Before you criticize my con of this being hot. I'm aware of how hot ghost pepper is supposed to be. But short of the actual grinder of ghost peppers that Trader Joe's sells, a lot of the products have had the heat level toned down to be more palatable.
Taste and review
The here today, gone tomorrow ghost pepper cheddar hit shelves and was hot. This is much hotter.
I took a bit on a spoon and tried it. I tried maybe a teaspoon. Right away, I could tell that this was really good maple syrup. If they sold the maple syrup on its own, then it justifies the price.
Then the heat kicked in. It's hot. And it lingers. I walked around my house mouth agape for a bit in a poor attempt to cool the burn. Now, it's not chili pepper contest eating hot. It's just hotter than my usual reach for medium wings.
So speaking of wings, now comes the question: how do I use this product? My answer is not so many pancakes, but something more savory. I mean, if you want your pancakes to burn, by all means, use it this way. But I know the quantity of maple syrup I use for pancakes, which would make it less than enjoyable.
This item begs for savory with a hint of sweetness for contrast. My goal is to use this for some chicken and waffles. Or maybe some spicy maple bacon. Even a veggie where I would think about using maple syrup would be a good use of this. And yes, some maple glaze wings would play well with this product. One of my readers on Facebook, Juli Michele said she used it successfully in unsweetened hot cocoa.
But I would only drizzle this product. Someone who likes heat more might not feel the same way. But in either case, this is a quality product. It's not for everyone and not for the faint of heart. It's also for people who are willing to get creative with this product. If all you are going to use it for is your morning breakfast, it might not be the right fit for you.
Overall
If you are up for a culinary challenge and can stand the heat, then you have a really good maple syrup that brings the heat. For $8.99 it isn't cheap. But real maple syrup is a premium product.
And if you missed out on this product, Amazon does sell other ghost pepper-infused maple syrups.
Product photos
The bottle of Trader Joe's Vermont Ghosted Maple Syrup:
The nutritional information:
The ingredients:
How Trader Joe's describes this product:
Would I buy this again? One bottle of Trader Joe's Vermont Ghosted Maple Syrup should get me through the year. While it is different, I look forward to trying the new and more mellow Vanilla Infused Maple syrup of some of the newer maple syrups hitting shelves.
Want to see more items I've reviewed from Trader Joe's? Click on Thoughts & Reviews of Trader Joe’s for a searchable list.
The Bottom Line
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Trader Joe's Vermont Ghosted Maple Syrup
Product Name: Trader Joe's Vermont Ghosted Maple Syrup
Product Description: Trader Joe's Vermont Ghosted Maple Syrup is new and limited-run maple syrup.
Price: $8.99
Summary
Trader Joe's Vermont Ghosted Maple Syrup is a limited run maple syrup.
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Taste
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Value
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Worthy of Repurchasing
Pros
- Trader Joe's Vermont Ghosted Maple Syrup is new and is a very hot combo of maple syrup and ghost pepper.
Cons
- This is not for everyone.
- Anyone sensitive to heat, be warned, this is hot.
- Also, this was listed as "HOL" on my receipt which usually means it is seasonal. So if you love it, stock up.
Alek says
I hope TJ's releases new maple syrup flavors. Why not a pumpkin spice while they were at it during pumpkin mania. I think this would be great on carrots as a side dish. Even in corn dog batter maybe. Sweet, salty, spicy, and savory all together.
becomebetty says
Hey Alek! I've been trying to hunt down the new vanilla infused maple syrup. That is the other new one floating around. Great suggestions as always!
Anecia says
I might try a bit of it mixed with Bbq sauce. As a marinade for pork chops! You could tone the heat down by adding dairy-cream, milk or sour cream…. it might mix well with cream cheese… for a dip??? Thinking 🤔 out loud here… I’ll try it!!!
Donald Goldstein says
I used a full bottle with my beef jerky marinade of about 4 pounds of meat. Great flavor. It turned out to be a perfect blend.
becomebetty says
Hey Donald! What a great suggestion. I'm totally going to give that a try. Thanks so much for sharing
ragnarsbhut says
Is the heat noticeable?
becomebetty says
Hey ragnarsbut! On this, yes. It's medium heat. This item was seasonal and I haven't seen it since the holidays. I hope that helps!
ragnarsbhut says
Would you say that the sweet flavor of the syrup is balanced out by the heat of the Ghost pepper? Or do you think one overrides the other?
becomebetty says
How sensitive are you to heat? Ghost pepper sneaks up, so if you underestimate this the heat can overwhelm. I'd keep this off to the side of a dish and dip things into it rather than pour this on something. I hope that clarifies.
ragnarsbhut says
My heat tolerance in terms of spice is pretty high. I just don't like the summer heat.
Jonathan Reay says
Shhhhh... Look up "Wood's" Vermont maple syrup... your new revealed source for the hard to find ghosted, vanilla and pure maple syrup products.
becomebetty says
Hey Jonathan! Thanks for sharing this!!