How to Remove Mold From Maple Syrup

Real Maple Syrup is one of the treats of the American Northeast, from Virginia to Maine. Most of us use it sparingly since it costs so much more than commercial "pancake syrup." But if you use it sparingly, even if you refrigerate it, you may have an unhappy surprise one morning. Your syrup has a thin layer of mold on it. Don't throw it out! It's not hard to sterilize maple syrup. Read on to find out how.

Instructions

Difficulty: Easy

Things You’ll Need:

• Spoon
• Saucepan or glass dish
• Stovetop or microwave
• Dish detergent
• Bottle-scrubbing brush

1. Reach into the container and use the spoon to remove the obvious layer of mold. It's harmless, but you might as well get rid of it. You don't need to throw out the good with the bad; be sparing in how much syrup you remove. Mold is microscopic and you can't really get rid of all of it.
2. Pour the syrup into a saucepan, for use on a stove top, or a glass dish, for a microwave.
3. Heat the syrup to boiling. Don't boil it for longer than a minute. Boiling will change the consistency of the syrup, and you only want to kill some harmless mold. Allow the syrup to cool.
4. If you are going to re-use the original container, wash it carefully. Since the mold is harmless, there's no real reason not to keep using it. Rinse it well to get rid of the soap.
5. Pour the sterilized syrup back into the container.