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Origin of Maple Syrup
Quite simply: maple syrup is made from the sap of the maple tree. It is said that the settlers in North America learned about the value and use of sap of the maple tree from the Native Americans. The northeastern part of North America is the only region in the world where the maple trees produce sap that can then be cooked down until it becomes maple syrup. Every year in the spring, the long cold nights mixed with warm days encourage the flow of sap from the sugar maple trees. The trees are found all over the northeast USA, with New York State being one of North America's largest production sources.
Producing Maple Syrup
In the spring, when the snow is still slightly visible along forest edges and the temperatures are slowly rising above the freezing point, the sugar maples begin to release their sweet sap. Tree tapping season begins and small holes are drilled into the trunk of each sugar maple and small spouts are inserted. The trees sought out for tapping must be at least 40 years old in order to be productive at releasing sap. Each tap is open for about 2 weeks during the peak season. The longer the tap is open, the more likely it is that the sap coming out is of lower quality. Although small holes are being drilled into the trunk of each tree, it is interesting to note that this process does not damage these cherished trees. When the sap is released, it looks just like water. The sap drips naturally from each spout very slowly during low temperatures -- perhaps one drip every few minutes. When the temperatures rise, the natural flow increases and the sap coming from the spout drips much more quickly, perhaps every few seconds.
During earlier years, maple producers hung buckets underneath the spouts to collect the sap. Today, many maple producers have equipment that enable the sap to flow directly from the spout into tubing that connect to large collection containers. Some farmers have their tubing designed to bring the sap directly to a collection point in the "sugar house." The "sugar house" is the term used for the building that holds the boiler/evaporator that is used to cook off the excess water of the sap. The evaporator cooks the sap slowly until 120 liters of sap (about the production capability of one tree) is boiled down to only 4 liters of maple syrup. Because there is usually a window of only 2 weeks to tap for high-quality syrup, the farming family tends to work night and day. Care of a continuous and even fire for the evaporator, sterilizing and filtering, grading and packing the syrup are all necessary parts of being a maple farmer and are around-the-clock activities during this time of year. This amber-colored, intensely sweet syrup is then either packed directly into retail packages, or it is packed in bulk to be stored and used later.
Natural Colors and Flavors of Maple Syrup
After cooking down the sap, these natural colors (flavors) become apparent and are then classified. This classification itself does not determine quality, only the natural color and accompanying flavor. They are as follows:
Light Amber
The lightest of the maple colors with the mildest flavor.
Medium Amber
Somewhat darker than light amber but with broad maple flavor.
Dark Amber
The darkest of the three classifications having a caramel aftertaste.
Grading Process & Classification
The purity of the maple syrup is what determines the classification and grading. Without the remarks 100% Pure along with U.S. Grade A, as well as an indication of the color classification (such as Light Amber, Medium Amber, Dark Amber), you could be purchasing maple products of lower quality or those made with artificial ingredients.
In order to protect consumers and make them aware of the purity and quality of the maple products being sold to them, the US has a grading process that classifies maple syrup products. Generally, there are three grades of maple syrup (U.S. Grade A, B, or C), with U.S. Grade A being the highest. Grade C is the lowest quality and contains impurities, and is thereby not allowed for sale to consumers for direct consumption in the USA. Because of the lower quality of Grade C, it is predominantly used as an ingredient that will be processed further, such as for flavoring tobacco. This is one of the reasons why our company started: we were shocked at the amount of "Grade C" maple syrup for sale in grocery stores in Europe, and we wanted to make available to consumers the better choice of maple products.
Unfortunately, the European Union does not have the strict guidelines that are used in the USA and Canada for labeling and classifying maple syrup products. Without such guidelines, consumers in Europe are not necessarily informed about the quality they are being sold. Pure maple syrup products of the highest quality are very expensive in the USA and Canada. One should be wary of any product that is labeled as "maple syrup" that is relatively inexpensive. If the product is being sold cheaper in Europe than it would in the USA, one should question what kind of quality is being offered. If all three classifications (1. 100% Pure; 2. U.S. Grade A; 3. Color, such as Medium Amber) are not clearly labeled, you are most likely being offered a lower quality syrup. For instance, if it says "100% Pure Maple Syrup," but there is no mention of the grade, it could be that it is pure maple syrup, but it is of a lower grade, such as B or C. Another common example is packaging that states "Grade A Maple Syrup" but the comment "100% Pure" is missing. The product could contain Grade A, but without the purity remarks, you are not guaranteed that is 100% pure: corn sugar, cane sugar, preservatives and other ingredients could have been added. The safest way to shop: check that all three classifications appear on the label.
The New York State Maple Law
The producers of maple syrup in New York State must meet the strict grading and production guidelines as outlined in the New York Maple Law. These guidelines are similar to the historic German beer laws whereby only natural ingredients are allowed. Only sap of the maple tree can be used in the production of 100% pure, US Grade A maple syrup. These laws are so highly respected, that other big maple producing regions of the USA and Canada have adopted these as their own production and classification guidelines. Our maple products are all produced in New York State and meet these guidelines, as well as the strict sweetness levels and purity standards that our company requires of all products that we label as Hillcrest™.
How to find the best maple syrup....
The best maple syrup products available today are most often found at small maple syrup farms, not in grocery stores. The production capacity of high quality maple syrup is too small at the present time to provide enough to fill the shelves of every grocery store, and the profit margins are too low to make it worthwhile for large packing companies. All of our products with the Hillcrest™ logo are sourced from various small farms across New York that meet our requirements. We think you will be pleasantly surprised at the difference in taste the highest available quality makes. We have turned many skeptics into maple syrup lovers! By the way: in the tradition of the small and medium-sized maple farms, our Hillcrest™ maple products are purely organic.
Culinary Travel Tip: when visiting the northeast USA (such as New York State, Pennsylvania, Connecticut, Massachusetts, Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont) or the northern part of the mid-West USA (such as Ohio, Michigan, Illinois), ask around for the location of the nearest maple farm. These farms are worth the visit -- especially in early spring -- as most offer a wide variety of the highest quality maple syrup available. Many offer fresh samples of maple confections for you to try, such as maple spread, maple butter, maple candy, maple-glazed nuts or baked products that use maple syrup as the sweetener. There isn't a culinary welcome more sweet than when you first enter these quaint shops and are greeted with the aroma of freshly-made maple confections!
Most Frequently Asked Questions...
How important are the grade and the color?
The grade and color classification provided on the packaging of any maple product is very important. Without such notation, you are not guaranteed that what you are buying is pure or is even real maple syrup. There are three grades: Grade A, Grade B, and Grade C. Grade A is the highest quality and Grade C is the lowest. In the USA, only Grade A is allowed for sale to consumers for direct consumption (this is unfortunately not the case in Europe). The grade and color classifications are very important as they are your guide to what you are buying. For instance, a product could say "100% Pure Maple Syrup", but without the notation "Grade A", you might be buying a mix of grades or the lowest grade syrup available. A product could say "Grade A Maple Syrup", but without the "100% Pure" remark, it might have additives or preservatives. Without noting what the color classification is, you will have no idea what flavor you might find when you open the container.
What should I look for on the label?
If you want to be reasonably assured that you are buying the highest quality maple syrup available, check that all of the following are on the label:
- 100%, and
- Pure, and
- U. S. Grade A, and
- the color/taste classification (Light Amber or Medium Amber or Dark Amber)
How is maple spread made? And maple sugar?
Both maple sugar and maple spread, when labeled as 100% pure, are made purely from maple syrup. Just as with maple syrup products, pay attention to the quality classifications on the label to make sure you are getting the quality you are looking for. Maple sugar is, in essence, dehydrated maple syrup: the maple syrup is heated to such a high temperature that it crystallizes. Maple spread is made from a particular cooking-and-cooling process, very similar to the process used to make the texture of spreadable honey. Because both are more concentrated forms of the syrup, they have more sweetening power than maple syrup. They are typically more expensive per weight or measure than syrup, but one doesn't need as much to sweeten!
Questions: Contact us or try our delicious Maple Products.
Colorful maple tree photo courtesy of NYS Econ. Dev.
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