Maple syrup

[cl0udy.livejournal.com]

Where might I be able to purchase a bottle of authentic, delicious maple syrup? It'll be a gift for my British friend. I'd also rather buy from a store in the Boston area than order online.

Comments

[omster.livejournal.com]

try the Dairy Bar on Highland Ave. http://www.kickasscupcakes.com/Dairy_Bar.php

[cos]

You should be able to find it at pretty much any supermarket around here, just read the label. I don't think I've ever seen a supermarket around here that didn't stock pure maple syrup.

I get local-ish bulk syrup at Harvest Coop in Central Sq, but their bulk is grade B (generally meant for baking, it's darker and sweeter than the grades usually used for eating directly). Of course they also carry A dark amber and A medium amber in prepackaged containers, like everyone else.

[pierceheart.livejournal.com]

I did NOT know that Harvest carried grade B dark - that's my favorite for eating!

Good to know, no more road trips to Morse Farm in Montpelier.

[wallacestreet.livejournal.com]

TJ's sometimes has it as well.

[nathanjw]

If one is being picky, TJ's maple syrup is usually from Canada; if one is going to the trouble of getting something local, might as well go all the way and get Massachusetts maple syrup. Massachusetts maple syrup lovers stick together!

[cos]

The grades are: A light amber, A medium amber, A dark amber, B, and C. So technically there's no "B dark", it's just B. But yes, they have grade B, it's in one of the big plastic bulk containers. I usually bring my own empty maple syrup container to refill, though they have little plastic containers there.

[pierceheart.livejournal.com]

So technically there's no "B dark"

It's just the terminology I learned from my Quebecois/Vermont in laws, when I was married.

[cos]

Huh, odd, I've known a lot of Vermonters but never heard that.

Did you know Vermont has a slightly different grading system from everyone else? Same grade names, but the cutoff points are slightly different, so that for example, the bottom end of what would be grade A dark amber elsewhere, is at the top end of grade B if it's from Vermont.

[pierceheart.livejournal.com]

Ah, so the woodchucks grade harder?

I prefer the dark maple syrup, not just for cooking, and it's something my late father in law taught me.

That and maple creamees.

[perspicuity.livejournal.com]

they apparently changed systems "officially" a while ago, and as a result, phased out the old "C" grade - i still have a liter, it's like molasses. i'm sure you can still get that ... somewhere. i got mine at TJs, but the best they do is some kind of "B".

you might be able to score a variety if you hit the farm stands outside of cambridge along rte 2 out past 95.

but almost any store should sell the stuff around here. the real stuff.

i had to laugh when i went into a diner in NH and "mrs butterworths" was the standard, and real maple was $2 more... and this just miles from at least two maple houses. bak. next time, i brink my own, and sneer.

#

[avjudge]

I've read that the current labeling system was designed to get the tourists to buy the light stuff by calling it "grade A" while the New Englanders get to keep all the yummy dark stuff for themselves!

(Yes, it was a joke. Not mine, I really did read it somewhere in the dim past.)

[lerta.livejournal.com]

Boston Organics also has grade B. Though, they may only sell to their recurring subscribers. I'm not sure...

[kelkyag]

I generally get maple syrup at Trader Joe's.

[prunesnprisms.livejournal.com]

This. It is not hard to find.

[wallacestreet.livejournal.com]

Anywhere. Seriously. Shaw's, Trader Joe's, Whole Foods, heck, Farmer's Bounty or the store formerly known as 24 might even have some. If you want some kind of fancy gift packing, I'd suggest buying a cute bottle somewhere and pouring some in from the supermarket bottle.

If you're looking for the Somerville maple syrup, look here (http://www.groundworksomerville.org/sap.html) and give them a call.

[slinkr.livejournal.com]

Cardullo's in Harvard Square also has bottles with fun packaging that are good for gifts.

[syntheticnature.livejournal.com]

Some other specific places are Pemberton Farms and Dave's Fresh Pasta.

[nurrynur.livejournal.com]

Pemberton Farms even had one sort in a tree-shaped bottle. (saw it today while out there!)

[pearlythebunny.livejournal.com]

If you want it cheap, Christmas Tree Shops always has grade B maple syrup. It's localish (from New England), but I don't remember where. I, personally, like grade B better than other grades because it tastes more mapley.

[turil.livejournal.com]

They raised their price, and now I think Trader Joes might have it cheaper.

[m00n.livejournal.com]

Where CAN'T you find real maple syrup around here?!?

[surrealestate.livejournal.com]

Is there anywhere in the country these days where you can't?

I wonder if this comment is a troll.

[m00n.livejournal.com]

Heh, having traveled across much of the country I can safely say that there are a lot of places where the stuff can be darned hard to find (you'd think high fructose corn syrup flowed from the trees!), but Massachusetts (and elsewhere in New England) is not one of them.

[surrealestate.livejournal.com]

(Oops, I meant I wonder if this post is a troll, not this comment.)

Once I had someone bring me quart of maple syrup as a gift.
From a Trader Joe's in California.

Seriously.

[m00n.livejournal.com]

Now that's funny :-)

Kind of like eating Maine lobster in Arizona.

[somertricky.livejournal.com]

Don't get me started. The CostCo on Kauai carries Atlantic salmon.

[m00n.livejournal.com]

For true wastefulness though, you have to mail order it from there and have it shipped here. ;-)

[slinkr.livejournal.com]

That's wacky.

Having grown up in the Northeast, it never occurred to me that you couldn't get maple syrup everywhere. But a few months ago I posted to Chowhound to ask about good local food gift ideas for a trip to Texas and maple syrup was the #1 suggestion.

[cl0udy.livejournal.com]

Thanks for the replies, I have never known so much about maple syrup. I'm a foreigner myself, so I'm not really clued-in about its availability.

I've had maple syrup from TJ's (labeled 100% pure, Grade A), but I refused to believe it was real. It tasted exactly like the artificial syrup to me. Maybe I should get the Grade B stuff.

[ron_newman]

You may be able to order it direct from a Massachusetts farm:

Mass. Maple Producers Association - list of members