As a producer of maple syrup, we often are asked some of the following questions on how to store maple syrup and how long does maple syrup keep?
According to The Ontario Maple Syrup Producers Association, the recommended guidelines for keeping unopened and opened containers of syrup can be stored in a similar manner.
Unopened containers of maple syrup should be stored in a cool, dry place: the refrigerator or preferably the freezer. The delicate maple flavour is best preserved over a long period by storing in the deep freezer.
Opened containers should be stored in the refrigerator or place the unused portion back in the deep freezer. Tightly close the lid.
According to Massachusetts Maple Producers Association, it also recommends that opened containers of syrup must be kept refrigerated because it is an all natural product with no preservatives.
As a rule of thumb, we have always kept our opened glass or plastic containers of syrup in the freezer. We have honestly never had issues with pure maple syrup freezing solid when stored in the freezer so when I need syrup, I retrieve it directly from the freezer and allow it to sit on the counter for a few minutes prior to using it as this allows for a easy flowing syrup. However it can also be used directly from the freezer and used immediately, the syrup may flow slowly out of the container.
Now that we are producing and selling our maple syrup, we store the unopened containers inside our wooden cabinet which provides a cool, dry place to keep them.
How Long Does Maple Syrup Keep?
According to Massachusetts Maple Producers Association, it states that unopened, maple syrup will keep indefinitely.
Because it is an all natural product with no preservatives, once opened, a container of maple syrup must be kept refrigerated.
Is it safe to eat maple syrup that has mold on its surface?
According to Cornell University’s Mushroom Blog, it states –
Whether to throw out the syrup is a hard question to answer. How much mold is there? Does this fungus make toxins in that sugary environment? Are those toxins produced in enough quantity to hurt you?
There are many different opinions on whether it’s ok to skim off the mold and reheat it or should it be thrown out.
When mold forms on cheese, some people cut off the moldy section and continue to eat the cheese. So, can we take the same approach with maple syrup?
In our home, we eat syrup almost daily!
We have never encountered mold growing in our containers of syrup and this is because as soon as a bottle is opened, it is stored inside our freezer! Yes, it’s the perfect place to keep your syrup. If it is 100% pure maple, it will not freeze. If it does freeze, it likely was not concentrated to the right sugar levels when bottled.
We tell people not to eat moldy food and store your syrup in the freezer!
Maple syrup is an all-natural product with no additives or preservatives so it will go bad if it’s not stored properly.
