Invert Sugar & Syrup Aging Questions

[TooManyIrons...]

I hope this is the correct forum to post this in, if not then my apologies. I have a few questions that popped up in a friendly preseason discussion amongst our small local group of syrup makers, maybe we can get some answers from some of the folks here that are more knowledgeable and experienced about these issues than we are. :)

1.) Is there a relationship between invert sugar percentages and syrup color? In other words, will lighter syrup naturally contain less invert sugar by volume than darker syrup?

2.) Does invert sugar percentage increase or decrease somehow as syrup ages?

3.) Can the invert sugar percentages vary by different jars from the same processed batch of syrup after a given amount of storage time under identical conditions?

4.) I received comments that my syrup in sealed, canned jars tasted better as it aged, and I am inclined to agree. If this is a generally accepted fact then is there a rule of thumb regarding how long sealed, canned jars of syrup need to age to reach peak flavor?

5.) Generally speaking, how long can syrup in sealed, canned jars be stored before off flavors start to occur?

6.) Can some folks here please describe the "off-flavors" that can occur as syrup ages to the point of declining in quality? Hard to describe, but is a slightly bitter or perhaps slightly metallic aftertaste that lingers on the back of the tongue such an off-flavor?

Thanks much for any help with these questions!
-Tom

[Moser's Maple]

I hope this is the correct forum to post this in, if not then my apologies. I have a few questions that popped up in a friendly preseason discussion amongst our small local group of syrup makers, maybe we can get some answers from some of the folks here that are more knowledgeable and experienced about these issues than we are. :)

1.) Is there a relationship between invert sugar percentages and syrup color? In other words, will lighter syrup naturally contain less invert sugar by volume than darker syrup?

2.) Does invert sugar percentage increase or decrease somehow as syrup ages?

3.) Can the invert sugar percentages vary by different jars from the same processed batch of syrup after a given amount of storage time under identical conditions?

4.) I received comments that my syrup in sealed, canned jars tasted better as it aged, and I am inclined to agree. If this is a generally accepted fact then is there a rule of thumb regarding how long sealed, canned jars of syrup need to age to reach peak flavor?

5.) Generally speaking, how long can syrup in sealed, canned jars be stored before off flavors start to occur?

6.) Can some folks here please describe the "off-flavors" that can occur as syrup ages to the point of declining in quality? Hard to describe, but is a slightly bitter or perhaps slightly metallic aftertaste that lingers on the back of the tongue such an off-flavor?

Thanks much for any help with these questions!
-Tom
1. yes most of the time this is true
2.if the syrup starts to ferment or break down then the invert will rise
3. a little maybe, but not normally a significant amount to alter your boiling temps when making confections, unless 1 container was not sealed properly letting the syrup break down.
4. i would have to say again depends on how it is bottled. if syrup loses a grade (become darker) then you may get more of a maple flavor, or if syrup starts to work a little you could begin to get a stronger flavor, but if this is the case then that syrup could also spoil in time.
5. i can't tell you specifics on this one, but I do remember when my great uncle passed away we were cleaning his root cellar and found to jugs of syrup that were dated 15 years prior. the syrup was dark and looked like molasses, but curiousity got the best of us and we crack open one of the jugs, after a smell test to determine if edible we pour some out and gave it a taste. not it was by far not the best syrup i have ever tasted, but I have also tasted a lot worse in my life.
6. first thing is smell. you can smell a fermented syrup. a lot of time it will smell moldy/musty. it can also have a bite to it. you know that numbing sensation in the back of your jaw bone. If in a tin can, it can have a very strong metallic taste to it. i know there are other ways to describe but can't put to words right now.

[TooManyIrons...]

Thanks much for taking the time to reply, Jake.

Last year my syrup tasted better after aging for approximately two months in the sealed jars than it tasted after being in the jars for only a week or two. I was told this by several people and I was inclined to agree. Don't get me wrong - we all felt it tasted fine early on but it tasted even better after it aged a bit. The reason I am wondering about this is because I was thinking of selling fresh syrup via highway signage and drive-ups as soon as possible, even while the season was in progress and I was still processing later batches. Perhaps I am over-thinking this when it is not enough of an issue about which to be concerned.

Another reason for bringing up this issue is because it makes us question using the mason jar canning method. If syrup is not supposed to age in the sealed jars that means there is a problem using the canning method. Almost all of us used mason jars/rings/lids and followed proper canning procedures. Another member simply sanitized purchased glass syrup bottles and plastic caps and did the fill-and-upend method of sealing. I am not 100% certain but I do not think that either method was done improperly as to affect syrup and induce an aging process. I have not canned a lot of syrup but I have done a lot of general canning so I have a lot of experience with the method, as do the other people in the group.

Couple more questions if I may:

1.) Why would resulting granular sugar vary in color and texture between batches when all the jars of syrup were initially filled from the same batch of syrup and the syrup was processed down to sugar in identical quantity batches following the exact same method? My solution was to blend several sugar batches worth of syrup from different jars into stock pots and this leveled out the variations in the sugar between batches, but I am curious why such a thing would occur.

2.) Is it better to make sugar from syrup soon after it is processed and bottled, or is it better to let the syrup in the bottles age say 8-12 months? I did not want to make sugar in the spring or summer because of humidity issues, when winter seems to me to be the perfect time to process because humidity is so low. Or does processing from fresh syrup outweigh that consideration?

3.) So you are saying that the only way or most common way that properly sealed and stored maple syrup spoils is through aging which eventually causes fermentation, and as a result any off-flavors noticed will be a result of fermentation? (Assuming proper syrup processing, proper bulk syrup storage prior to canning/bottling, and proper sealing and storage of jars/bottles of syrup.)

4.) I did lots of filtering during the syrup making process and was generally satisfied with the results. The last filtering method I used was to angle the stock pot overnight to settle any remaining sugar sand and I poured out the good stuff the next morning, reheated to 180 or so, and canned in jars. Why would different jars filled from the same batch of syrup have differing amounts of settlement/sugar sand at the bottom of the jars ranging from a mere wisp to a significant amount (1/8 inch to 3/16 inch)? I had 2-quart jars with almost no sugar sand while some had a fair amount. Some of my 1-quart jars and even pints contained more than some of the 2-quart jars. I don't understand such an inconsistency, unless perhaps the bulk syrup in the stock pot heated up higher on the stove as the level declined as I was filling jars.


Thanks for helping out a bunch of newbs. :)
-Tom

[buckeye gold]

unless perhaps the bulk syrup in the stock pot heated up higher on the stove as the level declined as I was filling jars.

This is most likely why there is a difference in sugar sand. Monitor temps at all times