Karen AKA Kajikit wrote:

> I bought a bottle of 'real' maple syrup in the supermarket. It wasn't
> the cheapest and it wasn't the most expensive... but it was very runny
> and thin tasting, and very disappointing. The bottle's almost gone, so
> I want something nicer for the next one... any suggestions for maple
> syrup brands in Florida?

Real maple syrup is usually a little runnier than the artificial stuff. It
is *supposed* to be processed to a certain brix, and that sugar content
should translate pretty closely to a consistent viscosity. I don't know
about the brands that you buy there but here in southern Ontario where
there are lots of maple "farms", there are standards as to brix and
colour. Early, mid and late season syrup vary in colour, the later sap
producing a darker syrup with more oomph to it. From my experience, the
price variation has more to do with marketing. Some suppliers put it in
fancy bottles, slap a fancy label on it and you can charge a few dollars
more. Sell it in small quantities and the cost per unit soars. I buy it in
a plain Jane litre bottle, usually around $15 per litre.


> On another note - last year I was struggling to make pancakes and
> failing dismally. Since I moved to Florida it's easy! I make them
> every sunday morning for our breakfast, because it's far cheaper than
> going out and buying them... so what's the secret? In Australia I was
> using a gas stove and I couldn't get the temperature right. The stove
> in the apartment here is electric! I never realised there could be so
> much difference between them...

There are very few rules to pancakes. The ingredients can vary a lot, but
you can beat the batter too much and the temperature has to be right.