This is why they also like to invest in syrups with a higher content of sugar. The more sugar content there is in the sap, the less sap you will need to make syrup. This uses less money since you don’t need to invest in a fuel source for a raging fire. Many different manufacturers also save costs on fuel by uses reverse osmosis procedures to separate the water from the sap. Even though these crystals aren’t toxic, they leave a gritty texture which is undesirable in syrup. After boiling, the maple syrup is filtered to remove any crystals made of calcium malate and sugars from the liquid. The density of the finished syrup is 66° according to the Brix scale. If it is not boiled enough, it remains watery and will spoil quickly. If it is boiled for too long, it begins to crystallize. The whole process of boiling the syrup is a very controlled process since you need to reach the correct sugar content for the syrup to be of any use. They can place all of it over one main heat source or divide it into small batches so that the temperature is controlled more effectively.
The temperature has to be increased, exceeding the boiling point of water until it reaches 104.1 ☌.Ī lot of different companies have different mechanisms for boiling the sap. 20 to 50 volumes of sap, depending on its concentration, are placed over an open fire until it reduces down to 1 volume of syrup. At this stage, it has no preservatives or chemical agents.
The sap is collected and boiled down to the brown, sweet syrup. It has been streamlined so that the process uses less energy and is faster. However, the open pan evaporation method has changed drastically. The sap is still collected by drilling holes in the maple trees and letting the sap drain out into buckets. Maple syrup had been manufactured through different processes over the year. The demand continues to grow since maple syrup is a great, natural sweetener which works for a lot of products. However, modern maple syrup manufacturing has changed a lot. It was even turned into crystallized sugar by continuing heating the syrup.Īs the industry grew, companies from Vermont to Quebec evolved as they started to use evaporators, which are huge frying pans with fire boxes under them. Sugar makers boiled the water away over a wood fire, which left behind the brown sweet liquid known as maple syrup. The sap is actually 98% water, which means it takes around 40 gallons of sap to make a gallon of maple syrup. They carried the substance to the sugar houses where it was turned into syrup. They hung buckets under the drilled holes to collect the sweet sap, which was then emptied into a tank or container. This led to the nationwide drilling of small holes in the trees, in order to collect the sap they possessed between winter and spring. They wanted a sweetener which was better and cheaper than sugar and molasses. His wife boiled the piece of venison in the liquid, which led to its common use.Īfter the 17 th century, many dairy farmers supplemented their milk income with sweeteners.
According to one legend, the chief of a tribe threw a tomahawk at a maple tree which caused sap to leak. This whole process of learning about the sugar maples has a bunch of different legends surrounding it. Early settlers in Canada and Northeast US learned about sugar maples from the Native Americans. Sugaring was only done in rural parts of Idyll for around 300 years. Related: Sugar Maple Tree | Silver Maple Tree | Red Maple Tree | Japanese Maple Tree | Types of Maple Syrup History of Maple Syrup It is popular syrup often used on pancakes. This starch is converted into sugars that mix into the sap in early spring. In colder climates, the maple trees store starch in their roots and trunks right before winter.
It can also be made from other maple species but they are harder to cultivate. Maple syrup is made from the xylem sap extracted from sugar, red or black maple trees. Here are your options for storing maple syrup in the short and long term. The thing is, we don't eat it all that often so our large containers last a long time. Maple syrup is more expensive than the other stuff, but it's worth every penny.