Homemade Maple Flavored Syrup

     During my first year of my married life, my husband and I didn't always see eye-to-eye.  One of those instances happened to be about--of all things--maple syrup.  I had been making my own for years because it was cheaper and tasted as good as or better than the ones I could buy.  Well, he insisted that it just wasn't as good as the store bought syrup.  So one day while I was doing the grocery shopping, I bought a bottle of Maple flavored syrup at the store.  I even bought the better more expensive name brand.  He was pacified.  

     When I used the last of it one morning, I stuck the bottle back in the fridge.  Later that day while my husband was at work, I made some of my syrup and poured it into that bottle.  He never noticed a difference.  I continued to do this.  About 6 months later, I told him what I had been doing.  He was so amused that I had 'tricked' him into eating my syrup that he had to tell all of his friends.  After that, he no longer had a problem with my syrup (or most of the other things that I 'DIYed') or at least, he gave them a fair chance.

    Homemade syrup really is better.  It doesn't have all of the additives and preservatives in it that are in the traditional maple flavored syrups that we buy at the stores.  The thing is......it is SO EASY to make that I don't know why anyone wouldn't want to make their own.  It is simply one part white sugar, one part brown sugar, one part water, mapeleine, and vanilla.  The vanilla is optional but I like the flavor that it adds to the syrup. 

    We use ours on a regular basis so it doesn't sit in the refrigerator for long.  If that isn't true for you or your family, it may crystallize inside the refrigerator.  You can fix that by doing one of two things.  Either, just put the jar in a pot of warm water on low on the stove and allow it to remain there until the syrup becomes liquid again.  Or, you can add one part corn syrup to it.  In most cases, that will keep it from crystallizing.

     I usually store my syrup in glass canning jars.  This facilitates warming it up and also it is easier to pour the warm syrup into when I have finished cooking it.

Maple Flavored Syrup

1 cup water

1 cup granulated sugar

1 cup brown sugar

1/4-1/2 tsp mapleine (depending on how strong you want the flavor)

1/4-1/2 tsp vanilla (optional)

Instructions:

In a small to medium pan combine the sugars and water.  

Bring to a boil.  Allow to boil slowly until the sugars are all dissolved.  

Remove from heat and let cool for 15-20 minutes.

Add mapleine and vanilla. 

Pour into storage container and serve or refrigerate.  It will become thicker as it cools in the refrigerator.  If you would like it to be thicker than this recipe, just let the syrup boil a little longer (5 min).  However, don't let it boil for too long or you will end up with maple hard candy instead of syrup.  To check just pour a strand into ice water.  It shouldn't become hard.  It should still be 'soupy' in the water.

This will be good for approx. 1-2 months in the refrigerator (ours never lasts that long because we also like it as a topping for Vanilla bean ice cream).  However, it will develop mold on the surface when it gets too old.  If you have a bottle with older syrup, open it and look inside before shaking it up. Do not eat it if it is moldy.  I have gotten food poisoning from unknowingly eating moldy food.

Enjoy!