*Pure maple syrup 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 thick, viscous, sweet, and amber colored.

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

*It has a sweetness ranges from milder and delicate to rich and robust.

*It can be used as table sweetener on waffles, pancakes, or in baking to make cakes, breads, muffins, cookies, etc.

*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.

*Pure maple syrup is very expensive, as it is labor intensive and time consuming. To obtain one liter of pure maple syrup, about 40 liters of sap needs to be collected, boiled and slowly evaporated.

*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 syrup, which can be a bit expensive than imitation syrups. Store the unopened container or jar in a cool, dry, dark place in the cup board at room temperature. Once opened, refrigerate it in an airtight container and use it quickly. It is stable, has a good shelf life and keeps well for up to a year at room temperature. Maple syrup can be frozen, but has to be defrosted and brought to room temperature before using it.

Is it raw?

Yes and No.
*Yes, pure maple syrup is raw and expensive, as the production is a very labor-intensive and time-consuming process.
*No, because there are many ‘imitation’ or ‘maple-flavored’ syrups, which are less expensive and have a high concentration of corn syrup and very less real maple syrup in them. Make sure you read the label.

Health Benefits

1. Maple syrup has nearly 90% of sucrose, 3% 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.