Maple Syrup Production

Frank Prive

What is the maple syrup ?

The maple syrup is a kind of sweetener made of the water collected from some species of maple trees during the spring, called the sap.

A little bit of history...The tradition of collecting the maple water and boiling it to produce syrup comes from Native people of Quebec. Long before the arrival of Europeans, they appreciated the energy and nutrients. Practicing a rudimentary hole with a tomahawk, they set at the bottom of the hole a chip of wood that transported water to a container made of tree bark. Then, they were boiling the collected water in clay pots to get maple syrup.

The start of a grand tradition...

From t the 17th and 18th centuries, this tradition passed rapidly to the first settlers for whom the syrup represented the first major source of sugar. Early settlers boiled the water in iron cauldrons. Using rudimentary shelters to protect themselves from the cold, they would "run the sugars".

It was for them and to us today, a period of celebration for the end of winter and the arrival of spring.

Sugar in trees ?Maple trees transform into sugar the starch formed during its growth. The sugar is naturally mixes with the water absorbed by the roots of the tree. In the spring, when warmer temperatures come, water in the trunk and roots expands and causes pressure inside the tree. The alternation of cold nights, when the temperature is below zero, and days where the temperature is above zero, promotes the flow of maple sap.

How do we do maple syrup today?

TappingIn early March, when the snow begins to melt, we pierces a hole in the maple tree with a crank or an electric drill (in such tree c. 10 cm).

Small maple grove install bins on the trees to poured maple sap.

For biggest maple grove

Tubing (from 1965)A system of plastic pipes is place in a network that collect the water from maple trees and move it to the main building by gravity where it is collected through a pressure pump.

Start of the process

To control the microbial growth, we must be very careful with the installation, maintenance, cleaning and sanitation of the tubing.

Then water made its ways to the maple grove main building, where it will be transform.

Filtration and Sterilization

The sap is then passed through a filter to take out all impurities. Adding ultraviolet lamps are an effective means of sterilizing the maple sap by destroying bacteria and other microorganisms found there.

Reverse osmosis

The reverse osmosis takes place within a cylinder. The maple sap, contains 2% to 3% sugar, at its entrance. It passes along a semi-permeable membrane, which gradually leaves out some of the water. At the exit, there is thus the freshwater that we have extracted, and the maple sap concentrate containing up to 8% sugar and mineral elements.

Evaporator The syrup must contain around 66% of sugar. So, we need to reduce the water content of the sap through evaporation. We need a uniform and intense fire to keep the sap boiling constantly. The taste of the syrup and its color will be altered if evaporation is too slow. The sugar syrup is reached when the temperature of the liquid rises to 3.94 ° C (7.1 ° F) above the boiling point of water. This results give the syrup a density of 66 degrees Brix. The degrees Brix is a measure of the sugar content in maple products.

Last filtration

During the evaporation causes the sugar to be concentrated in the syrup, but the minerals too. These minerals, known as "Râche", in French, form sediment at the bottom of the evaporator and must be removed by filtering. We therefore pass the hot syrup in thick felt filters to obtain a product attractive and clear. Some producers use a filter press that pushes the hot syrup through a series of very fine filters.

PackagingThe syrup is then bottled in glass containers, plastic or galvanized metal boxes while still very hot (85 ° C, 185 ° F or more). This high temperature sterilized containers and prevents the formation of mold.

QualityMaple syrup is a 110% natural product. Its flavor and color vary during the season because of its natural composition. In general, as the progress of the season, the fructose and glucose increased, while the sucrose decreases slightly. In addition to the different types of sugar, the content of other natural compounds present in maple water also varies during the season (amino acids, minerals). This change in the composition of maple water causes a change in color and taste of maple syrup, again depending on the time of harvest. Earlier in the season, the syrup is clear, subtly sweet taste (extra light syrup, light or medium - AA, A or B). It becomes increasingly dark and caramelized during the season (or dark amber syrup - C or D).

Others maple products

40 litres of sap = 1 litre of syrup