Nothing is more Canadian than the majectic sugar maple tree, inspiration for our national flag, painter of our glorious autumn landscape, source of excellent hardwood and producer of the sweet sap from which maple syrup is made.

History records that many “Maple Moons” before the coming of the white man, Mi’kmaq Indians living Nova Scotia on the island of Cape Breton used maple syrup and maple sugar as the main sweetener in their food.
 
Maple syrup and sugar were among the earliest agricultural crops in Canada and in fact was the standard sweetener in pioneer households until about 1875.

From birch bark containers and log troughs, to wooden buckets and iron to plastic pipelines and oil-fired evaporators,
syrup remains as it always has been, our first taste of springtime in Cape Breton… our sweet heritage.
 
Pure maple syrup has a unique and distinctive flavour that defies imitation. It may be used as a sweetener, a glaze, a sauce, a filling Of a frosting. When using maple syrup for its sweetness: 1 to ½ cups maple syrup = 1 cup other sugar (add ¼ teaspoon baking soda/cup maple syrup)

When using all maple syrup, reduce the other liquids in the recipe by one half. When using one half maple syrup. reduce the other liquids by one fourth.

Syrup may be sold by grade:

Canada #1 Extra Light,
Canada #1 Light,
Canada #1 Medium and
Canada #2 Amber - all grades meeting the standards set by Federal Government legislation.
Canada #2 Amber, as indicated by its amber colour, has the strongest maple flavour and is an excellent cooking grade. It gives that distinctive MAPLE flavour to any dish - a flavour not obtained when using a lighter grade of syrup.

Canada #2 Amber is recommended unless otherwise indicated.

Canada produces about 85 percent of the world’s maple syrup, selling more than 32,500 tonnes valued at over $165 million to nearly 45 different countries.

Marketing efforts in the Maple Syrup industry have evolved, and now look beyond traditional markets towards value-added market opportunities for maple syrup infusion into other products (cereals, yogurt, maple butters etc.). This dimension of the industry contributes greatly to Canada’s value-added export portfolio. It is difficult to anticipate how supply and demand for this commodity will fluctuate over the next few years; however, it is expected that the industry will focus on the satisfaction of markets demanding pre-packed maple syrup and value-added products as opposed to bulk syrup.

There are approximately 10,500 maple syrup producers in Canada, most of which reside in Quebec with the rest in Ontario, New Brunswick and Nova Scotia. Quebec leads the country in maple production, with 93 per cent of the Canadian market share (Statistics Canada, 2005).

In 2005, Canada produced 6,121,000 gallons of maple syrup. This production had a gross value of over $175 million (Statistics Canada, 2005). Exports have steadily risen from $147 million in 2003, to $154 million in 2004 to a high of $165 million in 2005. Canada’s largest export market is the US with approximately 72 per cent of the total, followed by Japan with 11 per cent and Germany with 5 per cent.

In the early 1970’s, science helped to rejuvenate this industry by giving farmers new methods of production. Researchers looked at gathering sap with tubing, using vacuum pumps, reverse osmosis, and various types of evaporators. These new and invigorated methods of production made the industry more efficient. Today, Canadian production has some of the most innovative systems in maple technology.

Likewise, classification of maple syrup in Canada follows a different set up guidelines the producers in the United States. In Canada the following categories apply:

• Canada No. 1 (extra light, light, medium)
• Canada No. 2 (amber)
• Canada No. 3 (dark)

During the growing season, maple trees accumulate starch. With the spring thaw, enzymes change this starch into sugar, which mixes with the water absorbed through the roots, importing a slightly sweet taste. Maple sap contains water (about 97 per cent), minerals, organic acids and maple taste precursors. In early March, the sap starts to run for about six to eight weeks and gives energy to the tree to make it grow. All trees produce sap, but maple trees produce greater quantities with a sweeter taste. The main syrup producing trees are sugar maples, red maples and silver maples. During the maple sugaring season and average tree yields between 35 and 50 litres of sap, this will produce between 1 and 1.5 litres of maple syrup. It takes on average, 40 litres of sap to make 1 litre of syrup. A 50 ml serving of maple syrup contains 167 calories, 43 grams of sugar, 117 mg of potassium, 7 mg of sodium and no fat. Producers take great care to ensure long-term survival of their maple sugar bush. While collecting sap does rob a tree of some of its nourishment, no harm is done to a tree as less than one tenth of a tree’s sugar is removed during tapping.