What is Maple Syrup?
Maple syrup is simply the concentrated sap of the maple tree. This sap, which only 2-3% sugar, is collected and concentrated, usually through boiling, until the sugar content reaches 66%. Once the sugar level reaches this critical concentration, it is considered maple syrup, and is bottled and sold. The percentage of sugar is indeed crucial though. If the percentage of sugar in the syrup is too high, the syrup will crystallize in the bottle, and be no good. If the percentage is too low, the syrup will spoil. These things can happen if the concentration is off by as little as 1 or 2 percent.
So how do you know when it is at 66%?
There are two main ways maple syrup producers use to tell when the syrup has reaches this critical concentration.
The first method, commonly used by small scale producers is based on the idea that as the concentration of sugar (or and solute for that matter) increases, the boiling point of the water increases. Simply put, the higher the percentage of sugar in the syrup, the hotter the syrup must be before it will boil. Finished syrup boils at between 7.1-7.5 degrees Fahrenheit above the boiling point of water. Since the boiling point of water varies with altitude and barometric pressure, we can not say that finished syrup boils at 219.1 degrees Fahrenheit. Instead, each time you wish to finish off a batch of syrup, you must boil some water and measure it's temperature. Then add 7.1 degrees to that, and when the syrup reaches that temperature it is done. By the way, no matter how hot the fire or stove is under a pan of boiling water or syrup, the temperature will never go above the boiling point. You must, however, keep a very close eye on syrup as it reaches the 66% mark, it will foam up and boil over in a matter of seconds if the temperature is too high.
The second method, more commonly used by larger producers is to use a special piece of equipment called a hydrometer. The hydrometer is a sealed glass tube with a small amount of weight in one end. There is a series of lines running the length of the tube which are used to measure percentage concentration, and are specially calibrated for maple syrup. When the syrup is almost done, a sample of the hot syrup is placed in a special cylinder shaped cup, and the hydrometer is placed in it. The hydrometer will only sink part way into the syrup, and by looking at which line on the tube is at the same level as the top of the syrup, you can determine what the percentage of sugar is in the syrup. This process is repeated frequently as the syrup approaches the 66% mark, and when the hydrometer reaches 66%, the syrup is drawn off through a valve and bottled.
What is in maple syrup?
Maple syrup is the concentrated sap of the maple tree, so the question should be "What is in maple sap?" The sap is made up primarily of water, almost 98% water. The remaining 2-3% is sugars made by the tree. These are mostly in the form of standard sucrose, the same chemical compound found in cane sugar. There are, however, numerous minute traces of other important minerals in the sap. Once concentrated into syrup, these minerals actually make maple syrup better for you than white cane sugar, not to mention it is against federal regulations to add anything to maple syrup at any point in its collection, concentration or bottling, making it truly 100% all natural.
If all syrup is the same, what does Grade A mean?
According to federal laws, syrup that is going to be sold must be bottled and graded according to federal guidelines. The grades and colors of syrup are more than just industry standards, they are determined through a standard set of sample bottles which the government regulates. In Massachusetts there are 2 grades of maple syrup used, Grade A and Grade B. The grade is determined entirely by the light transmissibility of the syrup. Both grades contain identical concentrations of sugar, and have the same laws governing them. Grade A is the lightest, and is what most people buy for their pancakes or hot cereal. Grade B is a little darker, stronger tasting and is normally considered the cooking grade.
Within Grade A are colors: light amber, medium amber and dark amber. Again, the color is strictly a measure of how well light shows through the syrup, or how dark it is. Light Amber is considered the "Fancy Grade" and has a milder maple taste. It is usually used for fine maple candy. Medium Amber is a fine table syrup. It has a little more maple flavor and is asked for by a majority of people. Dark Amber is slightly darker and stronger still. It is fast becoming a popular table syrup.
The color and grade of the syrup is influenced by many factors, ranging from how severe the winter was to the bacteria levels in the soil when the sap was collected to even how many times the syrup was allowed to cool and then reheated during processing.
Any differences you may hear of or taste from one persons syrup to another is probably due to the way in which the sap was boiled or even the containers it was stored in.
The cost
Everyone likes to complain about the high prices of maple syrup today, and how the price of a gallon of syrup has skyrocketed in the past few years. To be perfectly honest, the price of maple syrup has actually stayed almost exactly the same for the past century (if you remember to think about inflation). The general rule of thumb is a gallon of syrup should cost about the same as a days wages for farm help. In the 1890's, the average wages for a day's labor were about $1. Maple syrup, in the 1890's cost about $1 per gallon. In the 1930's, a day's wages were up to between $2 and $3, with a gallon of maple syrup the same.
Today, most farm help makes about $5 per hour. Considering an 8 hour day, you can figure a day's wages to be $40. How much is maple syrup now? It ranges anywhere from $35-$40 per gallon, right where it should be according to the age old rule.
Why does it have to cost so much though?
If you have read through these pages about maple syrup, you should have an idea how much work goes into the production of one gallon of maple syrup. There is the expense in the man power needed to tap the trees, the equipment hung on the trees (which has a very high maintenance cost) and the expense of gathering, both in additional equipment, gas and man power. And that only gets the sap to the sap house. Once at the sap house, there is the expense of the wood of fuel used to boil off the 39 gallons of water needed to produce that one gallon of syrup, and the equipment used to do it. Then there is the man that watches the syrup. Everything considered, the price of a gallon of maple syrup is really quite reasonable.
Nutritional Value
One tablespoon contains:
50 calories (about the same as white cane sugar),
35mg of potassium,
21mg of calcium,
less than 2mg of sodium and
traces of iron, phosphorous and several B-vitamins.
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