The basic ingredient in maple syrup is the sap from the xylem of sugar maple or various other species of maple trees. It consists primarily of sucrose and water, with small amounts of the monosaccharides glucose and fructose from the invert sugar created in the boiling process.
The reason they call it a cartel is because like the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries, the Federation of Quebec Maple Syrup Producers, has a monopoly of sorts over maple syrup. The Federation of Quebec Maple Syrup Producers controls about 75% of the maple syrup enjoyed by the world.
Currently, processors who produce pure maple syrup and concentrated sap and sell these products wholesale to other processors for further processing are exempt from food processing plant licensing as long as their gross receipts are less than $5,000 per year.
On the other hand, for people who plan to sell processed maple syrup directly to consumers, you will need to acquire a retail food establishment license. However, personally produced maple syrup can be sold without one.
Maple waters and syrups are packed with natural antioxidants, polyphenols, vitamins, and minerals. As a source of energy, maple syrup is comprised primarily of sucrose, meaning that it fuels your system with a blend of glucose and fructose.
Prices. The average U.S. price per gallon for maple syrup in 2017 was $35, down $1.70 from 2016. The average price per gallon in Vermont was $30, and 80 percent of the sales were bulk.
Every tablespoon of honey contains 17 grams of carbohydrates, 17 of which are from sugars. These sugars are mostly from fructose with a bit from glucose and even less from sucrose. Between the two, maple syrup is healthier -- it has less overall sugar, and more importantly, less fructose.
Grade A is said to be the most preferred grade by consumers because of its light maple flavor and reminiscence of synthetic maple syrups, aka corn syrup based impostors. Grade B is produced later in the season and has a darker, grittier color, thicker viscosity, more robust maple flavor and more minerals.
Maple trees are found in U.S. hardiness zones 3 to 9. This encompasses states from Minnesota to Texas and Florida and includes most of the United States. Although maple trees are hardy and can withstand many different climates, they are typically found in cooler climates, such as those found in the Northeast and North.
Export of Maple Sugar and Maple Syrup
| # | 86 Countries | US Dollars |
|---|
| 1 | #1 Canada | 319,359,680.23 |
| 2 | #2 United States | 27,497,411.28 |
| 3 | #3 Netherlands | 13,904,795.70 |
| 4 | #4 Germany | 9,727,837.86 |
Although birch syrup tastes sweet, only 1 percent of its makeup is sugar. In the Soviet Union, birch sap was produced on a large scale. Recently Gribin has established a new company, '6 Klyonov' ('Six Maples'), making him the only maple syrup producer in Russia.
It takes about 40 gallons of maple sap — and nothing else — to make one gallon of real maple syrup. By contrast, the artificial stuff — think Aunt Jemima and Mrs. Butterworth's — is mostly corn syrup. Fake maple syrup resembles real maple syrup about as much as Velveeta resembles a good Camembert.
Vermont produces the most maple syrup in the country and the Luce Family is very proud of the syrup made from the 7000 trees that are tapped at Sugarbush Farm. The sap is boiled down the old fashioned way with a wood fire. Each sugar maple trees sap will produce about a quart of maple syrup each spring.
However, because weather conditions vary somewhat from year to year, and from one location to another, trees can sometimes be tapped as early as mid- February or as late as April. Once temperatures stay above freezing and leaf buds appear, the maple syrup season is over.
The sugaring season (that's right, maple syrup is a seasonal crop) begins at the end of winter and the beginning of spring, when the frozen sap of the maple trees thaws and begins to flow. So while maple syrup is expensive, that price is a natural reflection of both its scarcity and its labor-intensive production.
Maple syrup gives you carbohydrates in the form of sugars without associated fiber. As a result, ingesting maple syrup can cause swings in blood sugar and insulin levels. People with diabetes in particular may experience adverse effects from the sugar in maple syrup.
Many maple trees grow in Canada and Canada is known for producing the most maple syrup in the world. Maples are trees or shrubs in the genus Acer. There are approximately 125 species, most of which are native to Asia, but several species also occur in Europe, northern Africa, and North America.
Vermont consistently produces the most maple syrup in the United States, producing more than half a million gallons each year. Quebec is by far the largest producer of syrup in North America with production exceeding 6.5 million gallons.
It has been about five years since the first birch trees were tapped in Alaska to produce birch syrup to sell commercially. Now, a group of Alaskans is marketing the syrup. So while it takes 40 gallons of maple sap to make 1 gallon of syrup, it takes about 100 gallons of birch sap for each gallon of birch syrup.
There are NO maple syrup farms, orchards, plantations or sugarworks in California. The sugar maple tree will still grow further south, but would not produce enough sap to map maple syrup production commercially feasible.
Vermont is the nation's leading producer of maple syrup. Producing over 2 million gallons of syrup in 2020, Vermont generated over 50 percent of the country's maple syrup. Next time you're in Vermont, especially in the spring, visit a sugar house and buy some maple syrup.
Maple Syrup Grades
In fact, maple syrup is graded solely by its color. This difference in color has mostly to do with when the syrup is made. As the spring warms up, the sap coming from the trees becomes darker in color, producing a darker syrup. Corresponding to color, the darker the syrup is, the stronger its flavor.Maple syrup can be made from any species of maple tree. Trees that can be tapped include: sugar, black, red and silver maple and box elder trees. Of all the maples, the highest concentration of sugar is found in the sap of the sugar maple.
