Maple Sugar

Introduction *Maple sugar is a natural sweetener made from the sap of maple trees, mainly Acer saccharum (sugar maple) and Acer nigrum (black maple), mostly produced in northeastern North America and Canada. *It is a sweet, hard, amber colored candy usually sold in blocks. It is also available as sugar granules. *It can be used as a table sweetener in place of refined sugar, and also can be replaced in baking one for one. *Maple sugar is produced from the maple syrup by evaporating it more, drying it and powdering it. Maple syrup is produced in winter months by harvesting the colorless and tasteless sap from the maple trees by tapping through the bark into the wood (phloem), and letting the sap run into buckets. This sap is then slowly evaporated by boiling in flat pans until a sweet syrup of desired consistency is formed. This is when the flavor and color of maple syrup are developed. This process is called sugaring-off. *This maple syrup is either canned as a maple syrup, further evaporated to produce products like maple cream, maple butter, and maple sugar. *Buying and storage: Buy pure, good quality maple sugar and store in a cool, dry, dark place in the cup board at room temperature. It is stable, has a good shelf life and keeps well for up to a year at room temperature. Is it raw? Yes and No. *Yes, pure maple sugar is raw and expensive, as the production is a very labor-intensive and time-consuming process. *No, because there can be ‘imitation’ maple sugar, which is less expensive. Make sure you read the label. Health Benefits 1. Maple sugar has nearly 93% of sucrose, 2% of glucose and 1% of fructose. 2. It can cause a sudden spike in blood sugar, so diabetics have to be cautious and use it in moderation. 3. Excellent source of manganese, which is an essential cofactor in many enzymatic reactions in the body, especially in the production of energy and antioxidants defenses. 4. Good source of zinc, which is essential for wound healing and in prevention of endothelial damage caused by LDL cholesterol in the blood vessels, thus reducing the risk of atherosclerosis. Zinc also acts as an antioxidant. 5. Zinc and manganese also enhance the immune system by increasing the production of white blood cells. 6. Zinc is also shown to reduce the risk of prostate cancer in men. 7. Moderate source of other minerals like calcium, zinc, magnesium, potassium and copper, which are essential to maintain the normal metabolic activities in the body. 8. As with any other foods, moderation is the key.

Nutritional Information per Serving:   Serving Size 100 g of Maple sugar   % Daily Requirements   Total Calories 354 18% Calories from carbohydrates 352     Total fat 0.2 g 0% Trans fat 0 g 0% Cholesterol 0 g 0%   Total carbohydrate 91 g 30% Dietary fiber 0 g 0% Sugars 85 g   Sucrose Glucose Fructose   Protein 0 g 0%   Minerals   Calcium 90 mg 9% Iron 1.6 mg 9% Magnesium 19 mg 5% Phosphorus 3 mg 0% Potassium 274 mg 8% Sodium 11 mg 0% Zinc 6.1 mg 40% Copper 0.1 mg 5% Manganese 4.4 mg 221% Selenium 0.8 mcg 1%

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Maple Sugar: *Maple sugar is a natural sweetener made from the sap of maple trees, mainly Acer saccharum (sugar maple) and Acer nigrum (black maple), mostly produced in northeastern North America and Canada.

Maple Syrup: *Maple syrup is amber colored, and is available in different grades – Extra light (AA), Light (A), Medium (B), Amber (C), and Dark (D).

Molasses: *There are three grades of molasses –

(1) Mild – Also called first molasses. It is light amber colored, very sweet, as not much sugar is removed.

(2) Dark – Also called second molasses. It is dark amber colored, sweet with a slightly bitter streak to it.

(3) Black strap – This is the left over liquid after most of the sugar has been extracted. It is dark colored, has a bittersweet taste, and a good amount minerals in it.