Here’s the proper place to store your syrup, according to a maple syrup producer.

“If it is unopened, it can stay in your pantry.”

Here’s why your maple syrup belongs in your fridge.

Photo of a person pouring maple syrup onto a piece of pancake (hand holding up the pancake piece) with yellow and blue wavy illustrations on the corners of the photo

Simply Recipes / Photo Illustration by Wanda Abraham / Getty Images

Simply Recipes / Sally Vargas

What Happens If You Don’t Refrigerate Maple Syrup?

Here’s why: “Maple syrup is hot-packed, just like jam,” Sorkin says.

How Long Does Maple Syrup Last When Stored in the Pantry vs. the Fridge?

Stack of Buckwheat Pancakes Topped with Maple Syrup and Some Butter, and Next to It, a Glass of Milk and a Container of More Syrup

Simply Recipes / Sally Vargas

“If it is stored in the fridge, it could last for years,” says Sorkin.

Is It Safe to Eat Moldy Maple Syrup?

Sorkin says the mold that grows on maple syrup’s surface is “unappealing” but generally not dangerous.

Photo of maple syrup poured onto a stack of pancakes with pancake ingredients in the background, and in the corners of the photo, a yellow wavy color block with blue polka dots

Simply Recipes / Photo Illustration by Wanda Abraham / Getty Images

“Then store it in the fridge and you should be fine.”

How Can You Tell If Maple Syrup Is Bad?

Properly stored in the fridge, your maple syrup should keep for at least a year.