Making Maple Syrup
The clear maple sap has a 2 to 3 percent sugar content on the average, although some trees can produce up to 6 percent sugar content. Production can be unpredictable, depending on the tree itself and weather patterns. The rest is water which must be removed to concentrate the sweetness into syrup.In the old days, this was done by boiling to evaporate the water or freezing (the water rises to the top and freezes while the sweet, concentrated syrup sinks to the bottom).
Today's innovations include reverse osmosis for removal of the majority of the water before boiling, however most pure maple syrup is still made by simply boiling the water out by use of an evaporator. The resulting concentrated syrup is filtered to remove impurities.
The sap becomes syrup when it reaches 7 to 7.1 degrees above the boiling point of water. Since the boiling point of water varies with elevation, the actual benchmark temperature will vary depending on the location of the sugarmaking establishment. Experienced sugarmakers can tell by how the syrup sheets or aprons off the paddle.
Specific density is also a requirement and is measured with a hydrometer. The syrup must reach standard density of 66.5 to 66.7 degrees Brix, the scale used by sugarmakers to measure the percentage of sugar in the syrup. Too low a density produces a thin, runny syrup which is susceptible to fermentation and souring, while syrup with a higher density runs the risk of crystallizing during storage.
It takes approximately 36 gallons of maple tree sap to make 1 gallon of maple syrup.
If you have the proper maple trees and can make the time commitment, you might want to try and make your own homemade maple syrup.
Other maple products include maple sugar, maple honey (thicker than syrup), and maple cream (almost as thick as peanut butter) or maple butter (thick and spreadable).
More About Maple Syrup and Maple Syrup Recipes
• Maple Syrup Storage, Substitutions, and Cooking Tips• Maple Syrup Grades and Quality Standards
• Maple Syrup Production - How to make maple syrup
• Maple Syrup History
• Maple Syrup Lore and Legend
• Maple Syrup Recipes
Maple Syrup Photo © 2008 Peggy Trowbridge Filippone, licensed to About.com, Inc.
Cookbooks
| • | Sugartime: The Hidden Pleasures of Making Maple Syrup |
| • | Backyard Sugarin' |
| • | Making Maple Syrup |
| • | Amateur Sugar Maker |
| • | More Cookbooks |
