Caramel Flavor Syrup

[Amber Gold]

I made 7.5 gal of caramel syrup this year at the end of the season. I realized after it was too late the cause of the caramel was due to burnt niter, not neccessarily funky sap...although the caramel could be masking that. The sap did have a fermented smell and was difficult to keep in the pan.

Is there anything I can do with this other than sell it as mersh? Can I make sugar out of it?

Thanks

[KenWP]

Try a small amount and see what it tastes like. Then you will know for yourself whats what.

[802maple]

Most likely the invert sugar or lack of will not let you make sugar out of it.
Try boiling a small amount down to 265 and stir immediately and see if it will turn to sugar.

[C.Wilcox]

Does it taste good? If it's just an issue of it tasting like caramel I wouldn't hesitate to use/sell it as long as people know what they're getting. Most of my early season box elder syrup tastes like butterscotch and people really like it even though it doesn't have a traditional flavor. I tell them in advance what to expect so there's no surprises and I haven't had any complaints yet.

[Amber Gold]

Jerry, I'll give it a shot.

The caramel flavor is pretty strong. I wouldn't eat it, so I'm not going to sell it.

[802maple]

Just remember you have to keep stirring until it turns to granulated sugar. Sometimes when I have had problems with sugar turning I have added a little early syrup to it and it will turn just like it should. When I do a gallon of questionable syrup I add about a pint of early syrup and it works well.

[Russell Lampron]

Josh let us know how it turns out. It was probably the metabolism of the sap that caused it. I made some one year in April that tasted like caramel.

[Amber Gold]

I gave it a shot over the weekend. I heated up a 1/2 gal of syrup and it just started to burn at 257F so I pulled it off and dumped into into the mixing bowl. I let it cool to 200F and turned the mixer on. Surprisingly the sugars did crystalize and it was kind of like a fine textured, wet brown sugar consistency. The flavor did not improve one bit though. I'm not sure how Bascom's is making sugar from mersh because this didn't work. I added some water to turn it back into a liquid and dumped it back into the 5-gal container. Off to Bascom's with it.

[Brent]

In my limited experience I think carmel flavour and burnt or scorched flavour is one and the same thing, just a matter of degree. Like making toast. Controlled burning.
I think once you've got too much there is nothing you can do to get rid of it.

But maybe you could ship a barrel up to me and I'll blend it with my extra light to see of I can make some "medium"

[red maples]

I have some stuff that has just a hint and I mean extremely little hint of molasses taste its only like 2 gallons but I love the flavor. it doesn't carry an after flavor either it might be a slight meabolism flavor not sure but its just a good flavor. So that became private stock.

[DrTimPerkins]

I have some stuff that has just a hint and I mean extremely little hint of molasses taste its only like 2 gallons but I love the flavor. it doesn't carry an after flavor either it might be a slight meabolism flavor not sure but its just a good flavor. So that became private stock.

Some people actually prefer a very slight taste of metabolism. Flavor is an odd thing in terms of preference.