MC- Grade B syrup

[FLuwrchLd]

So I was thinking of starting the master cleanse tomorrow. I called a local health food store to see if they carried grade b maple syrup. She told me that its illegal to carry grade b maple syrup in new york state!! So is it okay to use grade A? Is there a big difference?

[Spectatrix]

It should be fine to use Grade A. Grade A Dark Amber (as opposed to light amber/fancy or medium amber) is closest in taste to Grade B.

[codajess]

How odd! When I did the MC at the end of 2004, I bought a 16 oz of grade b, then a 32 oz which were about $14 and $20. Then decided to look online, and found an organic maple syrup company (sorry I forget the name, I'm sure a search would suffice) and got a full gallon of organic grade b maple syrup shipped for about $60ish. It sounds like a lot, but it's a lot cheaper than buying them in the little bottles locally.

I don't know if you could try that, since you were told they couldn't carry it.

[Mom of 3]

I grew up helping make maple syrup. I still can't figure out the difference between organic and not labeled organic. The trees are "the woods". The trees get one or more holes drilled in them. Then a spout is inserted into the hole. This was in VT and VT is hilly so a lot of producers use pipe line that they attach to the spout so the sap runs by gravity down to a tank outside the sugar house. The syrup is then boiled, draw off when the sugar content is correct, then canned. What's not organic about that? They don't spray the trees anymore than you would spray the woods around your house if you lived in the woods. The syrup is graded by color. So grade A is light, gade B is darker. The darkest stuff is usually sold to candy makers. The lighter the color the lighter the taste. The color has a lot to do with the temperatures during the day and at night and how fast the sap is running. Also some producers use reverse osmosis to take a lot of water out of the sap so it doesn't have to boil as long. That can make a lighter syrup. Many producers have switched from uneven heat wood burning to a constant oil burner that gives a lighter color syrup. It is a fun process to observe! We got to do a lot of tasting when were were kids! Now, we buy it directly from the producer at $35 a gallon. I think if it had to be shipped to us 1000 miles away it would end up costing $60! There is alot of long long hours and work that go into making one gallon of syrup. I would love to be back in VT during sugaring season now to drink the raw sap right out of a bucket! Oh if there was only some way to get it to market in that form, uncooked, unpreserved, they would make a killing!!!! I know I would would buy some. HOpe that helps to understand the maple syrup product, even though it's not raw!

[AJ Bodine]

Exactly Mom of 3, we tapped our trees on our farm too, in Wisconsin. It's all organic, who would spray a maple tree? Of course with organic farming, there are regulations that say neighboring farms cannot spray within a certain distance of your certified crops. Sooooo, that might be why maple syrup requires cert to be considered organic. If the neighboring farm sprayed chemicals within a certain distance of your woods, you couldn't get that organic label. IMO, you're pretty safe just buying conventionally tapped and cooked syrup.

I've read that the mineral content is higher in grade B syrup, but not sure about that. I've used grade A while doing the MC though. We used to get grade B from neighbors for next to nothing because it's not a desirable grade compared to the clearer/cleaner grade A.

I'm a long way from Wisconsin now and the last time I bought maple syrup, I got a great big container of the Vermont Grade A from Sams Club for a very good price. You will have to check with your local Sams though, can't remember what I paid for it.