Maple Cream- Is this right?

[Lazarus]

I made maple cream for the very first time last night, but I am not sure if it came out OK. I've never actually seen it before, so I don't know exactly what it's supposed to look like. My biggest concern is I have customers literally waiting at the door for this stuff and I don't know if my first try is saleable.

Once the spread is packed into containers and refrigerated, what consistency is it supposed to have? Should it be easily spreadable right from the fridge? Mine is harder that that - it has "set up" in the fridge. It's not like a rock - I can definintely get a knife through it, but it does not slip through the stuff like it would for a tub of margarine. It's more like a refridgerated fudge consistency. Is that normal and do people usually let it soften on the counter or pop in the microwave before serving?

Thanks,
-Laz

[Amber Gold]

Sometimes mine comes out like this...think it depends on what temp. you heated it to and/or how much you mixed it. When mine gets like this, I nuke it for a few seconds, or leave it on the counter for a bit, and it spreads fine.

[delivron]

Joe Russo from Hilltop Maple Farm Vermont - Trained at the CIA in Hyde Park, NY is a excellent producer of Maple Cream. He is a fanatic about quality.
Check this video out. For our French Canadian friends the presentation is also in French.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4N6Nhd0tFQc&feature=plcp

[delivron]

This is another Producer from CT showing how he makes maple cream.
Robert Lamothe, Burlington CT

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2ZsALJaTzFw

[Lazarus]

Thanks for the clips. Would be nice if someone had some video without the big expensive machine ;) I'm just using a stand mixer. It did give me some ideas though. I boiled to about 235 degrees, so I may knock it down a degree or so (water boiled at 211). I did measure the invert sugar and put it spot on 1.5%, so that should not be an issue. I may mix it longer since the last clip said you can't overmix it. I had already mixed it well over a half hour (maybe as much as 40 minutes on slow stir?), which seems like a lot, but it didn't change color at all until then. I thought I cooled it too slowly, but the guy in the second clip took all day to cool his. I think maybe knocking the temp down a degree or two might help me.

It did soften on the counter after 5 minutes, so I think this batch is OK, but I would like it a bit softer.

[wiam]

Most any cream will be stiff in the fridge.

[Lazarus]

My second try was much better. At least I think it was. I dropped the degree down one to 234, and I let the mixer go for 60 minutes. It was much smoother and somewhat easy to pour, seemed a better consistency (hopefully not too loose).