A Brief History of Maple Syrup
(as provided by Cleary's Maple Products)
Long before explorers came to Canada, the native Indians had learned how to draw off maple sap and boil it to make sugar. In early spring, they would pierce the tree trunk with a tomahawk, placing a wood chip under the hole to channel the maple water into a bark receptacle. They then boiled the sap in clay containers to obtain maple sugar.
In the early 18th century, our ancestors began to take an interest in maple products as well. They also perforated the tree trunk and inserted a cedar "spile" that channeled the sap into a wooden trough.
At first, they produced only enough to meet their own needs. They made hard slabs of sugar that could be stored for a year in the open air. In the 19th century, when the maple sugar industry became very lucrative, producers perfected their equipment and progressively increased the size of their sugar bushes.
Making Maple Syrup
Maple Sap
During the growing season, maple trees accumulate starch. With the spring thaw, enzymes change this starch into sugar, which mixes with the water absorbed through the roots, imparting a slightly sweet taste. While maple water also contains minerals, organic acids, and maple taste precursors, water is its main component (99-99%).
Of the six species native to Quebec, Sugar Maple and Red Maple are the most valuable commercially for syrup production.
Maples dominate most of Quebec's hardwood forests.
Tapping
In early spring, on snowshoes, maple producers tap their trees. They bore holes 5 cm deep with a drill 1 cm in diameter and drive a spile into the hole. This metal spout directs the maple sap into a bucket or a system of polyethylene tubes winding in and out of the trees.
Depending on the tree's diameter and strength, it may be fitted with as many as three taps. Alternate freezing and thawing changes the pressure inside the tree and starts the sap flowing.
Collecting the sap
Traditionally, after the sap was collected in troughs, it was emptied into a large barrel carried on a horse-driven sleigh.
Near the mid-1970s, this technique was gradually replaced by a tubing system, in which a partial vacuum is maintained using a pump. This method of collection, which does not damage the trees, yields more sap and reduces the manpower required. It allows the producer to tap more trees, including those located in rugged terrain.
Boiling the sap
Maple water is transformed into maple in a sugarhouse or "sugar shack". In this building, the sap is boiled in a large pan, the evaporator. Most of the water in it evaporates during this process, leaving concentrated maple sugar.
The art of sugaring is centered on this piece of equipment. From the time the maple water is poured into the evaporator, to the time it turns into syrup, it undergoes a complex chain of
chemical reactions which produce the characteristically "maple"
color and flavor. Almost forty liters of maple water must be evaporated to produce one
liter of syrup. Increasingly, producers are using machines that partially concentrate the sap by reverse osmosis, an advanced technique which offers energy savings of 60%, while conserving original maple product characteristics.
If sap is boiled beyond the syrup stage, it becomes toffee, soft sugar, or hard sugar, as shown
below:
| Temperature (°C) | Result |
| 122 | Granulated sugar |
| 120 | Very hard sugar |
| 118 | Hard sugar |
| 114.5 | Maple toffee or soft sugar |
| 113 | Maple toffee on snow |
| 111.5 | Maple butter |
| 104 | Maple Syrup |
| 100 | (Water boils) |
Maple Products
Maple products are best known in their traditional form. Natural sugar, they are becoming a highly valued ingredient in a wide range of food products such as deli meats, confectionery and prepared cereals.
Like all other foodstuffs, maple products are governed by strict production, processing, and marketing regulations.
All consumer products sold must be labeled indicating weight, exact product name, and names and addresses of the producer and packer. Labels on maple syrup must also indicate product category and color.
Since 1994, the Regroupement pour la commercialisation des produits de l'érable du Québec inc. (RCPEQ), working with the provincial and federal governments, has inspected and classified its member's maple products.
Seals and stickers are affixed to bulk containers after inspection. Given RCPEQ's distinctive identification, consumers can recognize Quebec maple products that have passed quality control tests.
Classification of maple syrup by color is more a guide for flavor than an indication of the quality level: the extra pale syrup has a delicate taste, and darker, medium-grade syrup has a stronger, caramelized taste. The latter is ideal for cooking, deserts, and confectionery. Colors shown below: (left to right) Light, Medium, Amber, Dark.
Maple syrup must meet exacting standards for purity. High quality Grade A syrup can be made only by the evaporation of pure maple sap, and by weight contain no less than 66 percent sugar.
Grade A maple syrup is classified according to its color. The longer to boil,
the darker the syrup, the stronger the maple taste.
Extra Light (Grade A) - has a mild and delicate flavor
Light (Grade A) - a bit darker with a fuller flavor
Medium (Grade A) - has the strongest maple flavor of the Grade A syrups
Amber (Grade B) - sold in bulk for reprocessing and the manufacture of commercial table syrups
Dark - used for cooking only
Grades of Maple Syrup
| Canada | United States (USDA) | Vermont |
| No. 1 Extra Light Grade A | Grade A Light Amber | Fancy |
| No. 1 Light Grade A | Medium Amber | Medium Amber |
| No. 1 Medium Grade A | Dark Amber | Dark Amber |
| No. 2 Amber | Grade B for reprocessing | Grade B |
| No. 3 Dark | - - | Commercial |
| - - | Substandard | Substandard |
Sugaring-off Parties
Sugaring-off parties have always been a time to relax and enjoy oneself outdoors. A typical French-Canadian meal is usually served in a building adjoining the sugar shack.
After the meal, some visitors stroll through the sugar bush, while others go snowshoeing or look at the sugaring equipment. During this time, the owner boils some syrup for the traditional sampling of maple toffee on snow.
|
Typical Maple Sugar Contents |
|
| Calories | 240 per 100g |
| Water | 34% |
| Sugar | |
| -Sucrose | 61.45% |
| -Glucose | 1.46% |
| -Fructose | 1.46% |
| -Oligosaccharide | 0.32% |
| Minerals | |
| -Potassium | 0.26% |
| -Calcium | 0.07% |
| -Silica | 0.02% |
| -Magnesium | 0.01% |
| Non-Volatile Organic Acids | 0.20% |
| Proteins | 0.26% |
| Other components | 0.13% |
Economic Impact
Quebec is the world's top-ranking maple syrup producer, accounting for more than 70% of all production. In addition to constituting an important element in Quebec's agroforestal heritage, the maple industry generates significant earnings in several regions with otherwise limited agricultural potential. Maple production also encourages the tapped areas to become inhabited.
Sugar Bush Management
When managing their sugar bushes, maple producers strive for the highest yield possible, while meeting sustainable development imperatives.
They use strong, flawless trees whose sap is very sweet. Since trees must be at least 5 meters apart, those of poorer quality are cut down and used for firewood. The sugar bush is a fragile environment and producers must ensure that a variety of species coexist in order to maintain a productive, stable ecosystem.
Did you know that...
Legend has it that a native Indian woman once left her dinner simmering under a broken maple branch. The maple sap dripped into the pot all day and when the woman came back, she was surprised to find her meal bathed in a wonderful syrup.
Pure maple syrup has no additives and no preservatives.
Maple Syrup has a lower caloric value than certain other sweeteners:
| Maple Syrup | 40 calories / 15 ml |
| Fructose | 46 calories / 15 ml |
| Brown Sugar | 51 calories / 15 ml |
| Corn Syrup | 60 calories / 15 ml |
| Honey | 64 calories / 15 ml |
Maple syrup is full of vitamins (A and C) and minerals, including potassium, calcium, and magnesium.
It takes 40 liters of maple sap to make one liter of 100% pure maple syrup.
The sugar maple tree can live up to 250 years. Its winged fruit
is called a "samara". It takes a maple tree 40 years to be ready for
production.
Maple products are naturally fat free. Moreover, maple syrup contains
fewer calories than refined white cane sugar. Try 100% pure maple syrup in
your next cup of tea or coffee.
Maple syrup can also be used to replace sugar in your
favorite recipes, reducing the amount of sugar called for by on quarter. Simply replace 1 cup of white sugar with 2/3 cups of pure maple
syrup (or substitute 3 tablespoons of pure maple syrup for every 4 tablespoons
of sugar).
Bottled maple syrup keeps its flavor and quality for years.
As of 1999, Quebec provides 90% of Canada's maple syrup production and 73% of world production. Quebec alone uses 13% of the world's production.