Buyer's Guide Clearing up a misconception in the year 2008  How long will 100% Pure Maple Syrup keep? Look  toward the bottom of this page for an answer.

Dear Patti:

I believe your question was: Is 'Vermont Maid' Syrup the same as syrup made in Vermont?

'Vermont Maid' Syrup  as well as many other syrups seen in most local markets contain about 2% pure maple syrup with the remaining 98% being who knows what. From what I've been told the Vermont Maple Sugar Makers Association tried to prevent this company from using the name 'Vermont Maid' on the grounds that it was misleading and is not pure maple syrup made in Vermont. Vermont Pure Maple Syrup is 100% pure and natural with nothing added to it.

Maple sap, collected directly from Maple trees contains about 2 to 3% sugar and must be boiled down to form a concentrate of about 67% sugar called Pure Maple Syrup. Vermont State Inspectors check our syrup on a regular basis for proper density, flavor and grade and it must meet state regulations to be sold as and labeled as Vermont Pure Maple Syrup. It is against Vermont State Law to label Canada's or other US state's pure maple syrup with a State of Vermont Pure Maple Syrup label. If syrup is a mixture of Vermont maple syrup and another state's or country's syrup it must be labeled as such on the container. You will see many containers labeled as just plain Pure Maple Syrup which is lawful, but what the standards are or where it comes from is questionable.

Our Vermont Pure Maple Syrup has been spot checked yearly by Vermont State Inspectors (without prior notice). They went into two local stores and opened containers of Buffum Maple Products syrup and tested it for proper density, flavor and grade and we are happy to say that it has passed all tests. We are proud to be selling you some of the very best Vermont Pure Maple Syrup available in the World!

How long will 100% pure maple syrup keep without spoiling?
  My first answer is that when 100% pure maple syrup is kept frozen it will keep for many, many years.

Hot packed in most metal containers ? 
  Years ! my uncle said that he found some maple syrup that had been given to him by my father in the late 1950's and it was still good.

Hot packed in most glass containers ? 
  The answer is again years ! My father as a boy made maple syrup on the farm about 40 years ago and had stored some maple syrup in a canning jar which was stored in the old stone foundation of his fathers house. He had long since forgotten about it until one day noticed it sitting upon the top of the old foundation wall. He opened it and discovered to his delight that it had not spoiled and still had an excellent flavor.

Hot packed in most plastic containers ?
  I would need to say about 6 months when stored at room temperature ( not opened). When refrigerated opened or not opened it will keep for a year or longer.

All pure maple syrup in any type of container must be refrigerated after opening.

Pure maple syrup will keep for years in almost any metal, glass or plastic container when frozen. (I refrain from using the term indefinitely).