Sugar is the sap of the maple tree, and the maple trees used to make maple sugar are generally sugar maple, black maple, and red maple, of which the maple sugar from the "sugar maple" is of the best quality. Maple sugar is mainly produced in the United States and Canada in North America, with Canada being the world's most famous, and the Canadian province of Quebec is now the world's largest producer of maple syrup.

The process of making maple sugar

When the weather is cold, maple trees store a lot of starch in their trunks and roots, and when spring comes in March or April, the starch stored in their trunks or roots will be converted into sucrose in large quantities. Because maple sugar will gradually lose its flavor when the weather gets hot, so in early spring, sugarmakers will start to select maple trees that are at least 30 to 40 years old, drill holes in the trunks of the trees to take over, and let the sap flow out. The sap of the maple trees originally had a sugar content of only 2% to 5%, and then the sap was heated and evaporated to make the concentrated maple syrup (Maple Syrup), which has a sugar content of more than 66%, and it takes about 40 liters of maple sap to make it. It takes about 40 liters of maple sap to extract 1 liter of maple syrup.

Differences in the concentration and sugar content of maple syrup can lead to differences in sweetness, flavor, and color, which is why different brands of maple syrup are available in many flavors.

How to preserve maple sugar

Maple syrup has a long shelf life, and can be kept at room temperature when unopened, but once opened, it should be refrigerated to avoid mold. If you want to extend the shelf life of maple syrup, you can divide it into serving sizes and then put it in the freezer. You only need to take out one serving at a time, and put it at room temperature to deglaze a little, or heat it up with warm water under water.

Maple sugar is also graded

Maple sugar grades in the United States and Canada were originally different until recent years. According to The International Maple Syrup Institute (IMSI) in Canada, maple syrup is divided into four grades according to color***, and each grade is accompanied by a description of the flavor, so that people who want to buy maple syrup can choose more clearly.

Grade A Golden Color: Delicate Taste

The season in which maple sugar is produced also affects the flavor of the syrup. Maple syrup made when the weather is still cold has a bright golden color and a smooth, mild taste.

Grade A Amber Color: Rich Taste

As temperatures begin to warm up, maple syrup is produced with a beautiful amber color and a mellow flavor with the distinctive aroma of maple sugar, making this a grade of maple syrup that is both distinctive and accessible to the general public.

Grade A Dark Color: Robust Taste

Late in the season, rich maple syrup begins to be produced because the sap of the maple tree begins to decline in sugar content, and more sap is needed to concentrate the syrup into a syrup with sufficient amount of sugar, so the color and flavor are more intense. The darker the color of the syrup, the less transparent it is, the more you can feel the special flavor of maple sugar, and with a bitter taste; darker grades of maple syrup are generally less directly consumed, and more used in cooking, with meat dishes or baking desserts are very suitable, and more able to set off the aroma of maple sugar.

Grade A Very Dark Color: Strong Taste

Very dark maple syrup exhibits the strong flavor of maple, and has the heaviest bitterness; therefore, it is mostly used commercially, and is popular with food manufacturers and chefs.

From left to right: Grade A Golden, Grade A Amber, Grade A Dark, Grade A Very Dark (PIC: goo.gl/XeZWia)

In addition to the four types of maple sugar graded by color, there is also Processing Grade Maple Syrup, which meets food safety guidelines.

Regarding the conversion of the old and new maple sugar grades, you can refer to the following chart:

Recognizing the unique flavor of maple sugar

Maple sugar is composed of sucrose and water, with a special amino acid, which gives it a sweet with a bit of acidic flavor and a mellow aroma. Because it has slightly fewer calories than regular table sugar and contains minerals that are beneficial to the human body, maple sugar is considered a healthy source of sugar intake.

With the same weight of maple sugar and granulated sugar, maple sugar has a stronger aroma and is less sweet, which is suitable for replacing granulated sugar and brown sugar in dessert dishes, such as puddings, baked cookies and muffins, and even replacing granulated sugar with maple syrup for stir-frying sugar coloring, which can also make a beautiful color of braised pork.