Why a Gallon of Maple Syrup?
a closer look at the gallon of real VT maple syrup
Gallon of Vermont Maple Syrup
What does the word gallon mean and what are its origins? It is certainly not a metric form of measurement because if it was it would make sense. Where does the word come from? Who invented it? What can you do with a whole gallon, or 3.79 liters of maple syrup? It is worthy of discussion as a lot of us have purchased a gallon of something in our lives. We are mostly concerned with its relation to maple syrup as we live in Vermont and there is just not much else to do. There is no snow to shovel or muddy ruts to fix in our dirt roads. So let’s explore the gallon together and never look at things the same way again.
Let’s first take a look at some interesting facts about the gallon:
-A gallon of maple syrup weighs around 11 pounds (another interesting unit of measure).
-A gallon is a liquid capacity of 231 cubic inches.
-A gallon is equal to 4 quarts.
-The term was first used in the 13th century.
-The imperial gallon is bigger than the U.S. gallon (there is more than one way to use the term gallon to measure liquids).
The term gallon could be explored indefinitely. I guess we as maple syrup consumers just need to know that it is the largest size of container normally purchased for household consumption. It is a little on the heavy side but it does fit in your refrigerator. It can be used to pour maple syrup on your pancakes or French toast. You can pour syrup out of the gallon to add to your cooking. Unfortunately, the gallon is a little big to place on the table when you have company over. It blocks the view and it takes up a lot of space and you can imagine the mess if it were to ever spill.
the practical side of that gallon sized jug
We as Vermonters who have lived our whole lives around the gallon of syrup have some advice to pass on. That advice is to use the gallon to refill a smaller, more user friendly container. One that does not take up too much space and is easier to move around. Your smaller container could even be made out of glass so you can admire the beauty of the maple syrup and its lovely amber color. Your large gallon can reside in the back of you fridge out of the way. Yes, you should refrigerate maple syrup after opening the container.
family sized container of real VT maple syrup
The gallon size is not for everyone. After all you can get syrup in a wide variety of sizes. But we feel the gallon size has its place for families who have found and embraced all the uses of maple syrup. If you are putting maple syrup on more than your pancakes and French toast you may want to consider upgrading to the gallon size. When you find yourself putting it in smoothies, baking bread with it, making marinades with syrup and replacing cane sugar with it in your recipes it may be time for the gallon.
The last indicator you are ready for the gallon is you swig it out of the container when you are in the fridge and no one is looking. I can be having a conversation with my wife while I have a sip straight from a gallon and she doesn’t bat an eye. It is that normal to drink it in our house.
Are you ready for maple syrup by the gallon? I hope you have learned something from our version of the criteria for gallon sized maple syrup purchases. You should also be aware that gallon sized purchases are the most economical way to buy syrup. A gallon of maple syrup is more expensive than a gallon of gas, for now, but we promise you will find it more satisfying and that it will last longer.
