Pure maple syrup is nature’s sweetener, alongside honey. It is made from the sap of maple trees. The sap is drained out of the trunk of the tree into buckets by making a hole in the tree. It is then boiled to concentrate it and strained to remove any impurities.
If your syrup crystalizes, it means that when the syrup was bottled or processed, it became too hot. If it reaches over 202 degrees F, crystal formation will occur.
You can’t do anything to stop this from happening but we will share ways to melt the crystals temporarily so that you can use your syrup in liquid form.
Maple syrup is not only delicious but also good for you. Provided your maple syrup says, “pure” on the label, it will be high in antioxidants, riboflavin, and minerals such as zinc, magnesium, calcium, and potassium.
We know you will want to use up every last drop of this precious syrup so what should you do if yours crystalizes? And what causes it to become sugary and hard in the first place? Read on because we have the answers for you.
How to Fix Crystallized Maple Syrup
If your maple syrup has started to get sugar crystals in it, there is a good chance that the sugar content in the syrup is too high, causing crystal formation. Either that or it became too hot as we explained above.
Keep in mind that crystals are not bad for maple syrup, and they are part of the product. However, most of us like to be able to pour our syrup out of its bottle so if you don’t like the crystals, there are various methods that you can try out to liquefy them again.
1. Re-boiling
The first method of fixing the crystallized maple syrup is re-boiling it. You will need to add a little hot water to help you get the crystalized product out of its container. Shake the bottle around to dissolve everything.
Next, pour the syrup into a small saucepan and boil it vigorously to evaporate some of the excess water out. Let it reach 220 degrees then remove it from the heat. Once your syrup has cooled to a safe level, you will be able to use it as normal.
Once cooled down, put the maple syrup into a wide-mouthed container like a mason jar in case it crystalizes again.
2. Microwave
Put your bottle of crystalized maple syrup into the microwave on a Defrost or Low setting for about five minutes. Remove it and give it a shake then do the same for five minutes more if necessary. Repeat until the crystals have melted.
Alternatively, you can nuke it on a High setting for fifteen seconds at a time, shaking the bottle in between until it is runny. Please only microwave glass bottles. The plastic ones are not microwave safe and may melt.
3. Hot Water Bath
If your maple syrup has just started crystalizing and it isn’t too hard, we suggest standing the bottle in a hot water bath. You can use a small saucepan or jug for this purpose.
Half-fill your container of choice with almost-boiling water from the kettle and put the maple syrup bottle into it. Leave it in there until the water cools.
You can top it up a couple of times if you like. This method should melt the crystals and your syrup can then be poured.
How to Store Maple Syrup
Now that we have mentioned some solutions to fix the crystallization, we are sharing how to store your maple syrup to keep it in tip-top condition.
How you store the syrup depends on if the container is open or sealed.
- Unopened. You can store it in a cool pantry or kitchen cupboard as long as it is away from direct sunlight. Like this, it will last indefinitely.
- Opened. Store the bottle in the fridge or it will grow mold. If sugar crystals form on the cap in the fridge making the bottle difficult to open, simply run it under a hot water tap.
- Freeze. If you buy maple syrup in large quantities, you can decant it into smaller containers and freeze it. It won’t freeze solid or crystalize but will be in a slushy form. Like this, the syrup can be stored indefinitely…up to 2 years.
We hope you find our tips on how to fix crystallized maple syrup useful. Enjoy this delicious natural product!