Friday, October 28, 2011

Maple Syrup to Can

One of the simplest things to can is Maple Syrup.
My family, i.e. kids, will have nothing to do with store bought syrup. 
They absolutely refuse to eat it. 
Actually they'd rather put homemade raspberry jam and powdered sugar or peanut butter, instead of syrup, on their pancakes if it really came down to it.

What I do to make maple syrup is also easy--I use Mapleine® Imitation Maple Flavor that you buy in a little blue and white box in the baking section of your grocery store.  And just follow the recipe on the box.
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Instant Syrup Recipe
(from the back of the box)

Pour 1 c. boiling water over 2 c. sugar.
Add 1/2 tsp. Mapleine® and stir.
Makes 2 1/4 c. syrup.

For canning:
Makes 7 qts.
12 c. boiling water
24 c. sugar (4 lb. sugar = approx. 8+ c. sugar)
6 tsp. Mapleine®
Get jars, lids and rings HOT in simmering pot of water.
Add HOT (almost boiling) syrup to HOT jars.
Wipe rim and add lid and ring and hand tighten.
Leave jars set out to cool and while they are cooling the lids will seal due to the heat.

NOTE:
Ball® Blue Book says 10 minutes hot water bath for their syrup recipes.

Doesn't that look pretty with the light shining thru it?
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Thick Syrup Recipe
(from the back of the Mapleine® box)
2 Tbs. water
1/4 c. sugar
1 1/2 c. corn syrup
1/2 tsp. Mapleine®

Boil 2 min.
Thickens as it cools.
Makes 1 pint.
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There is a recipe in the Ball Blue Book for Maple-Walnut Syrup that I wanted to try too.
I am a nut girl. 
Any and all kinds of nuts.
Instead of using their recipe, which includes corn syrup, sugar, and real maple syrup, I just made the above simple maple syrup recipe and added 2 c. chopped walnuts per quart jar.  (1/2 c. chopped walnuts per 1/2 pint).  Then I did the hot water bath for 10 minutes.

It was delicious.  The kids won't try it, but too bad for them.  I'll just use it all myself.  The only thing is next time I probably won't put in as many nuts as it calls for.  I think I'd cut it down to 1 1/2 c. chopped nuts per quart jar.


I think we are also going to try from the Ball Blue Book their Praline Syrup.  Corn syrup, brown sugar, water, pecan pieces and vanilla.  Doesn't that sound delicious for an ice cream topping?

Both the above recipes are also found in the Ball Complete Book of Home Preserving.

5 comments:

  1. Wow, this takes a lot of sugar but I will see if our store sells the maple flavoring. It would be nice to have in a pinch and be able to make up some syrup when needed. Thanks.

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  2. If you check the labels on store bought syrup the first ingredient listed is corn syrup, i.e. sugar. This means it is the largest amount ingredient in the product. So unless you are buying real maple syrup you are getting lots of sugar.

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    Replies
    1. Real maple syrup has a whole lot of sugar in it, too!

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