Want to know everything about maple syrup? Keep reading! Naturally sweet, maple syrup is a sweetener made from maple sap that evaporates to obtain a natural syrup, without additives or any other ingredients. Harvested in the spring, maple syrup changes color depending on its harvest in the season. It can range from a golden color to very dark.
Our organic maple syrup is harvested in early spring in the maple forests of Canada and has an amber color that gives it a rich and pure taste. From organic farming, it is made with a production method that respects the environment and biodiversity. In addition to being delicious, maple syrup has many properties. It is full of antioxidants and contains minerals and vitamins!
So let’s discover this product now!
Maple syrup: its origins
The technique of transforming maple water into syrup was already mastered by the indigenous populations of Canada well before the arrival of Europeans. Originally used as a tonic food in spring, maple syrup is at the heart of many Native American legends.
Today, maple syrup consumption is widespread in Quebec and Ontario, where it is sometimes incorporated into everyday cooking, offered at a relatively affordable price. Outside Canada, maple syrup is gaining popularity, particularly in Japan and Germany, as an exotic and rare food.
The manufacturing stages
- Tapping : During the months of January and February, maple syrup producers tap the maple trees and meticulously place the blowtorches on each tree. They deploy kilometers of tubing, thus connecting the maple trees together. The number of taps made on each maple tree varies from one to three, depending on their respective sizes.
- The Flow : Sugar maples and red maples provide the maple sap that is crucial for making maple syrup. During the summer, these trees produce their precious sugar through photosynthesis, fueling cellular respiration, promoting their growth, and storing this sugar as starch in their roots. With the arrival of spring and fluctuating temperatures between night and day, the precious sap begins to flow. Daytime warming causes the wood to expand, putting pressure on the water trapped in the tree fibers. This sugary water then flows down the trunk, allowing for a sap harvest. During the night, cooling causes the wood to contract, interrupting the flow of sap, while the tree absorbs water again to replenish its reserves. Thus, nature’s orchestrated seasonal cycle unveils the fascinating process that transforms summer energy into the delicious sweet essence of maple syrup.
- Maple sap harvesting : Today, in most cases, maple sap is collected in tubes, called tubing, attached to the end of spouts stuck in the notches. Traditionally, maple sap was collected in buckets attached to the tree. The maple producer poured the water accumulated in these buckets into large containers, then transported them himself to the maple grove, using horses or a tractor. These tubes are then grouped together in collector pipes that carry the maple sap to the sugar shack by gravity or pumping.
- Concentrating maple water : The pipes ensure rapid delivery of maple water to large stainless steel basins, where it is then directed to a reverse osmosis system. Using mechanical pumps, this system subjects the maple water to high pressure, allowing the elimination of some of the pure water contained in the sap. Thus, the maple producer obtains maple water with a higher sugar concentration, allowing him to reduce the evaporation time and, consequently, energy consumption.
- Transforming water into maple syrup by evaporation : In the evaporator, maple water is brought to a boil at 104°C for several hours, reaching a sugar and other molecule content in the maple syrup of 66%, or 66 degrees Brix. It takes an average of 40 litres of maple water to produce one litre of syrup.
- The Maillard Reaction : When water evaporates, a chemical process known as the "Maillard reaction" occurs. During this evaporation, the amino acids present in the water combine with the sugars, causing the water to turn brown and transform into syrup. This natural phenomenon enriches the flavors of maple syrup, giving it its distinctive attributes such as its color, aroma and antioxidant properties.
Now you know everything about the maple syrup making process!
Its benefits and virtues
Did you know that maple syrup is full of health benefits and virtues?
- It is full of antioxidants that help cells absorb glucose quickly, giving this local product a low glycemic index. For people with diabetes, ingesting maple syrup may cause a lower rise in blood sugar compared to an equivalent amount in calories from any other sweetener, helping to avoid blood sugar spikes.
- In terms of energy value, a serving of maple syrup contains fewer calories than an equivalent serving of honey or table syrup. Maple syrup is also among the lowest-calorie sweeteners.
Quebec maple syrup is made from a single ingredient: maple water. Delicious, it is also a drink full of virtues:
- It contains several vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, polyphenols, enzymes, probiotics and electrolytes.
- Due to its mineral, amino acid and phenolic content, maple water ensures complete rehydration at a rate twice as fast as regular water, making it ideal for alleviating the effects of a hangover. Consumed before drinking alcohol, it facilitates the metabolism of alcohol, thus reducing the effects of the day after a party.
- Composed of 95% to 97.5% water and naturally containing only about 2% sugar, maple water; consumed before, during and after sports training is the winning choice for athletes.
100% pure maple syrup is known for its essential nutrients and health benefits, which sets it apart from other sugars. Consumed in moderation, maple syrup is an excellent source of sugar to add to your daily diet.
Culinary uses
In a cake, a latte, a spread, or on chicken wings, maple syrup is seductive. With its typical flavor, it is perfect in both sweet and savory versions.
The main use of maple syrup is to drizzle it on pancakes or waffles, but it also replaces sugar in yogurts or cake mixes.
Maple syrup producers can produce 4 types of maple syrup, each of which can be used differently in cooking:
Golden : harvested at the start of the season, the sap produces a clear syrup with a sweet flavour, ideal for sweetening yoghurt.
Amber : a slightly darker syrup with a richer taste, widely used for desserts or vinaigrettes.
Dark : a light brown syrup with a caramel flavor, ideal for savory dishes or making maple syrup sauce.
The very dark : a dark brown syrup with a rich taste that will delight refined palates. Perfect for flavoring and coloring savory recipes.
From the ancestral production of maple syrup, many derivative products have been born for all tastes, both sweet and savory. For the most gourmet, you can find maple candies, cookies, toasts... To accompany savory dishes and to give a sweet touch, you can also enhance them with maple sauces. Maple syrup is also found in teas or infusions as well as in typical Quebec alcohols: whisky liqueur, ice cider, or even beers.
Beyond its delicious taste, maple syrup stands out as a product that is both pure and comforting. It stands out for its benefits, offering a natural alternative to more conventional sweeteners. Whether it's to sweeten your recipes, enhance your breakfasts or simply enjoy a spoonful straight from the jar, maple syrup is much more than a condiment, it's an elixir!
Want to know more about another iconic product? Check out our article on mead, the drink of the gods .
