can anonymous others eat it?

June 15, 2017 10:32 AM

About two weeks ago I bought a fancy bottle of maple syrup as a gift (aged "bourbon style," in a wooden cask, though not containing alcohol). For various reasons I did not see the person I meant to gift it to, the moment passed and I planned to return it to the local gourmet shop where I bought it.

So I meant to return it immediately but in fact it has been sitting in my car trunk for two weeks when the weather has often gotten to 90 degrees outside -- who knows how much hotter in the trunk.
The bottle is not opened, but I have no idea how it was packaged or sealed. It's possible that it comes from a small batch operation (though not local.)
Question: Can I return this to the store without making sick whoever buys it next? The store would have no reason to refuse it. It is after all an unopened bottle. But I am not sure if I would serve it, so I am not sure if I would want to put it into the world.

(I would probably ask a "can I eat it" question about serving it or eating it myself -- I don't have different standards between giving it to people I know or don't know.)

It was about $20. Obviously I would rather not waste that $20 but if I have to, it's my own fault for leaving it in the trunk and I will. I just don't know if it's actually a risk and wonder what others think.

posted by flourpot to Food & Drink (17 answers total)

If you're hesitant about giving it to anyone, why would the store be happy about reselling it?
posted by Segundus at 10:48 AM on June 15, 2017 [2 favorites]

Response by poster: Sorry. To be clear: The question is not about whether it's OK for the store to sell it if I would not serve it. As I say in the question, I recognize it's the same issue. The question is like any "can I eat it" questions -- that is, whether you think it would be safe for anyone to consume given these conditions.
posted by flourpot at 10:53 AM on June 15, 2017

The syrup is fine and you should enjoy it or give it as a gift to someone else!
posted by jbenben at 10:54 AM on June 15, 2017 [1 favorite]

I mean, it is a syrup that has been boiled at extremely high temperatures already, so I can't think it would be unsafe to consume.

Whether or not it would be ethical to return a luxury food item that has been kept in less than optimal conditions is a separate question than "will this make someone sick". I probably wouldn't be comfortable doing so, because as a consumer, I would not like to purchase a product that had been returned under such circumstances.

I think it would be best to keep it and either use it yourself, or give it to a foodie friend with full disclosure about the entrunkening.
posted by a fiendish thingy at 10:56 AM on June 15, 2017 [8 favorites]

Best answer: According to the Massachusetts Maple Producers Association: 10. How long will maple syrup keep?
Unopened, maple syrup will keep indefinitely. Because it is an all natural product with no preservatives, once opened, a container of maple syrup must be kept refrigerated.

This site talks about what to do if you notice mold growing on the surface: "If any harmless mold should form on the surface, merely bring the syrup to a slight boil, skim the surface, and pour into a clean container and refrigerate."

I would not hesitate to eat it given your situation.
posted by Captain_Science at 10:57 AM on June 15, 2017 [9 favorites]

I would not hesitate to eat it. The quality might be reduced, but I have no reason to believe that is likely. (I'm assuming this is a glass bottle, given the context in the question).
posted by mercredi at 11:03 AM on June 15, 2017

It very likely already spent weeks in the heat during processing and transport . It should be basically sterile until it's opened.
posted by COD at 11:05 AM on June 15, 2017 [6 favorites]

You should know that the store may not take a return of the food item (they are often exempt from regular return policies). Secondly, if they do take the return it is unlikely to be sold. Most retail operations would trash the bottle.
posted by saradarlin at 11:16 AM on June 15, 2017 [5 favorites]

I would eat it. If you are concerned, you can boil it for 20 minutes - it's boiled during production so that should do nothing to the flavor but it will kill off buggies.
posted by epanalepsis at 11:33 AM on June 15, 2017

Doesn't matter what we think. The only important question for you is whether or not the store will take it back. If they do, deciding whether it's safe to resell is no longer your problem.

Does this attitude sound kind of sketchy? Sure does. That's why I'd expect them to refuse to take it back.

I'd certainly refuse, if I ran a food store (especially one with a reputation good enough to persuade people to pay $20 for maple syrup). The range of awful things that could have been done to a food item once it's left the building with a customer just doesn't bear thinking about.
posted by flabdablet at 12:25 PM on June 15, 2017 [1 favorite]

It's totally fine, but just on a moral scale, keep it and eat it yourself. Delicious morals. I don't want to pay $20 for a bottle of syrup that's been in someone's hot trunk for 2 weeks, even though realistically it's fine. Or give it as a gift to someone else.
posted by fiercecupcake at 2:42 PM on June 15, 2017

I am from Vermont. If it's still sealed it's like it's just been on the shelf this whole time. They might not take it back for reasons people mention above. If this were me, I'd just regift it.
posted by jessamyn at 2:46 PM on June 15, 2017 [1 favorite]

Maple syrup is made by boiling sap. For eating, no problem. Unless it has started leaking, and as long as it's sealed, you can ethically return it as being in pristine condition, certainly can regift. I used to have a retail store and might just give store credit. and I live in Maine, where we also produce maple syrup, but ours is less quaint and more rugged.
posted by theora55 at 3:23 PM on June 15, 2017 [2 favorites]

I'm not really sure of all the answers saying "maple syrup is made by boiling so it's fine in a hot trunk for 2 weeks." We cook meat to eat it but I wouldn't eat a porkchop that was sitting in my trunk for 2 weeks in the summer.
posted by Automocar at 4:51 PM on June 15, 2017

I have weird feelings about this because if it were me, there's a good chance I'd eat it, but if I were the buyer and knew the history, I *might* be illogically squicked out.

Are you sure you can't just use it and hedge your moral bets? You can dump it into a balsamic vinaigrette in increments over time and it's really great.

I think it's just the 'not telling' aspect that bothers me. The store doesn't know. The buyer doesn't know. I can say 'I wouldn't care' -- but they aren't given the opportunity.

So I guess I have to come down on I'm sorry about the twenty dollars.
posted by A Terrible Llama at 5:19 PM on June 15, 2017

I agree with the above, it's fine. Someone HAS to eat it. Heat stress or no, I promise you that will be an excellent syrup. I'm super biased because I love the bourbon aged maple syrup. It's like crack to me. It's excellent on ice cream. Don't waste it, please.
posted by Bistyfrass at 8:02 PM on June 15, 2017

If you want to return it, please go ahead without worrying about other customers. Most retail stores aren't going to re-shelve food items that are returned for what I consider to be obvious reasons (you never know if someone tampered with something.) I've worked in 4 different places that sold food. In all of them, large and small, edible items of all kinds were cheerily accepted for return (provided they're within the return period, accompanied by a receipt) and then written off as a loss and put in the trash, even unopened. It's a pity about the food waste, but that's just how things go. Point being, if you want permission to return it, you have that.
posted by gloriouslyincandescent at 8:20 PM on June 15, 2017