Off flavored syrup

[Super Sapper]

I hear stories of bad tasting syrup from customers and other people I know. We do not have to grade our syrup in Wisconsin when we sell so I just use C for confections on early light syrup, D for delicious for bottling and M for mustard or cooking. Being a smaller producer I wondered what would I do with off flavored syrup if I didn't do mustard and nuts. The higher temps seem to burn off some of the off flavors or are covered up with making nuts or mustard. From the stories I hear there must be producers that bottle and sell their off flavored syrup if they do not wholesale it. What do some of the other smaller producers do with any syrup that may have some off flavors?

[jmayerl]

We stop making syrup when we detect any off flavors. I have had some early season metabolism which goes right into BBQ sauce

[wiam]

I make sugar with it if the flavor is not too bad. As you said the higher temps seem to make it better. The rest usually goes to Bascom's. If you have a small amount maybe you could pool with others to bulk it. I agree about off flavored syrup in retail containers. I have tried some and have had customers ask why so and so's syrup tastes off.

[Super Sapper]

I started this to try and get ideas for use of syrup that may not be top quality. It may not be late season but some that may not be real flavorful. I will get that occasionally but just put it in containers for nuts or mustard. Burnt flavor is brought up often also. I would guess that would be from scorched sides or burnt niter. This does affect us all as some people I have talked to do not use syrup because of their bad experience. I only sell about half of my syrup bottled and the rest goes into other products. Most people around here have never heard of maple mustard, nuts, cream etc. As a producer it is hard to not use the product of their hard work and if they have more options we can keep more of the not so good syrup off the table and into other products.

[markcasper]

$1 per lb. and less is going to take care of some of this problem. While some say they quit making it when it gets a hint of off flavor, its nothing to be ashamed of. Much of the blame for the off flavor lies at the feet of the packers and equipment companies for pushing/paying operators to make it in recent years. Now that there is a glut of low quality syrup, supply and demand will win, unfortunately some customers end up with such syrup.

[buckeye gold]

I taste every lot I bottle and if it has any sign of off flavor it does not get bottled for sale. Now I do have some who want it for cooking and I will sell some at a discount or give it away to friends, but I never retail it. That is my choice and that is what it is, a choice not a standard for everyone. However, I have people who drive right by a store that sells someone else's syrup to buy mine, because they have had a bad experience with the other. I think it makes a difference when your a small producer that needs every buyer. I do not sell any bulk. So when season gets late and I see it filtering slower and I start to get even a hint of flavor change I quit. My customers have an expectation of what my syrup will taste like and I want them to be assured it will always be the same.

I have had people bring me syrup from other producers that have a scorched taste. I wonder if they are cleaning their pans often enough or just what is happening. I suspect it is burnt nitre. what are some other opinions?

[maple flats]

If I ever get any off flavor, it goes to bulk as commercial. I won't risk it by selling or giving it away.

[RileySugarbush]

Not being in the game commercially, we stop making syrup at the first hint of off flavors like buddiness. We do save some marginal ( less than great) stuff for cooking.

[1arch]

I had a stretch of time between boils last year that resulted in sh#%*y syrup from what sat in my flue pan. I continued to cook and ran the junk into a 5 gallon bucket and set it aside. Ya, eventually forgot about it and came across this sealed bucket again this Oct while out cutting wood near the sugar house. As you can imagine it was skinned over. I fed it out to the pigs and they didn't slow down until it was gone. New version of maple flavoured bacon. :lol: