NOT JUST ANY MAPLE SYRUP!

NOT JUST ANY MAPLE SYRUP!

With sugar maple trees tapped and the sap flowing nicely, maple syrup making is well on its way in a good portion of the US and Canada! In keeping with the maple syrup season, SmokinLicious® teamed up with one of our favorite smoke applicators, the Gourmia® Mini Smoker, and took a step on the unconventional, intense side by preparing smoked pure NYS maple syrup! Yes, that’s right smoked maple syrup! Here’s how we went about offering a unique flavor kick to a popular natural and nutritious sweetener:

The Gourmia® Mini Smoker is the perfect equipment for those who want to infuse smoke flavor into raw and cooked foods, beverages, herbs, and spices. Using SmokinLicious® Minuto® or Piccolo® Wood Chips ensures maximum flavor infusion from a clean, 100% bark-free hardwood. Select from 8 hardwood species and combine woods for your own customized flavoring.

We recommend using SmokinLicious® Sugar Maple Minuto® Chips in Size 8. In addition to the smoker and chips, you will need a container to hold the syrup, some plastic wrap and a lighter. Keep in mind, this smoked syrup is not intended to be used on waffles, pancakes, or French toast due to the pungent flavoring. Get ready, for a fun, quick way to smoked maple syrup!

So simple to do, cold smoke generators let you direct the smoke just where you want. With the maple syrup placed in a glass bottle, the tubing of the Gourmia® Mini Smoker is inserted into the bottle and then sealed with simple plastic wrap. This ensures that all the smoke vapor produced is contained within the bottle and exposed to the syrup. You can fill the smoke to the level you want — just a little or right up to the top, like we did. Remove the tubing and tighten the plastic wrap or secure the bottle’s cap, and the infusion begins.

Once the smoke is retained within the bottle, we gentle rotate the bottle, turning the liquid within, so that it mixes with the smoke vapor. Remember, the more smoke in the bottle, the stronger the flavor will be as you mix it in. You can see how the amber color of the syrup darkens as it is combined with the smoke vapor. That’s it!

Now, you can take this smoked maple syrup and use it in place of simple syrup for cocktails, add it to marinades and sauces for a balance of flavors that are unique. We’ll be using this batch in a special glaze for pork (see our recipe blog for our recipe and technique).

Maple syrup won’t break! It’s hearty and often ‘a go to’ favorite base ingredient to many marinades, sauces and even cocktails, so don’t be afraid to render a smoky taste boost to it. Go ahead! Unlock your imagination and get smoking with SmokinLicious® and Gourmia®!