Moldy Maple

I didn't realize maple syrup needed to be stored in the fridge. I learned that this past spring when my family made syrup for the first time, but I didn't think to relocate the maple syrup in my pantry. 

I pulled out the jar today to use some in a recipe and found a thin layer of whitish-yellowish mold floating on top. My first thought was, "no! I don't want to throw this away!" My second thought was, "maybe I don't have to..." 

A quick Google search later revealed that no, you don't need to throw moldy syrup away. Skim the mold off the top; it grows in one giant clump easy to pull out. Boil the syrup on the stove for one minute, pour into a clean jar, cool and return to fridge. Voilá! 

So, that's what I did. 

Instead of scraping the pan out with a spatula, I'll cook breakfast in it tomorrow. 

Maybe it's this particular jar, but as I reheated it, I caught a delightful bonfire smell coming from the syrup. It reminded me of cool fall nights and crisp autumn air. 😊 We're not too far from those!