, making candy, etc.

http://www.nnyagdev.org/_maple.htm

Look at the one on testing and adjusting invert sugar. Find some syrup with a higher invert level and blend it with your syrup according to the allegation method in the bulletin. If you do it correctly you should get syrup with the correct invert level and it will cream with the right size crystals (microscopic) and your cream should be smooth. If you use syrup with to high an invert level the syrup will not cream (it will stay runny).

That said, there are other factors that can cause your cream to become grainy. Make sure you cool it as quickly as possible. No more than 1-1 1/2 hours. If you take longer the crystals may grow larger and cause the cream to be grainy. I say may, because sometimes people do cool for much longer and get away with it, but there is no reason to take longer and run the risk.

Also, once you stop boiling and start cooling don't disturb the cream and don't let a cool breeze blow over it. Any agitation will contribute to large crystal growth. If you leave a thermometer in it to measure the temperature that's fine, but don't keep taking it out and putting it back in.

If you get a chance take the Cornell confections workshops. They are definately worth the time.

Good luck and let us know how you make out.

[philkasza]

The cream has a sandy , grainy texture to it

We also have just made some cream and it turned sandy on us, I don't know if we stirred it too long or not with our paddle type machine. Is it better to under stirr or over stirr the cream. I think we were going to try our hand at it again today and try cooling it faster and don't stirr it as long. Sam

[lew]

philkasza,

Cool it as fast as you can, ice bath, water bath, etc. You cannot overstir cream. we have many times stalled our paddle style machine when the cream has gotten to the end point and "setup" and stalled the machine. Just a little agitation with spooning it into containers brings it back to "fluidity". DO NOT understir. this will cause larger crystals and a sandy texture. When you first start to stir your cooled syrup it will slowly start to get color. that color is sugar crystals starting to form. If you stop too soon and all of your syrup has not turned to small crystals, then the crystals that have already developed will continue to grow larger and larger, thus making a sandy texture. You need to keep the heavy syrup in motion so that only small crystals form. You will know the cream is done when the surface of the cream goes from a glossy sheen to a flat sheen.

[GeneralStark]

I have a question for all of you our maple syrup has NO invert sugar in it . Just wondering if anyone has the same problem ? Its very hard to make maplecream with no inverted sugars!!! We even bought a glucose meter thinking uors was broke , we compared the 2 meters and they say LO, what can we do. We dont want to use anything that makes it an additive !!! Can anyone shine some light on my problem ? We even waited for some dark syrup to blend and that to the meter says LO , please help!!!

Check the manual that came with the glucometer to determine what the lo/high threshold is for that particular device. A lo reading does not necessarily mean no invert sugar, just too low to read for that device. Not all devices have a wide range. Also, be sure you are using the correct test strips for the particular device as that will throw off the readings.

Assuming you are correctly using a 10 gram syrup to 90 gram water dilution, you should be able to determine the invert % quite accurately. I also recommend reading through the Cornell handbooks referenced earlier in this thread.

[rgmaple]

If you want the maple cream to be smooth, you must cool it more. Room temperature is best. The low invert is going to work for you too. Just make sure you don't agitate the syrup while cooling.

[spud]

I am looking to buy a cream machine and was wondering what brand is best. I have no experience in making maple cream but really want to learn. Thanks.

Spud

[Howard]

Spud, I have a Leader cream machine that I bought new. I used it for just a few months. Made lots of cream. I'd be willing to part with it .PM me. Howard

[wiam]

I built a turn table cream machine. From watching others make cream I would rather have a gear pump machine.

[GeneralStark]

I built a turn table cream machine. From watching others make cream I would rather have a gear pump machine.

I would have to agree. After having made cream with a candy machine, a paddle/turn table style machine(Leader), and a gear pump machine, I would say that the gear pump machine is far superior if you are trying to make large quantities of consistent cream. For smaller quantities, the candy machine works quite well for me and I will continue with that until I need to be able to make large quantities.

The paddle machine makes good cream but I find it to be a PITA to have to scoop the cream into containers. I prefer being able to dispense the cream into containers as it is being "creamed" as with the candy machine or gear pump machine.

[wiam]

General, what are you cooling to when you use your candy machine?

[GeneralStark]

General, what are you cooling to when you use your candy machine?

After I cook the syrup to about 234F, I pour it into some stainless flat pans and then cool in a water bath to about 75-80 F. Then scoop it into the pig, turn on the machine and run it through. It usually takes a few minutes for it to start to cream, but it does.

I rent a commercial kitchen space, so I usually make candy and cream in one visit and let the cream syrup cool for 2-3 hours while making candy.

[red maples]

I do really small batches so I use a mixer and yes it is a PITA having scoop it into the jars. So there are 2 things you can do 1. pick up large disposable plastic pastry bags or you can just use a freezer or heavy zip loc bag fill up and snip one corner it a good size and squeeze it into the jars works GREAT and little mess when you get down to the end just run the bag over the edge of the counter and get out the little left in the bag.

[GeneralStark]

I do really small batches so I use a mixer and yes it is a PITA having scoop it into the jars. So there are 2 things you can do 1. pick up large disposable plastic pastry bags or you can just use a freezer or heavy zip loc bag fill up and snip one corner it a good size and squeeze it into the jars works GREAT and little mess when you get down to the end just run the bag over the edge of the counter and get out the little left in the bag.

Great idea. For small batches this should work really well.