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Thursday, December 1, 2016

Buying maple syrup, for less


Out west, where I live, real maple syrup is very expensive. In place of real maple syrup, we use homemade blackberry syrup and homemade imitation maple syrup. For special occasions, I've bought maple syrup in small 12 ounce bottles.

With fall underway, and winter quickly approaching, I'm making pancakes for weekend breakfasts more often. There is something about a chilly morning, and waking to the aroma of pancakes cooking on the griddle. This fall, I found myself longing for real maple syrup. But that stuff can be pricey.

At the regular grocery stores near me, real maple syrup sells for around $7.00 to $8.50 per 12-oz bottle (58 cents to 71 cents per ounce).

Occasionally, I find it on sale for around $6.75 for 12-oz. The other day, at Fred Meyer, private label pure maple syrup was $6.69/12-oz (56 cents/ounce). Considering that would only last my family 3 or 4 family breakfasts, that still a bit steep for my budget.

In my search for real maple syrup, at a price that wouldn't make me choke on my morning coffee, I ventured into the realm of buying in quantity.

Pure maple syrup, sold in quarts, half-gallons and gallons, at places like WinCo, Cash & Carry, warehouse clubs and online (such as through Amazon), can yield a substantial savings over buying it in those pretty little glass bottles. True, you do sacrifice the attractive bottle, when you buy maple syrup in the larger quantities. Larger containers of maple syrup are sold in plastic jugs, whether they be quarts, half-gallons or gallons.

Our solution has been to save one of those glass bottles from Trader Joe's, and refill it with maple syrup from the half-gallon jug that I bought at Cash & Carry. (I knew there would be a reason for me to have saved that glass bottle!)

I bought maple syrup in a 64-oz jug at Cash & Carry, at 44 cents per ounce ($28.08/half-gallon). Our area Costco carries real maple syrup for close to that price. WinCo, has real maple syrup in 32 ounce jugs, for about 53 cents per ounce. Amazon carries real maple syrup in half-gallons and gallons for as low as 43 cents per ounce (bought in a 1-gallon jug). Any of these prices will beat my local grocery store regular and sale price.

The trick will be to not plow through a half-gallon in a month! It does taste wonderful, eat-it-right-out-of-a-spoon, wonderful. The flavor takes me back to my childhood, when my mother would sometimes buy maple sugar candies for my sibs and I.

And as a bonus, real maple syrup contains nutrients. It boasts manganese, magnesium, calcium, potassium, riboflavin and zinc. [http://www.purecanadamaple.com/benefits-of-maple-syrup/maple-syrup-nutrition/]

We'll still use homemade blackberry syrup, from time to time, this winter. But having some of the real stuff, for special weekend breakfasts will be a treat, and especially nice that I found it for less.

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