HELP Maple Cream grainy

[PFHII]

We have tried unsuccessfully to make maple cream ( without a cream machine) taste is awesome nice and creamy when we put it in containers but after settling a couple days turns to grainy separated goop :cry: Please any advise is greatly excepted .

[GeneralStark]

You are going to have to describe your exact method for us to help, but grainy cream is often the result of not effectively cooling the syrup (taffy) after boiling to 232 - 234F.

[PFHII]

We have done it many ways , cooling naturally ( outside in 30 degree weather ) ice bath , freezer to speed up the process until syrup is around 100 degrees . then we have stirred by hand with a wooden spoon, paddle on a drill, and a stand up mixer with a rubber paddle and we have failed with all of these methods usually when we are ready to pour into containers it is already grainy but this last time ( letting it cool down outside) it was nice a creamy when we finished but after letting it sit it got grainy.

[Moser's Maple]

100 is too hot. Needs to be room temp or lower.

[jmayerl]

Best to cool as quickly as possible In an ice water bath. Best results are generally when cooled to 60F

[Jim Brown]

ditto to the two guys who posted above .Cool to 60-70 degrees and during cooling process Don't keep moving the pan around keep it as still as possible

Jim

[PFHII]

Perfect thanks so much that could be it have to try again

[markcasper]

using "seed" in the batch you are stirring has always caused the cream to get grainier for me. Even though all of the publications, books, videos say to use seed to shorten the stirring time, it messes it up. the larger the batch, the greater the chance of failure, at least that is what I have experienced. And then there are some people who think they have wonderful cream, but it isn't because they have never been able to know any different. It is downright velvety and heavenly when it is made perfect, you will want to consume it all, not true if its the least bit grainy.

[maple2]

As the syrup cools,crystals tend to form on top. Stirring these crystals into the batch will act like "seed",making the batch grainy. We use a spray bottle of warm water to melt the crystals while cooling

[SeanD]

I've had good results going down to 70 deg. with the thermometer in the middle of the pig. I've switched to boiling and cooling in the pig itself to cut down on trying to move all that taffy. The outside and bottom are the coolest spots for me bc that's where the ice bath touches it. So, I'll sometimes get pretty big chunks of crystal there. Those are a bit of a pain. I haven't noticed a difference in the cream texture between batches I've used seed and those that I have not, though.

How often do you spritz the top with warm water?

Sean

[maple2]

Maybe 3 or 4 times. We stopped cooking in the pig because of the buildup of sugar around the edge of the pan.plus my pan was starting to warp from the high heat

[doocat]

We boil to 237 (in our area and elevation), put in freezer overnight, then bring back up to temp the next day by putting on the kitchen counter, put in cream machine once up to about 60 degrees. Pretty much the same result every time. Very smooth. Hope this helps.

[scottdevine]

Help! I didn't let the cream cool to room temp before stirring...Americas test kitchen video said to let it cool to 100, then stir...I did and now it's brick like, not creamy at all. Thinking about boiling another small batch and adding this to it and try to save it! Any suggestions how to bring this back?


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[SeanD]

Is it a taffy brick or a cream brick? If it's a taffy brick, it may have just needed more stirring. If it's a cream brick, you probably made soft candy. Either way, you can dissolve what you have in a little water and warm it slowly to bring it back to a syrup or at least a thick taffy. Then just try again.

I've found getting it right is a steep curve, but it's forgiving. It's never lost - unless you've burned it.

Good luck,
Sean

[adk1]

not agitating the bowl is key and agitation will start creating crystals

[scottdevine]

SeanD...it's a cream brick, so add some water over heat and reheat to a smoother consistency?


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[SeanD]

You might just be able to add syrup to it to soften it. How hard is it? You might just be better off enjoying the candy you made and try again from scratch.

If you do add water and reheat, you'll have to bring it back to a boil at a lower target temp. You ended up with candy because you went too high with your boil. For me, I get candy at 242, but cream comes off the heat at 237.

[scottdevine]

SeanD...looking at it this morning, its slightly harder than peanut butter left out of the fridge....and like peanut butter if left in the fridge...should this maple cream be refrigerated? if so, then it will get much harder...i also made maple candied walnut fudge last night, and it failed also...can i just toss that back in the pot and heat it up again as well? i should take care of the sap gathering and syrup making, and let my wife handle the kitchen stuff...

[SeanD]

If I understand you right, you might be good. Maple cream should have the consistency of soft peanut butter. If you can spread it then eat it. If it is still too hard for you, stir in a tablespoon of syrup at a time until it's soft enough for your liking. Some people put it in the microwave for very short bursts to warm it and soften it. Cream should be refrigerated. You can also freeze it without harm. It may separate, but just stir the syrup back in again.

Sorry, I don't know anything about fudge.

Sean

[scottdevine]

I got this now...did third batch last night! Awesome stuff


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[Russell Lampron]

If you make a batch of cream that comes out too grainy you can mix it with room temperature butter 50/50 to make maple butter. The graininess goes away and you have a smooth and tasty spread that is also an awesome product.