Canadian Maple Syrup (2024)

Maple water is transformed into maple syrup in a sugarhouse, or "sugarshack." The finest syrup can only be made from fresh, clean sap. Thecollected sap is boiled down into syrup.
The art of sugaring is centered on the evaporator which, fired by wood,oil or gas, heats the sap until it boils, sending billows of steam upthrough the vent or cupola at the top of the sugarhouse. From the timethe maple water is poured into the evaporator to the time it turns intosyrup, it undergoes a complex chain of chemical reactions which producethe characteristically "maple" colour and flavour.
The sap will deteriorate if not attended to quickly. The sap must beboiled the same day it is gathered, so a hot and steady fire is keptgoing at all times.

The "boilingdown"process is slow - sometimes continuing far into the night. Evaporationthat is too slow or too fast will affect the color, flavor and textureof the syrup. At sea level, the correct temperature for evaporation is104ºC. However, since the boiling point varies with altitude, athermometer must be used to adjust the cooking temperature. Forexample, in a region where the boiling point of water is 98ºC (or2ºC below normal), the cooking temperature of the sap must also bereduced by 2ºC (to 102ºC). There is, on average a 40:1 ratiowhen it comes to acquiring Maple Syrup. Around 40 litres (or gallons)of maple water must be evaporated to produce 1 litre (or gallon) ofsyrup. Most of the water (66%) in it evaporates during this process,leaving concentrated maple syrup.
Increasingly, producers are using machines that partially concentratethe sap by reverse osmosis, an advanced technique which offers energysavings of 60%, while conserving original maple product characteristics.
Maple syrup must be filtered to remove the impurities that could affectit* appearance and flavor. It is important to adjust the density tobetween 66º and 67º Brix (the Brix unit of measurementindicates the risk of fermentation or crystallization). The syrup isthen bottled or put in galvanized metal cans while still very hot(87ºC or more). The heat sterilizes the containers and preventsthe formation of mold.

IfIt'sNot From The Forest, It's NotWild!

Mike Poulin,

James BayWildFruit