Does syrup expire?

Question

I have syrup in my work cabinet that says "sell by 09/26/05" I am getting mixed responses when asking if it's ok to use it.

Answer 1

Syrup is a really really unfriendly environment for bacteria to grow in. You would think that the sugar would be a good source of food for them, but in this case it is too much of a good thing, and without appropriate concentrations at the cell wall they simply are overwhelmed and die.

If the seal is good and unopened the product will last a LONG time. There is no fundamental reason to expect there will be anything wrong with it. I have had cans of real Maple Syrup last for basically as long as the can had not rusted through and begun to leak.

Even opened, many syrups will keep a long time. Half used bottles of Corn syrup and Molasses on my shelf seem completely indestructible even after as much as 10 years.

Pancake syrup has a higher water content, so it won't last that long, but I have a bottle of Mrs. Butterworths dated 2003 and it is absolutely indistinguishable from a brand new bottle (I make waffles about once a year so I don't use much syrup.)

Real maple syrup is more fragile. It contains far more compounds (from the tree sap), and if stored open exposed to air on the shelf or on the counter for more than a year, it won't be dangerous but the taste will go off, becoming a little sour. Some solids will also separate. In this case I will throw it out, and wish I followed the package instruction to keep it in the fridge.

Honey can be more of a real danger. Look out for opened jars on your shelf that have become solidified. The sugars of honey can crystallize out of solution leaving a much more diluted water solution behind. Since this solution has a much lower sugar concentration it is susceptible to bacteria growth. When you find that your honey is starting to separate, you should not ignore it, but heat it gently to push the sugars back into solution.

It is easy for the answer on these questions to be "Just throw it out" in this throw away society. If you are going to worry too much about it certainly you won't enjoy it no matter how good it is. But things just don't go from perfectly fine to toxic waste at the stroke of midnight.

Answer 2

Syrup is made from sugar. Sugar is a simple molecule that doesn't pick up odors or flavors from its surroundings the way milk does. It's stable and doesn't attach to other molecules or itself without the intervention of organisms that ferment as a byproduct of use. If it's fermented it will have bubbles or taste like vinegar or alcohol. If it doesn't have these symptoms it might still have botulin toxin if it was opened. Botulism grows in dented cans and unpasteurized honey and can cause temporary paralysis, especially in the very young and very old. Botulism needs to be treated very fast, and requires the use of a mechanical lung to breathe for a victim. Weapons grade botulin toxin is the only kind that will affect a healthy young person.

Short answer: dude, it's syrup. Throw it away and get more if it's been opened or is at all abnormal.

Answer 3

If it is real maple syrup (not aunt Jemima's or any other brand of "syrup" which is really corn syrup and other processed chemicals) it can be heated to return the consistancy back to normal. So the answer is real maple syrup will not go bad.

Answer 4

I wouldn't use it. Those dates are there for a reason. Has it been opened? We had a bottle of syrup that got shoved way back in the cabinet, it had been opened and there was mold on the top of it,so of course, it was thrown out.

Answer 5

on a similar time as taking expired cough syrup probably wont injury you, regularly expired meds grow to be vulnerable and might probably be volatile because of the undeniable fact that over the years the meds exchange their chemical and actual properties. drinks separate into layers or perhaps exchange shade and pills crumble.

Answer 6

It doesn't go bad unless it's been contaminated with something else getting into it. What will happen is eventually the sugar will crystalize and the consistency won't be great.

Answer 7

if the syrup you reffer to is medicine it will surely expire. you will have the expire date at the back or you will have to count from the date of manufacture to the months it will expire

Answer 8

Yes it does, I find past pull dated sugar on the shelves all the time

Answer 9

Unless it is somehow contaminated it is good indefinitely. By good, I mean safe to eat, it may taste bad.

FYI - honey is the only natural food that never goes bad

Answer 10

Generally not.But if a date is specified for any reason better to adhere to it.