Quote:
Originally Posted by GloucesterChief
Pure maple syrup shouldn't mold. It should crystallize like honey. Seriously, they boil almost all the water out in the sugar shacks.
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You know not what you speak.
Honey is absolutely anti-bacterial, anti-fungal, and will not develop mold. It will, however, suck water out of the air if stored in an open container. Once it reaches 17-19% water it will ferment.
Moral=keep the lid on.
All unpasteurized honey will eventually crystallize, but pasteurizing kills off a lot of good things. Don't do it. Don't buy it.
Maple syrup is considered "official" when it reaches 66% sugar. At that concentration, it should not crystalize.
If not enough water is removed, it's still sweet and awesome, but not considered syrup.
If too much water is removed, it's still syrup, but more likely to crystallize.
Maple syrup is absolutely NOT anti-bacterial or anti-fungal. If kept at room temperature, it's a mold spore's dream environment. To keep it from spoiling, it's bottled at temps greater than 190F, which kills all the spores. It's basically the same canning process as other foods.
Once you open the bottle, of course, new spores are introduced. If you don't want to can it, you can freeze it until you use it. Opened containers can be kept in the fridge.