Real Maple Syrup...yummy!

I grew up thinking that I hated the smell, taste and sight of maple syrup.  I have even been known to switch cafeteria duty with other teachers on the days when they served it to the kids.  I couldn't stand to be in the same room as that smell.

Turns out, I LOVE MAPLE SYRUP!  I hate the processed stuff!  Have you ever looked at the ingredients in Aunt Jemima "Syrup"?

INGREDIENTS: CORN SYRUP, HIGH FRUCTOSE CORN SYRUP, WATER, CELLULOSE GUM, CARAMEL COLOR, SALT, SODIUM BENZOATE AND SORBIC ACID (PRESERVATIVES), ARTIFICIAL AND NATURAL FLAVORS, SODIUM HEXAMETAPHOSPHATE.

What the heck is that stuff?  It certainly doesn't come out of a tree!  If you've never had the real stuff, you don't know what you're missing!
You can get a quart of the good stuff on Amazon right now for 35% off!  Enter coupon code:  CMBS39I2 for 20% off at checkout.  When placing the order, click on subscribe and save to save an additional 15%!!  You can cancel this as soon as your order ships and you will never receive another shipment!  That brings the price of it down to $15.30 - much better than the $22.50 it usually sells for.  This will save you tremendously over the supermarket prices of real syrup. 

I found this explanation of the different grades on Cooking For Engineers:

The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) assigns grades to the maple syrup sold in the the U.S. These grades are: Grade A Light Amber, Grade A Medium Amber, Grade A Dark Amber, and Grade B. The grading of syrup sold in the United States is voluntary (like USDA Beef Grading).

Grade A Light Amber (or Fancy) is very light in color and has a faint, delicate maple flavor. It is usually made earlier in the season when the weather is colder. Many people use this grade for serving on pancakes. It is also widely used for making maple candies.

Grade A Medium Amber is darker and has an easily discernable maple flavor. I like using this grade for serving on pancakes and waffles. I also use it for baking since it has a stronger flavor than Light Amber.


Grade A Dark Amber is very dark and has a strong maple flavor. Some people like the stronger flavor and use it as a table syrup, but this grade is mostly used for cooking and baking.

Grade B, sometimes called Cooking Syrup, extremely dark in color and has an extremely strong maple taste as well as hints of caramel. Because of its strong flavor, this is predominantly used in baked goods.