Maple Syrup Recipes and Products

By far, the province of Quebec, Canada produces and exports the majority of the world's maple syrup. Other provinces such as Ontario, New Brunswick and Prince Edward Island also produce maple syrup but in much smaller quantities. In the norteastern U.S, the state of Vermont boasts the largest maple syrup industry, followed by other New England states such as Massacheusetts, New York, Maine, and New Hampshire.

The natural sweet sap that forms inside the maple tree is collected in the months of February through April when the temperature conditions are right. An incision is made into the maple tree and special buckets are hung allowing the sap to flow freely into them. The buckets of sap are then taken to the processing plants where they are boiled and prepared into the final product which is maple syrup.

Maple syrup is a natural product that consists of sucrose and water. It has no added preservatives or additives and is less sweet than honey, and contains vitamins such as potassium, calcium, iron and minerals such as such as zinc and manganese which help in the prevention of certain health conditions. Believe it or not, there is a higher calcium content in maple syrup than there is in milk! Below is a chart listing the different grades of maple syrup. They are classified as follows:

No.1 Extra Light/Grade A Light Amber/Fancy

No.1 Light Grade A/Medium-Amber

At the beginning of the harvesting season, the color of maple syrup tends to be light and less sweet. Extra light and light maple syrup are perfect to use for pancake syrup or omelets.

No.1 Medium Grade A/ Dark Amber - The Darker the color the sweeter the taste. Medium maple syrup is also great eaten directly and recommended for cooking as it withstands the heat better than the light versions.

No.2 Amber/ Grade B - Slightly Sweeter than Medium

No.3 Dark - Towards the end of the season, dark maple syrup, the sweetest and richest tasting - Yum!

Being a big fan of maple syrup, I use it to sweeten many cakes, pies and other delights. This Maple Baked Oatmeal is my absolute favorite! Or if you enjoy cupcakes, you will absolutely love this maple syrup cupcake recipe!

One of my favorite places to buy maple syrup products is a store called " Les Délices de l'Erable" translated means "Maple Syrup Delicacies". It is located in the Pierre Elliott Trudeau Airport in Montreal, Canada. They sell everything from maple syrup muffins to fudge to gelato all sweetened with maple syrup! Since I work at the airport, I take the opportunity to visit on a daily basis to savor the sweet smell of freshly baked goods all made from maple syrup. There is even maple syrup body spray and cream! Every time I walk by on my way to the international terminal, I can't help but spraying myself with it! I really don't mind smelling like waffles!

Every single product available at Les Delices de l'Erable is sweetened with maple syrup. If you are ever travelling through the Montreal Airport near Gate 52 on the departures level, you definitely have to stop by and try their Maple Syrup Italian Gelato which is available in over 30 flavors. My favorite is definitely the Bacio Gelato.

They also have freshly baked cookies, muffins, chocolate. You can also order maple syrup products directy on their website.

Have you ever attempted to collect your own maple syrup from that tree in your front yard? It is simple to do and you probably already have most of the supplies required. Here is what you will need:

Hand or power drill with a 7/16 inch (1,1 cm) drill bit
Spiles with hooks (to hang your buckets)
Hammer
Sap Buckets with lids
Large Plastic Pail
Large Pot or Pan
Cheesecloth or cone shaped coffee filters
Canning jars or bottles
Cooking or candy thermometer that extends several degrees beyone the boiling point of water.
Oven mitts, slotted spoon and a sieve

Clean and Sterlize your equipment using one part unscented bleach to 20 parts water. Rinse and dry well.

Pick Your Tree. If your lucky enough to find a sugar maple, that is great. Sugar maple leaves usually have five lobes with smooth edges. It is important that the size of the tree be at least 10 inches (25cms) at chest height , 4.5 feet high (1,5 m). Any smaller than that will do permanent damage to the tree.

Drill a hole at about chest height on the sunny side of the tree (That last part sounds like a song!, lol). In other words the south side. Drill on an upward angle into the white colored inner wood to a depth of no more than 3 inches (7,5 cm). This will help protect the inner wood from disease and insects.

If your tree is more than 18 inches (45 cms) in diameter, you can drill a second hole. It should be at least 6 inches (15cm) away from the first hole (measured horizontally). You can drill the hole slightly higher or lower than the first to keep the buckets and lids from hitting each other.
IMPORTANT: Never drill the holes when the temperature is below 25F (-3.8C) - the tree will still be frozen and you'll rip the wood, causing permanent damage. Gently tap the spiles into the holes with the hook pointing down. If it's a sunny day, the sap may start to flow down the spout right away.

Source: The Maple Syrup Book

Hang your bucket on the hook just below the spile. Attach a cover to the pail to prevent rain, bugs and bark from dropping into the sap. Collect your sap at least once a day. If you leave it longer than a day, the sap may spoil or freeze overnight. Store sap in the freezer if you cannot boil it right away or if you only collect a small amount each day. Before boiling or storing, strain your sap through a piece of cotton fabric to remove any unwanted objects.

It is a good idea (if possible) to do this outside since it requires a large pot. Large burners are recommended. In general for every 40 pails of sap collected, you will get one pail of syrup. As the sap boils it will start to foam at the top. Just skim it off using a slotted spoon and continue boiling the sap until it has a sugar content of 66 to 67 per cent (with 66.7 being optimal). How do you know that your syrup has reached the right sugar content? Follow these directions:

Boil water on your stove and insert your cooking thermometer into the pot. We all know that the boiling point is 212F (100C) but what we are looking for is the barometric pressure which will change that boiling point by a little bit every day. Once you learn the boiling point of water on the day you wish to make your maple syrup, use your thermometer to check the temperature of the syrup. Syrup that is 66% sugar will boil at just under 40F (4C) ABOVE the boiling point of water. All you have to do is add 40F (4C) to the number you calculated from the boiling water and wait for this marvelous sweet liquid to bubble.

I would recommend thoroughly cleaning the jar or container you plan to use to store the maple syrup. Cover the jar with a cheese cloth, paper towel or 2 or 3 coffee filters and pour the syrup. The cover is necessary to catch the sugar sand which you don't want in your maple syrup. Screw the lid or cap and then place the container on its side to sterilize the lid.

There you are! Freshly collected Maple Syrup from your own backyard!

Credit for Steps to making Maple Syrup: The Maple Syrup Book

Replacing the sweet part of your recipe with maple syrup is a great idea! Not only does it add great flavor, it also adds vitamins that refined sugar does not have. Here are a few tips:

Because maple syrup is sweeter than sugar, for every cup of sugar, add 3/4 (175ml) cup maple syrup. Also because it also adds moisture, it is recommended that you increase the dry ingredients. Molasses and honey can be replaced with an equal amount of maple syrup.

For baking, use 3/4 cup (175ml) of syrup for every cup of sugar AND reduce the main liquid in the recipe by 3 tablespoons (45ml). The main liquid refers to the milk or water in the recipe rather than the oil or eggs.