Maple syrup instead of molasses?

[Rhiannon7]

Hi was just wondering if maple syrup would be ok as a alternate for Mollasses in the Caramel Treatment?

Want to try the Caramel Treatment but cannot find mollasses anywhere right now and since i have like half a bottle of maple syrup (for hotcakes.) I thought it might be ok as an alternate.

Any ideas, suggestions, comments?

[ktani]

This maple syrup thread should help answer some of your questions, http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/showthread.php?t=13947.

[Fractalsofhair]

It seems like a good idea, but Maple Syrup is expensive! I wouldn't want to waste it on my hair!

[AmericanWoman]

If you have honey, use that. I don't see any reason not to use maple syrup, though. Just remember whip those bananas in a blender, don't just mash them up. It'll take forever to get out of your hair.

[little_cherry]

I feel like adding maple syrup to my SMT instead of honey :)

[SimplyViki]

What Fractals said! That stuff's gold, I'd hate to waste something so delicious and hard to get on my hair. *clutches treasured 1 quart bottle of maple syrup tightly*

You can't find molasses at you house, or at your store? Hmm, I'd always imagined it'd be a relatively easy thing to find anywhere. It's usually right by the honey and maple syrup, I think. Maybe it depends where you live.

[Rhiannon7]

Thanks for the help everyone! yep have searched in almost every grocery and nature store nearby and cannot find mollasses. I can find mollasses cookies but not natural mollasses. i will try and expand my search to further away stores. cannot use honey, hair hates honey. if i use honey on hair it get tangled and nasty. Maple syrup is not too expensive, (like 2 USD a medium maple syrup bottle.) and since i rarely make pancakes and it will end up sitting on the shelf for months before i throw it away, thought of using it instead of mollasses.

Again thank you all for the help.

[SimplyViki]

Just 2 dollars for a bottle of maple syrup? Hmm, are you sure it's not maple syrup flavored pancake syrup? That would just be sugar based syrup with maple flavoring added, as opposed to maple syrup which comes from maple trees. I'm not sure how that would work in a hair treatment. It might work, I have no idea. :shrug:

[halo_tightens]

Just 2 dollars for a bottle of maple syrup? Hmm, are you sure it's not maple syrup flavored pancake syrup? That would just be sugar based syrup with maple flavoring added, as opposed to maple syrup which comes from maple trees.

So... does the fake maple-flavored syrup actually taste anything like real maple syrup? I don't think I've ever tasted real maple syrup, despite having loved the fake stuff all my life.

[SimplyViki]

So... does the fake maple-flavored syrup actually taste anything like real maple syrup? I don't think I've ever tasted real maple syrup, despite having loved the fake stuff all my life.
Hmm... well, it tastes reminiscent of it, yes, but not quite the same. The fake stuff is thicker, and more sugary. I love maple syrup, but I'll take regular pancake syrup if there's no maple syrup. Maple syrup is delicious. If I knew a good way to package it, I'd send you a bit of mine. If you get the chance, try the real stuff. But beware, you might be hooked!

ETA: You know what, actually? Now that I'm sitting here contemplating it, nope, they really don't taste much alike at all. Pancake syrup is just thick and sugary, and has a pancake syrup taste. :shrug: Maple syrup is just maple. Not entirely sure how to describe its taste, but it's got its own taste.

[halo_tightens]

Hmm... well, it tastes reminiscent of it, yes, but not quite the same. The fake stuff is thicker, and more sugary. I love maple syrup, but I'll take regular pancake syrup if there's no maple syrup. Maple syrup is delicious. If I knew a good way to package it, I'd send you a bit of mine. If you get the chance, try the real stuff. But beware, you might be hooked!

ETA: You know what, actually? Now that I'm sitting here contemplating it, nope, they really don't taste much alike at all. Pancake syrup is just thick and sugary, and has a pancake syrup taste. :shrug: Maple syrup is just maple. Not entirely sure how to describe its taste, but it's got its own taste.

Now that it's been mentioned, of course I'm going to have to try some! It'll bug me until I do! :p

I actually hate regular syrups and only like the maple-flavored ones. I wonder if that means I'll like it... :shrug:

[Smokering]

Oh, it's delicious! SO good! I only buy it rarely because it's really expensive in NZ, but the flavour is incomparable. So delicate... OK, I'm rhapsodising over maple syrup. It is good though. :p

[Rhiannon7]

ok maple syrup is usually from Canada right? I did buy Canadian maple syrup once, and yes i am a bit stupid for not clarifying that it is maple flavored syrup. :o :eek: not true pure maple syrup. sorry so dumb sometimes. :oops:

I only read maple syrup and never actually looked at ingredients and the flavored word is so small....anyway sorry for not clarifying. so do you think maple flavored syrup would be ok as an alternate?

[Madame J]

Maple syrup is made as far south as Maryland, that much I know (parents dragged me to a maple syrup festival as a kid). Have you tried looking for molasses in the baking aisle, near the sugar? That's where it is in my store (if it's not next to honey/maple syrup/pancake syrup), and it makes sense since it's a sugar by-product.

Also, honey would be another substitute for molasses, especially if you can find dark varieties, like buckwheat. In something like the caramel treatment, with a lot of acidic ingredients, lightening is probably not a problem. And it's been documented not to have much, if any, effect on henna. Also, since I think it's just the humectant properties of the sugars that the treatment is after, regular corn syrup should work as well as pancake syrup -- that's all it is anyway, and you don't have to worry about what chemicals are in the maple flavoring.

Oh, HaloTightens, maple syrup is miles away from pancake syrup. I used to eat pancake syrup on my Eggo waffles as a kid, but my dad went on this rampage about not eating anything but pure maple syrup at one point, and we switched to the real stuff. I literally could not eat Log Cabin (our favorite brand) anymore. It's just corn syrup with coloring added. Now that I've gone off refined sweeteners, maple syrup is my indulgence, since I don't like molasses. I drizzle a tablespoon or so on my oatmeal with lots of butter on mornings when I just need something sweet. If you can find a small bottle of pure maple syrup, I highly recommend it -- I'll drip it on my finger and eat it that way. It just has this indescribable extra flavor to it, almost like caramel, but earthier...

Oooh... my rhapsodizing might be worse, Smokering...

[christine1989]

be sure it is pure and not full of additives. I like the kind from Vermont- it comes in a glass bottle shaped like a maple leaf and is 100% pure.

[Elenna]

The only reason to make pancakes is to have maple syrup on them. Another recipe is rasins, cinnamon and maple syrup baked with squash.

There are several syrupy sweeteners like maple, molasses, honey, and agave.

I wouldn't use anything made with corn syrup on hair though.

[kdaniels8811]

Maple syrup is DELICIOUS! and expensive, I cannot imagine where you would get a bottle for $2. It must be maple flavored syrup which I would NOT use on my hair. Molasses should be right on the same shelf as the syrups at the grocery store, it is pretty common in the US.

[Anje]

For the heck of it, today I put a big squirt of pancake syrup (probably just corn syrup, didn't bother with the label) in my conditioner today, as a quick SMT-ish sort of thing. Did my usual, fairly short CO with it, and I think it made a difference in moisturization similar to adding honey to conditioner for CO.

Personally, I suspect that one concentrated sugar solution is as good as another, at least as far as my hair is concerned. More experimentation may be necessary, but I wanted to toss it out as a possibility for those who'd rather save the expensive good stuff like honey and maple syrup for eating.

[Fractalsofhair]

SimplyViki-It's easy for me to find, but I live but an hour or so from Vermont, and have made my own in the past. (Birch syrup is awesome as well!) If you've got maple trees near you, you can probably make it in the winter/spring. It does take loads of energy to boil it off though. The stuff that's easy to find though is like $20 a pint, and that's for grade B or so. Grade D and such, I'd use those on my hair, but you need to get to a place that makes the syrup and get to know the people there to get it.(Admittedly, grade C tastes pretty fine, so I often get that... XD Cheap, but still natural and good!) You can get the really low grades pretty cheaply, and if you're friendly with the owners, you can get it for free. I used to go camping with a family in Vermont that knew syrup producers, and as a result, we occasionally can get free syrup from them. It tastes nothing like the sugary syrup that's easy to find. But then again, I think I've only had grade A once in my life, when I was traveling in Vermont, so maybe the more purified stuff tastes different than the other stuff. (Because my family isn't the sort to spend $30 on a jar of syrup! XD) If you're ever in MA, Maine, Vermont, or New York State, look for a farmstand type place, with a building and they'll probably have it.

Rhiannon7-Yep, it's flavored! Advertising is tricky. But, that's really good to know what syrups work well. What syrups is it made up of? Corn syrup? A simple sugar solution? Ask about Molasses, it's pretty easy to find in a regular grocery store's baking section. It's generally referred to as "unsulferated" molasses, but really, I don't see much of a difference if we're using it for hair. I'm actually surprised it's hard to find in Texas since I've always thought of it being good for Southern Cooking?

[SimplyViki]

Fractals, that would be so cool to make your own maple syrup! :D However, I live in South Florida and there's no sign of maple trees around here. My grandmother used to send me maple leaves that had fallen from her tree when I was little. It was such a novelty to me. We don't have any trees with leaves shaped like that here.

I actually don't think I've ever seen anything other than grade A sold in stores near me. :ponder: Maybe grade B, but definitely not C or D. Don't know why. :shrug: But oh, now I see what you mean, you're talking about making friends with the people who actually make the syrup. Yeah, that happens far, far from where I live. :lol:

[Fractalsofhair]

SimplyViki-Ah! I see... That is a horrible horrible fate, to be that far away from maple syrup! But at least it's not 10 degrees in Florida! XD

A is the most common in stores, I think. But it's so expensive in the stores... At least if you use a lot of it, like I can... XD (Darn you pancakes!) I think I've seen B at Trader Joes, which is pretty useful.

But yeah, the little places that make it... It's a wonderful site to see grade B and C for sale at a reasonable price.(Expensive, but not out of a normal range for local food.) D is pretty rare, and I don't think it's commonly sold, even at the farms. I think it's probably because it's not seen as tasting good. Also, they can look a little strange and pour oddly at the lower grades. It still tastes fine, in my limited experience, and better than the homemade stuff my family attempted, and better than the simple syrups, but it can taste woody. It would be good for hair though! You pretty much have to ask for it, and then you can buy it really cheaply or get it for free.Same deal with the non "clear" ones. But, then again, you can also buy a giant jug of it there. I've never seen a giant jug of real maple syrup in stores. (We're talking the 3 gallon ones, in metal! Pretty epic... Though, I've never bought one, just because it can get pricey, for a high school student in a small family. XD) Have you had maple sugar candy? That stuff... It's amazing. If you ever get the chance, have it! And if you're ever in this area in the winter(or anywhere where there's real snow, not the skiing stuff), microwave a little bit of syrup and put it on the snow and have it that way. It's actually pretty good, and something everyone should do at least once.

If you can be friends with a sugarer, it's worth it. Seriously, I've debated going up during the winter to work at one of the farms for a low wage in exchange for free syrup, and I really don't doubt that many people who live in the towns there do. If I could drive, I would. But, a store is a close second. Anyways, I should probably end my ramble about maple syrup, other than to say it's pretty epic.

Though, I have seen the giant containers of the simple syrups and such. So, if that ends up being good for hair, it's worth a try!

[SimplyViki]

Ooohh, see, no, I haven't tried maple sugar candy, but I read about it in one of the Laura Ingalls Wilder books and always wanted to try it. One of these days!

[Elenna]

Maple sugar candy! Funny you should talk about that. It is one of my favorite candies. I've only seen the soft version, but there used to be these blocks of crystalized maple. Kind of like rock candy only maple flavored.

[Fractalsofhair]

Elenna-I've never seen the rock candy type ones! I've seen just plain sugar candy, in rock form, but all I've seen are the soft opaque ones! That's really interesting though, since I love rock candy... I shall have to try to find it!

[Madame J]

Yeah, our natural foods store sells grade B -- I much prefer the flavor to grade A. But I'd still use corn syrup over maple in a hair preparation since chewing on my hair might cause damage...

[Elenna]

Elenna-I've never seen the rock candy type ones! I've seen just plain sugar candy, in rock form, but all I've seen are the soft opaque ones! That's really interesting though, since I love rock candy... I shall have to try to find it!

I don't think that hard maple sugar candy is sold anywhere evermore.

[Ursula]

Given that your hair hates honey, I'm not sure that it would like either maple syrup or molasses. Both would be used for the same purpose as honey, because they are supersaturated sugar solutions which will tend to absorb moisture, drawing it towards your hair.

And I agree that real maple syrup, even if you live in sugar maple country, is far too expensive to put in a hair treatment. Maple-flavored syrup is mostly corn syrup, so if you're going to use that, you might as well just buy a bottle of corn syrup, which will be cheaper.

[Fractalsofhair]

Ursula-That's good to know it's basically just corn syrup! Corn syrup is dirt cheap where I live, so maybe I'll try that instead of pancake syrup.

[intothemist1999]

You can't find molasses at you house, or at your store? Hmm, I'd always imagined it'd be a relatively easy thing to find anywhere. It's usually right by the honey and maple syrup, I think. Maybe it depends where you live.



Where *I* live, it's always in the baking section.

[florenonite]

I was going to say maple syrup's too expensive to waste on hair, then remembered that I've spent £20 on a jar of coconut oil :oops:

Seriously, I live in Canada and you've got to pay through your nose for maple syrup even there, and we've got maple trees coming out of our ears! I think it's because the production of maple syrup is still very labour-intensive, in spite of new technology. And, of course, it can only be produced for a small part of the year.

I think maple-flavour syrup would have far too many questionable additives for hair, though.

[pepperedmoth]

So... does the fake maple-flavored syrup actually taste anything like real maple syrup? I don't think I've ever tasted real maple syrup, despite having loved the fake stuff all my life.

:agape: You've . . . never . . . had . . . maple syrup?

Okay, I'm biased because I've lived my entire life in either one or the other of the two largest maple-syrup producing states in the Union, and I am steeped in the syruping culture, down to helpijng friends with their own sugaring operations . . . but . . . never tasted . . . aaaaaaahhhhhh . . . .

Maple-flavored pancake syrup has the same relationship to actual maple syrup as Budweiser does to a really good microbrew . . .

It's just heavenly. Maple-flavored pancake syrup is sweet and thick and has a vague flavor of maple. Real maple syrup (the darker the better- don't get fooled with the grade A fancy stuff) has an intensely sweet aroma and flavor unlike anything else. The only thing I can compare it to remotely is wild honey- it has a similar wild tang- but doesn't taste anything like honey! It's good on pancakes, yes, but I also pour it on ice cream and use it as a sweetener in my tea and put a little in a cup of warm milk at night and use it to flavor cocktails and bake with it and . . . well, actually, it's a kitchen staple. I wouldn't be able to go without it any more than I could go without butter.

You must have some. I think New York, New Hampshire, and Vermont syrups all taste similarly, but the advantage to buying Vermont is that we jealously guard the state name as a trademark, so if your syrup says "Pure Vermont Maple Syrup," it definitely is.

New York and New Hampshire (and Maine, for that matter) have syrup just as good, of course, but less tightly controlled.

The syrup is no longer as good (in my opinion) from warmer regions. The combination of cold nights and warm days in the early spring, when the trees still have 'cold feet' (snow around the roots) is what makes the sap run. I can't imagine getting a good sap run from somewhere like Maryland.

Oh, gosh, it's almost sugaring season again.

. . . ummm, to answer your original question, I suppose you COULD use syrup on hair. In my little Vermont world where I can toddle down to the corner market and buy the good stuff in bulk for $8 a pound, I might consider it, but if it is a precious commodity in your neck of the woods I would not put it on hair.

Wow, I just wrote the longest reply ever . . . about maple syrup.