why so thin?

[appleton]

This is our first year making maple syrup. My syrup has a nice color and flavor but it is so thin. Is there anything I can do to thicken it up?

[SilverLeaf]

Boil it down some more. It just means you pulled it off the stove a little too early.

Were you using a thermometer to test it? A hydrometer is the most fool-proof way to get 100% accuracy, but a thermometer works fine so long as you are really careful and test things out first. You have to do a test boil with water to find out what the boiling temp is at the moment (usually 212 fahrenheit, but it will vary from day to day and even hour to hour depending upon your altitude and any weather patterns coming through), and then seven degrees above that is the point where you know your syrup has for sure become syrup.

[SilverLeaf]

Oh - also, keep in mind real maple syrup is by nature thinner than the store-bought stuff.

But you probably knew that already. I only mention it because my first time having it I didn't, and I was like, "what is this colored waterlike substance"? (And then of course I tasted it and I've never gone back to the fake stuff...!)
:lol:

[PerryW]

you may want to see is it seems too thin after you refrigerate it. Syrup's viscosity varies with temperature and warm syrup always seems real thin.

[adk1]

all of my syrup is thick. I never got a batch that was 66.9 brix...I had some 71 and some up to 72... I know it will form crystals on the bottom of the jugs but that is ok.

[seclark]

Hot syrup or even warm syrup is thinner than the corn syrup stuff but refrigerated syrup is thicker.All my syrup this year has been very dark, I mean really dark,has anyone else had this color or is it just me.Last year I didn't have any dark at all and it's sap from the same trees as last year.The taste is great but very dark.Just wondering if others had this situation.

[SilverLeaf]

I mean really dark,has anyone else had this color or is it just me.
All mine was dark this year too. Funny how different every year goes...