Table of Contents[Hide][Show]
Maple syrup is a traditional and whole sweetener that has consistently played an integral part of the economies of North America ever since Native Americans first taught the early European settlers how to tap maple trees and boil down the sap.
Maple syrup derived early in the season at the time of the spring thaw runs sweet and clear. It takes about 20-30 gallons of boiled down sap to make one gallon of light amber colored syrup, labeled as Grade A. This is the maple syrup typically available in the supermarket.
Late in the season, maple sap thins out and grows watery. Much more than 20-30 gallons of sap must be boiled down to yield Grade B maple syrup of equal sweetness. Boiling down more sap to concentrate the sweetness also concentrates the flavor and nutrients. This late season syrup is darker, more maple flavored, and higher in minerals than the Grade A syrup and is labeled as Grade B.
The blander, lighter syrup typically commands the highest price as consumers tend to prefer sweetness without too much flavor.
The Growing Popularity of Grade B Maple Syrup
I’ve been a fan of Grade B maple syrup for years and have enjoyed the lower price point despite its relative rarity in comparison to Grade A.
As consumers have moved further away from refined sweeteners in recent years, however, the price of Grade B has risen as has its availability.
Years ago, I used to be able to call up my maple farmer in Chautauqua, New York who I got to know spending summers there as a youth visiting the farmer’s market on Saturday mornings and ask for a few gallons of Grade B to be shipped and it was no problem. Then, it became much harder to come by. In addition, the price for this homely sweetener kept going up with Grade B sometimes even higher in price than Grade A!
In the past couple of years, I’ve purchased maple syrup from Vermont as the price was really fantastic. The first few gallons were excellent quality, and then suddenly, I received a gallon of maple syrup from Vermont labeled as Grade B but it was in fact Grade A!
The first time this happened, I thought it was just a simple mistake because the next gallon I got was correctly labeled Grade B. Then, the “mistake” happened again and then again.
At that point, I realized that this might be happening on purpose – the Grade B was sold out so some gallons of Grade A were labeled as Grade B maple syrup to meet the increasing consumer demand with the hope that the consumer wouldn’t notice the difference.
Then I heard of this happening to other folks buying maple syrup from other sources as well!
Make Sure Your Grade B is Really Grade B
The motto of this story is to check your Grade B maple syrup and make sure you are really getting what you paid for!
Fortunately, it is easy to tell the difference. Grade B maple syrup is much much darker than Grade A so it is easy to tell the difference if you put them side by side. What I do is keep a small glass bottle of Grade A from the supermarket in the pantry to use as a comparison test each time I buy some Grade B in bulk.
More change is on the horizon, however!
By 2013, new international standards for labeling maple syrup will come into effect with the term Grade B no longer used.
Once these new standards come into effect, all maple syrup will be labeled Grade A with four identifying colors: Golden, Amber, Dark, and Very Dark.
Have you purchased what you thought was Grade B maple syrup only to discover that it was really Grade A? If so, what did you do? Did you complain or just switch suppliers?
Please note also that there is a significant difference between conventional and organic maple syrup producers. This article spills the beans on these little known production practices that will have many consumers switching brands in a hurry!
Do you just love Grade B maple syrup? If so, here’s a healthy, homemade maple kombucha salad dressing to try.
Sarah, The Healthy Home Economist
More Information
Coconut Sugar: A Healthy and Sustainable Sweetener
Don’t Fall for Xylitol
Sugar Alcohols Harm Gut Health
Well as I comment couples days ago I got my grade B maple syrup from the brand Now ,because here in florida I don’t think we have maple trees,before that brand I like the one in Wisconsin but now I can afford it, Maple Valley from wisconsin I think is good but a gallon is 80.85$ plus deliver,Sarah do you know this brand from Wisconsin , give me a hint,thanks ,maggie
I heard that wisconsin is one of the best on Maples, also up state N.y
Don’t rule out Vermont’s maple syrup. We have the strictest labeling and purity standards, and you can find some very reasonable prices online.
Thanks for sharing!! I always buy Grade B but it’s good to know I need to double check!
With the new labeling of maple syrup being golden, amber, dark, and very dark, how do we know that certain manufacturers will not add artificial coloring to it to make it dark?? I think the new grading system actually makes it easier for them to sell us the cheap stuff disguised as the better (Grade B) stuff…
My grandparents own and run a maple syrup farm in northeastern Wisconsin. I’ve seen over the years how truly dependent they are on the weather for a good harvest! When we have a warm winter like the one just passed, the trees don’t get a chance to have a big “run” of sap. So it’s hard to say if the higher cost of Grade B is really from rising demand for it, or just the scarcity of overall syrup supply. I’m thankful to get our family of 7’s supply of pure maple syrup for free from generous grandparents. 😉
Would we not be better off if the government was out of the food and health industry altogether?
Ciao, Pavil
Yes, Sarah. This very thing has happened to our buying group. We ordered from a local organic farmer who buys from a producer in KY. The grade B I got tasted virtually no different from the Grade A I had in my pantry left from last year. I don’t like the really thick dark molasses-y syrup, so I was ok with it, and I couldn’t really complain about the price–they were the same for A and B. It’s just that in my estimation, there wasn’t a substantial difference between the 2. So I’m glad you brought this to light.
Do you mind sharing the producer in KY? I am in KY, and I’d love to buy locally!
They would have to add more maple taste flavoring to it also if they were going to pull that stunt as Grade B tastes much richer than Grade A also. It’s not just the color that gives it away. I doubt it though as most consumers still want Grade A. It’s we health nuts that prefer Grade B.
Very interesting. I just bought some Grade B at Nutrition Smart (pricey due to late in season I suppose)– I will have to check it closely. It’s usually very dark. First time I got it several years ago I wondered why it was so much darker than what I used to buy in the commercial grocery store. Makes sense now!
Up in Canada we have a ‘c’ grade which is an even later season syrup. It is loaded with minerals and vitamins and is nearly black in color (or at least a really deep brown). Is this available in the US and is there a reason why you don’t use it Sarah?
I talked to my maple farmer about it before and he says there is no such thing as Grade C from a labeling perspective. That any maple syrup that is called grade C is really just Grade B.
This is untrue. Grade C is darker than Grade B. And in Vermont is not saleable unless it is 5 gallons or more. Meaning it can not be sold in gallon, halfs etc. If the taste is good it is usually blended to make B.