So does syrup go bad?

[Errin OH]

I mean if sealed and stored properly.

My mentor and teacher (old school) has told me that syrup doesn't go bad. He even claimed that if you develope a bit of mold, you just remove it, heat it back up to 180 and re-can it. A neighbor who knew his dad actually has a gallon of syrup from the 60's that still looks good in the jar. He claims that jar is just as good as any I make.

OK fast forward, so I went to an auction and purchased 200+ canning jars (yea we have close to a thousand now). Going throught the boxes cleaning and sterlizing them we come across one that is full and has a good seal. Contents are clean and absoutly no setteling. Looking at it I am 99% sure it is syrup. So instead of dumping and washing the jar, I pop the seal. Yes sir it is syrup (smell). A little darker that what we make but that could be the trees or process used. I get a tad brave put just a drop on the end of a spoon (and I mean a drop) touch it to the end of my tounge and it taste perfect.

So would you eat it? The story is this old fella died back in the mid 80's and the place has sat empty for some 30 years. Auctioneer had to cut tress from in front of the door to gain entry. Several of the boxes had bands and lids in them with dates from the late 70's.

Would you eat it?

[wiam]

Should be fine. Only problem with skimming mold and reheating is some people have mold allergies. I have done that for my own use but try not to sell it

[Cabin]

I mean if sealed and stored properly.

My mentor and teacher (old school) has told me that syrup doesn't go bad. He even claimed that if you develope a bit of mold, you just remove it, heat it back up to 180 and re-can it. A neighbor who knew his dad actually has a gallon of syrup from the 60's that still looks good in the jar. He claims that jar is just as good as any I make.

OK fast forward, so I went to an auction and purchased 200+ canning jars (yea we have close to a thousand now). Going throught the boxes cleaning and sterlizing them we come across one that is full and has a good seal. Contents are clean and absoutly no setteling. Looking at it I am 99% sure it is syrup. So instead of dumping and washing the jar, I pop the seal. Yes sir it is syrup (smell). A little darker that what we make but that could be the trees or process used. I get a tad brave put just a drop on the end of a spoon (and I mean a drop) touch it to the end of my tounge and it taste perfect.

So would you eat it? The story is this old fella died back in the mid 80's and the place has sat empty for some 30 years. Auctioneer had to cut tress from in front of the door to gain entry. Several of the boxes had bands and lids in them with dates from the late 70's.

Would you eat it?

All canned goods have a far longer shelf life than 'advertised'. As long as they are stored away from light even low acid foods with a good seal should be safe many years later. High sugar foods last the longest. String beans do get tasteless after 10 years though. If you are nervous reheat it and have a taste test against a few of your and the neighbors batches. My only concern would be lead but small samples should not be a worry. Look at it as tasting a bit of local history.

[maple flats]

As long as the lid had not rusted, it's as good as the day it was canned. enjoy!

[Galena]

Heck ya, I'd still eat it. Just this week I found and opened a jar in my parents' fridge from the 2010 season that I had brought over on my annual visit. Syrup is still perfectly fine, am having it in my morning cereal and coffee and got the others to put it on strawberries and cream last night for dessert :-)

Even better, this morning I found an even older jar that had been opened, way less syrup in it, from 2008. One tiny minute speck of mold in it, just fished it out and the rest of the syrup is fine.

[NW Ohio]

I know there always has to be a wet blanket, and I waited a couple of hours to see if anyone else would do it... ...they didn't, so here I go. There is no way I would eat it. Yes it may be as good as the day it went into the jar, but what if it wasn't good then. I'm probably wrong, but I picture this guy as a hermit that hoarded this jar of syrup for years before his eventual death. In my mind, I see it coming out of the 60's or 70's when paraformaldehyde was going into the tap holes. He probably made it himself and when he shutdown at night used an old carbon tetrachloride fire extinguisher to put out the fire, and polished the soldered joints on his pan with some solvent that was perfectly safe in the 1910's when his grandpa taught him how.

There may be nothing wrong with it. However, I'd call it an interesting find, dump it out and eat your own syrup.

...and with that, I apologize for being the wet blanket.

[Ausable]

Is it still good? Probably. Would I eat it? No.......Just my hangup. If I know the person who made and canned it - I would. But - Not if I didn't.

[mike z]

I'd eat some of it. Just to get a good taste of the past, then probably.... refrigerate and eat the rest later.