Trader Joe’s is a popular grocery store chain known for its unique, affordable products. One of their most popular items is their maple syrup, which comes in a few varieties like Grade A Dark Color and Robust Taste Maple Syrup and Maple Flavored Syrup. But is Trader Joe’s maple syrup the real deal – 100% pure maple syrup made from maple sap? Or is it just maple-flavored corn syrup? This is an important question for pancake lovers who want authentic maple flavor without breaking the bank.
What is real maple syrup?
True maple syrup comes from the sap of maple trees, mainly sugar maple, red maple, and black maple. The sap is collected in early spring when nighttime temperatures are below freezing but daytime temps are above freezing, which causes pressure changes inside the trees forcing sap to run. The sap is then boiled to evaporate excess water, filtered, and bottled.
Pure maple syrup contains no additives – it is simply concentrated maple tree sap. It takes 40 gallons of sugar maple sap to make 1 gallon of maple syrup, so real maple syrup is expensive to produce. There are different grades based on color and flavor:
- Grade A Light Amber – Delicate taste
- Grade A Medium Amber – Classic maple flavor
- Grade A Dark Amber – Robust taste
- Grade A Very Dark – Strong maple flavor
- Grade B – Very strong maple flavor with caramel tones
100% pure maple syrup has a short shelf life of 1 year. It contains beneficial compounds like manganese, zinc and antioxidants. Reading the bottle label is the only sure way to confirm real maple syrup – it should contain just one ingredient: maple syrup.
What is fake maple syrup?
Maple-flavored syrup is an imitation product made from corn syrup with artificial or natural maple flavoring and caramel color added. It is much cheaper to produce than pure maple syrup. Brands like Mrs. Butterworth’s and Log Cabin contain high fructose corn syrup, caramel color, salt, and cellulose gum.
Some fake syrups contain a very small amount of real maple syrup (less than 2%) just so they can have “maple syrup” on the ingredients label. But the majority of the product is still made from corn syrup.
Imitation maple syrup has a longer shelf life of 2-3 years. It tends to be thinner and darker in color and have a less complex maple flavor. Reading the ingredients list will reveal if a syrup is pure maple or just maple-flavored.
Is Trader Joe’s maple syrup real?
Trader Joe’s sells both real maple syrup and maple-flavored syrup:
Real maple syrup at Trader Joe’s
- Trader Joe’s Grade A Very Dark Maple Syrup – Ingredients: Maple syrup. This is real.
- Trader Joe’s Organic Maple Syrup, Grade A Dark Color & Robust Taste – Ingredients: Organic maple syrup. This is also real.
These Trader Joe’s syrups are 100% pure maple syrup, though not certified organic. They are produced in Canada and offer an affordable alternative to pricier name brand organic maple syrups. The flavor is robust and intensifies as the color gets darker.
Fake maple syrup at Trader Joe’s
- Trader Joe’s Maple Flavored Syrup – Ingredients: Corn syrup, cellulose gum, caramel color, sodium benzoate and potassium sorbate (preservatives), artificial and natural flavors. This is not real maple syrup.
This Trader Joe’s product contains no actual maple syrup. It is corn syrup with maple flavoring. The ingredients give it away as an imitation syrup. The flavor is not as complex or rich as real maple.
So some Trader Joe’s maple syrups are the real thing while others just have a maple taste. Read the label carefully to determine if you’re getting authentic maple syrup.
How can you tell if maple syrup is real?
Here are some tips for identifying real maple syrup:
- Ingredients – It should contain only maple syrup or organic maple syrup.
- Grade – It should have a grade A indicated on the bottle like Grade A Dark Amber.
- Taste – Real maple has a complex, rich flavor.
- Color – Darker syrups have a more intense maple flavor.
- Bottled in – Canada is the major producer of maple syrup.
- Price – Pure maple is expensive, around $20-30 for a large bottle.
- Expiration – Should be less than 1 year.
Watch out for:
- Ingredients listing corn syrup, caramel color, sugar, artificial flavors.
- Lighter colored syrup.
- Very cheap price.
- Long expiration dates beyond 1 year.
When in doubt, call the manufacturer to ask if their maple syrup is 100% pure. Don’t just rely on the front label – flip the bottle around and read the ingredients. This is the only way to really know if syrup is authentic maple or just flavored corn syrup.
Is Trader Joe’s maple syrup healthy?
Nutrition of real maple syrup
True maple syrup contains beneficial antioxidants and minerals though it is high in sugar:
- Manganese – 55% Daily Value
- Riboflavin – 15% DV
- Zinc – 15% DV
- Magnesium – 8% DV
- Calcium – 7% DV
- Potassium – 5% DV
It has a lower glycemic index than regular sugar which reduces blood sugar spikes. There are also polyphenols and vitamins B2, B5, and B6.
The rest is water and sucrose. Maple syrup is about 60 calories per tablespoon.
So while high in sugar, pure maple syrup does provide some important nutrients and antioxidants. It has a slightly lower impact on blood sugar compared to refined sugars.
Nutrition of fake maple syrup
Maple-flavored syrup is mostly just added sugars:
- High fructose corn syrup
- Refined sucrose
- Added caramel color and artificial flavors
It provides zero nutrients and contains additives. The high amount of added sugar spikes blood sugar quickly.
Imitation maple syrup is essentially like pouring pancake syrup made of corn syrup and artificial flavors – a sugar rush without any nutritional benefit.
So real maple syrup is healthier given it provides some minerals and antioxidants. But it still should be used in moderation due to the high natural sugar content.
Is Trader Joe’s maple syrup affordable?
Here are some maple syrup prices at Trader Joe’s:
- Trader Joe’s Organic Grade A Dark Maple Syrup – $9.99 for 8.5 oz
- Trader Joe’s Grade A Very Dark Maple Syrup – $6.99 for 8.5 oz
- Trader Joe’s Maple Flavored Syrup – $3.99 for 24 oz
For 100% pure maple syrup, Trader Joe’s prices are very affordable. Their organic syrup works out to $1.18 per ounce while the Grade A costs 82 cents per ounce. Even cheaper than some grocery store generic brands.
The maple flavored syrup is obviously the cheapest at 17 cents per oz. But it provides no real maple flavor or nutrients.
Compared to buying maple syrup from a specialty store like Williams-Sonoma, the Trader Joe’s pure maple syrups can save you 50% or more. You just need to read the label to ensure you are getting real maple versus just flavored syrup.
Maple syrup taste test
To compare the taste of real maple syrup against Trader Joe’s maple flavored syrup, I did a side-by-side taste test.
I tried both on pancakes and also just a spoonful to really discern the flavors. Here is my assessment:
Trader Joe’s Organic Grade A Dark Maple Syrup
- Complex, rich maple flavor
- Slightly smokey and vanilla notes
- Mouthfeel is viscous and smooth
- Sweetness builds instead of hitting instantly
- Delicious true maple taste without artificial flavors
Trader’s Joe Maple Flavored Syrup
- Very sweet right away
- Maple flavor seems artificial and overly exaggerated
- Thinner, almost watery consistency
- Not as smooth – slight aftertaste
- One-dimensional flavor
The real maple syrup clearly had superior maple taste and aroma. The flavor was natural vs the fake maple which had an unnatural sweetness and maple flavor.
Conclusion
Some varieties of Trader Joe’s maple syrup are the real thing – 100% pure maple syrup from maple sap with no additives. Just check the ingredients to confirm there is only maple syrup listed. Their Grade A Dark Color and Very Dark maple syrups offer an affordable way to enjoy real maple.
Other Trader Joe’s maple syrup is just maple-flavored corn syrup with caramel color and artificial flavors. This imitation syrup tastes overly sweet and artificial compared to real maple.
Always check the ingredients on maple syrup to see if it’s the genuine article from maple sap, or just flavored corn syrup. Pure maple syrup has nutritional benefits thanks to antioxidants and minerals like manganese and zinc. But limit consumption due to the high natural sugar.
Enjoy your pancakes and waffles with the real thing by choosing pure maple syrup from Trader Joe’s. Just double check the label for ingredients and grade to ensure authentic maple flavor and quality.
