Articles:

Maple Syrup Grades – Read More…
Maple Syrup, Super Food? – Read More…
What is Maple Syrup Made From? - Read More…
How much sap does it take to make Maple Syrup? - Read More…
How do you know when you have boiled the sap long enough? - Read More…
What type of trees does Timber Isle Maple Products Use? - Read More…
Baking with maple syrup instead of refined sugar. - Read More…
When does sap run at the Timber Isle Maple Products sugar bush? - Read More…
Does Timber Isle Maple Products Make Syrup Year round? - Read More…
Is there fat in maple syrup? - Read More…

MAPLE SYRUP GRADING

Did you know that maple syrup is graded according to the amount of light it is able to transmit, as well as its related flavor profile?  More simply put, how light or dark the syrup is in colour and how strong a maple flavor it has.  The colour and flavor profile of maple syrup is directly related to, and dependent on when it is made within the sugaring season.  This timeframe and associated seasonal temperatures dictate the sugar content of the sap and therefore the amount of boiling required to render it into maple syrup.  Think about what you will be using your maple syrup for and how strong a maple flavor you will need and enjoy.

From Left to Right: Ontario No. 1 Light, Medium, Amber and Dark.
(Photo Credit: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Syrup_grades_large.JPG)

Ontario No. 1 – Extra Light:

Extra light syrup has a smooth flavor and one of the most delicate of all of the maple syrup grades.  This light colour is made earlier in the season during the colder weather.  The smooth, very delicate maple flavor is ideal for making maple candies.

Ontario No. 1 – Light:

This syrup has a smooth flavor and delicate flavor profile.  This lighter colour is made earlier in the season during the colder weather.  The smooth, delicate maple flavor is ideal for making maple cream and maple candies.

Ontario No. 1 – Medium:

This maple syrup is slightly darker in colour than the Ontario No. 1 – Light and is known for its smooth maple flavor.  This syrup is generally produced mid-season when the temperatures start to warm slightly.  Its popular flavor is most often used for table syrup.

Ontario No. 1- Amber:

As the days become warmer further into the sugaring season, this full-bodied maple syrup grade is produced.  Both the flavor and the colour are slightly stronger and more intense than the Ontario No. 1 – Medium maple syrup.  This syrup is most popular as table syrup and for overall sweetening purposes.

Ontario No. 1 – Dark

This dark maple syrup is anything darker than the Ontario No. 1 – Amber grade.  It is generally used for baking, cooking or as a commercial ingredient.  We produce this grade the latest in the season which lends to its exceptionally robust maple flavor.   This maple syrup is most popular among bakers, chefs and commercial food producers who rely on it for flavoring.  We do not recommend this as a table syrup due to its exceptionally robust flavor.

For the 2014 sugaring season Timber Isle Maple Products will have Ontario No. 1 – Medium, Amber, and Dark Maple Syrup available.

Maple Syrup Grading System Changes are on their Way

http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/maple-syrup-producers-seek-better-grade-of-labelling-1.2521582

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MAPLE SYRUP HAS BEEN ADDED TO THE LIST OF ‘SUPER FOODS’

Maple Syrup has been added to the list of SUPER FOODS. A ‘SUPER FOOD’ is defined as ‘a nutrient-rich food considered to be especially beneficial for health and well-being’. More intriguing about super foods are their apparent cancer-fighting properties.
Click HERE for details.

‘Maple syrup is even being described by scientists in America as a ‘one-stop shop’ for beneficial compounds. Tests on the syrup, which is made by boiling sap from the maple tree, found that it contains compounds which could help manage Type 2 diabetes, as well as acting as anti-cancer and anti-inflammatory agents’.
Click HERE for details.

Some of the other foods that can be found alongside Maple Syrup on the list of Super Foods are as follows:

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WHAT IS MAPLE SYRUP MADE FROM?

Maple syrup is made from the sap of maple trees. Sap is the fluid that flows through the vascular system of trees. It is primarily composed of water, dissolved sugars and mineral salts. By simply boiling maple sap and evaporating the water content, you are left with the concentrated sugars, or syrup.

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HOW MUCH SAP DOES IT TAKE TO MAKE MAPLE SYRUP?

Anyone who has made or helped to make maple syrup knows how much work goes into every drop of maple syrup. On average it takes approximately 40 units of sap to make 1 unit of syrup. This can be slightly higher or lower depending on the sugar content of the sap. So that means for every gallon of maple syrup made, it takes approximately 40 gallons of sap!! A labour of love to be sure!

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HOW DO YOU KNOW WHEN YOU HAVE BOILED THE SAP LONG ENOUGH TO HAVE SYRUP?

Sap is boiled until it reaches 7 degrees above the boiling temperature of water. This temperature can vary with altitude and atmospheric pressure, but on average when sap reaches 219 degrees it is maple syrup. To be legally considered maple syrup however, it must have a sugar content between 66% and 67.5%. To help ensure the quality of maple syrup, producers use various types of equipment to ensure the sugar content is between 66 and 67.5 brix. Hydrometers and refractometers are the primary pieces of equipment used to determine the density and sugar content of maple syrup.

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WHAT TYPE OF MAPLE TREES DOES TIMBER ISLE MAPLE PRODUCTS USE?

At Timber Isle Maple Products, we primarily use the sap of the Sugar maple tree (Acer saccharum).  We also use the sap of the Red Maple tree (Acer rubrum).  The sap of the Sugar maple tree has a higher sugar content than other maple species and so has the shortest boiling time.  Obviously the higher the water content of the sap, the longer it will take to reduce it down to maple syrup.  The average sugar content of the sap of a Sugar maple is 2-2.5%.  Black maple (Acer nigrum) and Silver maple (Acer saccarinum) can also be used to produce maple syrup.

Sugar Maple (Acer saccharum)

Red Maple (Acer rubrum)

Photo Credit: HERE

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BAKING WITH MAPLE SYRUP INSTEAD OF REFINED SUGAR

Maple syrup can be used as an alternative to refined sugar. Substitute ¾ of a cup of maple syrup for every 1 cup of sugar called for in your favorite recipes. Due to the liquid nature of maple syrup however, remember to reduce the liquid content of the recipe by three tablespoons for every ¾ cup of syrup used. Enjoy the natural sweetness imparted by the delicious maple syrup.

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WHEN DOES THE SAP RUN AT THE TIMBER ISLE MAPLE PRODUCTS SUGAR BUSH?

On average, the sap begins to run at our Sugar Bush in early March. Our earliest sap run was February 28, and our latest sap run will be this year…it is due to start running MARCH 29th!!  That is late for us!!  The sugaring season is completely weather dependent.  Generally speaking, the sap will begin to run when the daytime temperatures are above 0 degrees Celsius, and the overnight temperatures are below 0 degrees Celsius. At our sugar bush, we find that we get our best sap runs when the temperatures are 2 degrees Celsius or higher in combination with the freezing nights.

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DOES TIMBER ISLE MAPLE PRODUCTS MAKE SYRUP ALL YEAR ROUND?

We truly wish we could! The answer however, is no. Unfortunately, when the temperatures and sunlight conditions are favorable for bud-development, the flavor of the sap starts to become bitter and causes the maple syrup to have an ‘off’ taste. When the buds start to swell or ‘burst’ it is time to stop collecting sap. An old expression that seems to hold fairly true, is ‘when the white moths fly, it is time to say goodbye’.

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IS THERE FAT IN MAPLE SYRUP?

NO FAT!!  How wonderful it is to have such a sweet treat with the knowledge that there is NO FAT!!  See below for the nutritional information for 100% pure maple syrup:

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