::Recipe:: Homemade Maple Syrup

We go through syrup like it's the air we breathe.  Crazy!

It's not that syrup is very expensive (at leas the imitation not-really-maple-anything syrup that I buy), but it is loaded with high fructose corn syrup.  While the recent ads might be telling the truth when they say that high fructose corn syrup is fine in moderation...the kind of consumption that we've been averaging wouldn't be considered "moderation" by any definition of the word.

So...I decided to try and make my own.  It's loaded with sugar.  It's loaded with calories.  And...it's delicious.  I make a batch each weekend, refill the old plastic syrup bottle that is the last remaining remnant of the store-bought stuff we used to use, and the kids go through it by the next weekend.

I made an interesting observation since switching to the homemade stuff.  One of the complaints I've heard regarding HFCS is that it somehow inhibits our ability to get the "I'm full" signal from our stomach (or brains?  I don't know).  I'm no scientist, but I can say with certainty that there's a more satisfied feeling in the belly after eating a stack of flapjacks coated in the real stuff vs. the HFCS version.

And, even though the kids adore the new syrup, their consumption of pancakes is down quite a bit.  Are they just past a growth spurt, or are their bellies and brains finally able to come to the conclusion that they're full after 5 pancakes instead of 10?  I don't really know...I just know the syrup is YUM-O.

Here's the recipe I use:

1 cup brown sugar
1 cup white sugar
1 cup water
1 tsp mapeline (or other maple flavor concentrate, found in the spice isle)
1 tsp vanilla
1/2 tsp cream of tartar (supposed to help prevent crystallization)

Combine all ingredients in a saucepan, whisk together, and heat over med-high heat until boiling.  Reduce heat to medium and boil for 5 minutes.  Reduce heat to low and keep warm for another 5 minutes.  Remove from heat and let cool completely before transferring to container.  Can be stored at room temp or in the fridge.

PS.  One of the things I've always disliked about homemade syrups is how water thin they are.  This recipe yields a nice thick syrup.  Enjoy!