National Maple Syrup Day
đē History :
The indigenous peoples of North American first collected, processed, and
used maple syrup. European settlers adopted the practice and gradually
refined production methods. In the 1970s, technological improvements
further refined the process of making syrup.
So Native Americans were the first to harvest and boil the sap of the maple tree into a thick syrup—a process that was documented and adopted by early settlers in the 1600s.
As archeological evidence suggests, maple tree sap was processed into syrup long before Europeans arrived in the region. Perhaps the Europeans, who eventually settled there, actually learned the refining process from the indigenous people who had been living in the land for centuries.
Legends exist about when maple syrup was first made, one of the more popular legends tells how maple sap was used instead of water to cook venison served to a tribal chief.
Another story of the Chippewa and Ottawa people tells that one of their gods saw that his people were becoming too lazy to hunt and only wanted to drink maple syrup straight from the tree. So he cast a spell on them to make them watery, so that they would have to work hard before being able to enjoy the syrup!
Now, the Canadian province of Quebec is by far the largest producer of maple syrup, contributing more than seventy-five percent of the world's maple syrup production. After Canada, the United States takes a close second.
National Maple Syrup Day seems to have started in 2015 as a promotional event. It is observed annually on December 17th.
đē Celebrating National Maple Syrup
Day :
* Enjoy some maple syrup. There are different flavored syrups. Choose your choice.
* Make your own maple syrup -
1) Find a maple tree, preferably a sugar maple tree.
2) Drill a hole a few inches deep into the plant.
3) Use your tap to collect the juice. You will need several gallons to make the syrup.
4) Boil the sap (juice).
5) Store your syrup in a cool place like the fridge.
Add maple syrup to a variety of foods, such as pancakes. But there are plenty of other foods you can use syrup. Some examples include popcorn, pie, fried vegetables, you can even try a cocktail.
đē Making Maple Syrup :
Collecting maple sap and boiling it to make maple sugar and this syrup is a tradition of indigenous North American communities. Now commercial operations are often large. Maple sap is collected in early spring because the fluctuation between freezing and warm temperatures creates the pressure necessary for the sap to flow.
Filter the juice through cheesecloth or a sieve to remove any residue such as bark or pulp.
Put the syrup in a wide pan or pot and boil it outside. Top off with more as the juice reduces. Leave space to avoid over foaming.
Monitor the heat as you simmer the syrup to avoid scalding the syrup. This is a slow process and will take considerable time.
The finished syrup boils 7.1 degrees above the boiling point of water. A candy thermometer can be used to determine the temperature. The finished syrup will contain 66 percent sugar, which can be measured using a tool called a hydrometer.
Try not to boil the syrup to a concentration higher than 66 percent sugar or it will form crystals. Add additional juice to thin if necessary.
Filter syrup to remove sugar sand and residue.
The finished syrup should be stored in clean containers and refrigerated.
đē Nutrtion :
Amount Per 100 grams | |
Calories 260 | |
% Daily Value* | |
Total Fat 0.1 g | 0% |
Saturated fat 0 g | 0% |
Cholesterol 0 mg | 0% |
Sodium 12 mg | 0% |
Potassium 212 mg | 6% |
Total Carbohydrate 67 g | 22% |
Dietary fiber 0 g | 0% |
Sugar 68 g | |
Protein 0 g | 0% |
Caffeine 0 mg | |
Vitamin C | 0% |
Calcium | 10% |
Iron | 0% |
Vitamin D | 0% |
Vitamin B6 | 0% |
Cobalamin | 0% |
Magnesium | 5% |
đē Know Please :
* The sugar maple trees don't produce much syrup.
The sap of this tree contains about two percent sugar. It takes 40 gallons of sap from the tree to make one gallon of syrup. A sugar maple tree produces about 10 to 20 gallons of sap. So you only need several trees to make one gallon of syrup.
* Sugar maple's large growing area is possible due to its adaptability. It tolerates wet soil, drought and even some shade. As such, sugar maples are good trees to plant if you have a large plot of land with questionable soil quality. These plants are also cold-tolerant.
* Sugar Maples are best pruned in July or August. With the slower sap flow this time of year, the pruning wounds will heal faster, and the tree won't be as prone to fungal infections.
* Sugar Maple trees attract wildlife. If you like squirrels, rabbits, and other small animals in your yard, plant a sugar maple. These animals eat maple seeds along with leaves and buds.
* Sugar Maples often live for 300 to 400 years. The oldest sugar maple is 500 years old (in North America) & 80 feet tall. This is known as The Comfort Maple.
The Comfort Maple in Pehlam, Ontario
* The sugar maple is the state tree of the US states of New York, Vermont, West Virginia, and Wisconsin. It is depicted on the state quarter of Vermont, issued in 2001.
Leafless sugar maples in Vermont state quarter
* The Maple Leaf is the most recognized national symbol of Canada.
maple leaf in the centre
* Michigan usually ranks around 6th in the nation for the amount of syrup produced.
* Maximum sap flow happens when nighttime temperatures fall below freezing and daytime temperatures rise above freezing.
* Sap from sugar maple trees is usually about 2 percent sugar; other maples have a lower amount.
* It takes about 40 gallons of sap to make one gallon of syrup.
* A maple syrup production farm is called a sugarbush or a sugarwood.
* The sap is boiled in a sugar house which is also known as a sugar shack, sugar shanty, or a cabane à sucre.
* Up until the 1930s, the United States led in maple syrup production. Now, Canada produces the most maple syrup.
* Vermont is the largest producer of maple syrup in the United States.
* Maple syrup contains more than 20 antioxidants. It also contains compounds that help prevent cancer.
* Quebec, Canada produces 2/3 of the world's supply of maple syrup.
FAQs : National Maple Syrup Day 2022
1. Is 2022 a good year for maple syrup ?
* Vermont maple syrup producers put out 6.65 million maple taps in 2022, an increase of 150,000 over last year's total. The numbers are in: Vermont harvested the most maple syrup in the country this year — and the most in the state's modern history.
2. Does Canada have a National Maple Syrup Day ?
* Canadian Maple Syrup Day – December 17, 2022.
3. When did National Maple Syrup Day start ?
National Maple Syrup Day – December 17, 2022.
4. Why is Canada obsessed with maple syrup ?
* Due to rationing during the Second World War, Canadians were encouraged to sweeten their food with maple syrup instead of sugar. The country's department of agriculture even released a collection of special wartime recipes that used maple syrup in lieu of processed sugar.
5. Is maple syrup healthier over honey ?
* One nutritional advantage that honey has over maple syrup is that honey has no fat. That said, maple syrup's fat is very minimal, just 0.1 gram of fat per tablespoon. Another advantage of honey over maple syrup is that honey offers more vitamins — B-6 and C — while maple syrup lacks this vitamin profile.
6. Do maple syrup is healthy ?
* Yes, pure maple syrup is not only high in antioxidants, but every spoonful offers nutrients like riboflavin, zinc, magnesium, calcium and potassium. According to Helen Thomas of the New York State Maple Association, maple syrup has a higher concentration of minerals and antioxidants, yet fewer calories than honey.
7. Is maple syrup better for you than sugar ?
No. But, if you're going to use sugar in a recipe, you might as well substitute in maple syrup since it's slightly better for you than refined sugar. The reality is maple syrup is still high in sugar. It would be very unhealthy to eat several tablespoons of maple syrup per day to add calcium or potassium to your diet.
8. What is maple syrup made of ?
* Pure maple syrup is made by concentrating the slightly sweet sap of the sugar maple tree. The basics needed for making maple syrup therefore are some sugar maple trees and a method of concentrating the sap into syrup.
9. Are sugar maples a good tree ?
* Sugar Maples Are Highly Adaptable. The sugar maple's huge growing zone is possible because of its adaptability. It tolerates soggy soil, droughts, and even some shade. As such, if you have a large yard with questionable soil quality, sugar maples are good trees to plant. These trees are also cold-tolerant.
10. Is a sugar maple a fast growing tree ?
* This tree grows at a slow to medium rate, with height increases of anywhere from less than 12" to 24" per year.
11. Where do sugar maple trees grow best ?
* Sugar maple grows on sands, loamy sands, sandy loams, loams, and silt loams but it does best on well-drained loams (30). It does not grow well on dry, shallow soils and is rarely, if ever, found in swamps (30).
12. How long does it take for a sugar maple tree to grow ?
* Native to North America, sugar maple trees are best planted in early fall. They'll grow slowly but steadily, adding around 24 inches a year and reaching maturity after 30 to 40 years.
13. When is tapping season for maple syrup ?
* Weather conditions determine the best time to tap trees for sap. Tapping maple sap beings as early as the middle of February and continues through April.
14. What color is maple sap when it comes out of the tree ?
* Maple sap is a clear liquid when it is tapped from the tree. The process of heating and boiling the sap creates the darker color of maple syrup.
15. What States produce maple syrup ?
* Vermont produces the most maple syrup. However, these states also make maple syrup :-
New York, Maine, Pennsylvania, New Hampshire, Wisconsin, Michigan.
16. Is maple syrup only used as a topping ?
* No. You can also use maple syrup for making baked goods and candy.
A maple syrup production farm is called a sugarbush or a sugarwood.
The sap is boiled in a sugar house which is also known as a sugar shack, sugar shanty, or a cabane à sucre.
Up until the 1930s, the United States led in maple syrup production. Now, Canada produces the most maple syrup.
Vermont is the largest producer of maple syrup in the United States.
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