maple syrup

1. A sweet syrup made from the sap of the sugar maple.
2. Syrup made from various sugars and flavored with maple syrup or artificial maple flavoring.

Background

The Algonquin Indians called it sinzibukwud, meaning drawn from wood. It was the Algonquins and the other Native American tribes of the northeastern United States and southeast Canada who first showed French and British settlers how to draw the sap of Acer saccharum, the sugar maple, and reduce it into a sweet, thick liquid known today as maple syrup.

In early March, when the days started to become warm but nights were still freezing, Native Americans would cut a vee in the trunk of a maple and insert a reed or curved piece of bark into the opening. Under the opening, they would set a larger piece of bark or a clay pot to catch the dripping sap. The sap was concentrated either by leaving it out overnight and then tossing out the water, which had frozen on top, or by placing hot stones into the sap to evaporate some of the water. The resulting product was used in cooking and sometimes as a sweet drink. European settlers introduced iron and copper pots into the process, which allowed the sap to be heated longer, removing more of the water and producing what we know as maple syrup today. Throughout the 1700s, both maple syrup and maple sugar served as an integral unit of trade for the early colonies, but they would soon be supplanted by another sweet crop from warmer climates, namely sugar cane.

Since the sixteenth century, Spain, England, and France had grown profitable sugar cane crops in their Caribbean island colonies. In 1803, the Louisiana Purchase gave U.S. investors direct access to the territory's burgeoning cane sugar industry, which had been developed by French growers fleeing slave revolts in the Caribbean. In 1849, large scale cane cultivation by U.S. growers began in Hawaii. Throughout the 1800s, improvements to production methods, combined with constant pressure from the now-powerful sugar industry for increased tariff protection from the federal government, as well as cane's naturally high yield (one acre of cane will produce 12.5 tons of raw sugar [31 metric tons per ha]) succeeded in making cane sugar the sweetener of choice.

The maple and its syrup remain an integral part of spring in northeastern North America. Many of the towns and villages in the area arrange a yearly festival centered around the maple harvest. The sugar maple is the state tree of New York, Vermont, Wisconsin, and West Virginia. The maple leaf flies at the center of Canada's national flag, which is entirely appropriate since the Canadian province of Quebec is by far the largest producer of syrup in the world. Today, the United States and Canada produce a combined average of a little over five million gal (18,920,0001) of maple syrup annually.

Raw Materials

Of the over 200 different species of tree in the maple family, only a few produce sap of sufficient quality and sugar content to be used for maple syrup. The northeastern section of North America is the only region in the world where the environmental conditions are capable of producing tappable sap that will yield maple syrup, and where one is able to find the sugar maple tree. The sugar, or rock, maple can grow to 130 ft (40 m) with a diameter of 3 ft (1 m). A tree must be at least 12 in (30.5 cm) in diameter before it can be tapped; it will take 40 years to reach that size. The sugar maple is also highly prized for its hard, beautifully grained wood used in furniture making and as a veneer. Some sugar maples form intricate patterns such as bird's eye maple, which has small circles scattered throughout the wood resembling birds' eyes. Other North American native maples, the black, the red, and the silver maple, will also produce syrup. The black maple has a yield close to the sugar and is used alongside it in syrup production. The red and silver are used less often as they generally produce less sugar, have a shorter growing season, and may have sap that is slightly cloudy.

The sap itself is made up of 90% water. The remaining 10% of the sap is a mixture of sugars (mostly levulose, which is a variant of fructose and hexose, which is glucose plus fructose), calcium, potassium, phosphorous, iron, and trace amounts of B vitamins. In order to make the sap into syrup, most of the water will be removed, which is why it takes approximately 40 gal (1511) of sap to make 1 gal (41) of syrup.

The Manufacturing
Process

In the making of maple syrup, one could say that the farmer comes last and not be wrong. The sap of the maple will never become maple syrup until the farmer intercedes. The following five components make up that transformation.

Season

• In the winter, the maple does not grow, and it stores its sap in its roots. By late spring when the trees begin to produce leaves and flowers, a chemical change will have occurred in the sap giving it an unpleasant taste, which farmers describe as "buddy." It is only in early spring, usually February through April, when warm days cause the sap to flow up from the roots to the branches to feed new growth and cold nights cause the sap to return to the roots, that the trees can be tapped.

Tapping

• To tap a maple tree, farmers drill a 0.5 in (1.3 cm) hole about 2.5-3 in (6-8 cm) into the trunk. The hole is drilled at a slightly upward angle to prevent sap from collecting in the hole, freezing, and cracking the trunk. Care is taken only to drill into the light-colored sapwood, which will heal, and not into the darker heartwood, which will not. Trees from 12-15 in (30.5-38 cm) in diameter supports one tap, and the number of taps increases as the trees grow larger, with a maximum of four taps per tree. Each tap yields an average of 10 gal (38 1) of sap per season, which makes about a quart of syrup. New holes must be drilled at least 4 in (10 cm) above and 6 in (15 cm) to either side of previous holes. This prevents large areas of scar tissue from forming in the wood and leaving the tree open to disease. Properly cared for, the holes will heal completely in one or two years and will cause no damage to the tree.

Collecting

• 3 Once the tree is tapped, farmers gently drive a hollow spike called a spile into the hole. The spile is a round, hollow piece of wood about the diameter of a broom handle with a metal tip to help drive the end into the wood. Traditional methods use a canvas bag or a bucket hung from the spile to catch the dripping sap. The bucket or bag is covered to keep out debris. Once a day, the farmer empties the buckets into a large gathering tank pulled through the fields by a horse or tractor. The tank is pulled to the building where the sap is processed, called the sugar house, and emptied into a holding tank.

  While the sight of pails hung from maples and the sound of dripping sap is much more romantic than modern systems, this traditional method of collection has a few inherent flaws, especially for large-scale producers. The first is that collecting syrup bucket by bucket is both time and labor intensive, and is therefore costly. The second is that sap should be processed immediately after being collected in order to produce the best quality syrup. Under the traditional system, if collection exceeds production, the sap must be stored. And if collection falls behind, production must slow.

  Modern systems eliminate the collection process altogether and send sap straight from the trees to the sugar house. To accomplish this, a plastic tube is attached to each spile; the tubes run together to a larger pipe, and the pipes, in turn, run from the various parts of the orchard directly to the sugar house. A pump maintains a constant, slight vacuum and keeps the sap constantly moving through the pipeline.

Sugaring

• 4 Possibly the most important piece of the maple syrup-making process takes place in the sugar house. The initial sugar content of the sap, its clarity, and to some extent, its taste are all determined by weather, soil, and ultimately, the tree, all of which are outside the control of the grower. It is only through the process of heating and condensing the sap that it takes on the distinctive sweet flavor of maple syrup.

  Most commercial syrup producers use a continuous feed system to make syrup. Sap continuously, but very slowly, enters from a holding tank on one end, and finished syrup is continuously drained and bottled at the other end. The sap is heated over a wood- or oil-fueled fire in a series of long, shallow stainless steel pans. This causes the water in the sap to steam off, condensing the sap, and causes a chemical change in the sap, which brings out a flavor not present before it is heated. The sap first enters the flue pan, which has a corrugated bottom lined with a series of pipes called flues. The flues serve two purposes. First, the fire heats the air inside the flues, which provides a more even, gentle heat than the fire gives directly and which allows the sap to be heated longer and at a higher temperature, evaporating more water without the danger of scorching the sap. Second, the wavy pan bottom increases the surface area of the pan and allows more syrup to be in contact with the heat at the same time. From the flue pan, the sap flows into the flat-bottomed syrup pan where it is finished. The two pans are divided by partitions that allow a slow, constant flow of sap.

  Maple sap becomes maple syrup at the moment when its concentration of sugar reaches 66%. Producers test this concentration using two methods. The first uses the formula that syrup is finished when it reaches the temperature at which water boils plus 7.1°F (4.3°C). Because water boils at different temperatures depending on altitude, producers boil a sample of water and measure its temperature. When the syrup reaches the sample's temperature plus 7.1°F (4.3°C), it is done. The second, perhaps more scientific, method involves an instrument called a hydrometer. A hydrometer is a sealed glass tube with a small amount of weight in one end. Running horizontally around the outside of the tube are a series of lines which indicate concentration in percentage; the lines are specially calibrated for maple syrup. Once the sap has been heated, a sample is placed in a cylinder and the hydrometer is placed in the sap. The hydrometer sinks to the line that indicates the current sugar concentration in the sap. When the hydrometer sinks to the line that indicates 66%, the sap has become syrup. As the sugar approaches 66%, it is checked constantly. Finishing the syrup at the proper sugar concentration is critical: too high and the syrup will crystallize; too low and it will spoil.

Bottling

• Once the syrup is properly finished, it is poured through a cloth filter to remove any sugar sand, called nitre. It is then poured into glass or metal containers while still hot. The container is filled to the very top and then tightly sealed. Because maple syrup contains no preservatives, this final step ensures that the container is sterile and airtight and prevents any spoiling.

Quality Control

In order to be considered pure maple syrup, a product must be 100% pure. Products containing other ingredients are labelled table or pancake syrup. The grades listed on the bottle have nothing to do with purity or sweetness (all maple syrup has the same sugar concentration) or even necessarily with quality or taste. The grades are based solely on the syrup's ability to transmit light. The more light that can shine through the syrup, the higher the grade. This system can be used because the opacity of syrup relates directly to the way it tastes. Connoisseurs will say that syrups from different regions have distinctive tastes, but generally, the more opaque the syrup, the heavier the maple taste will be. The United States Department of Agriculture assigns grades A through C to syrup, with A being the lightest. Within each grade are three further divisions for color, light, medium, and dark amber. Grade A dark amber is the most commonly used for table syrup. It has a pleasant, full-bodied maple taste. Grade A light amber is considered the finest syrup. Its taste is very delicate and subtle. Occasionally, growers will produce syrup graded extra fancy, which is even subtler than grade A light amber. Grade B syrup has a much richer, more "mapley" taste; it is primarily used in cooking. Grade C has a strong, thick taste and is used almost exclusively as a commercial sweetener.

Where to Learn More

Books

Gemming, Elizabeth. Maple Harvest: The Story of Maple Sugaring. Coward, McCann, & Geoghehan, 1976.

Muir, Reginald. The Vermont Maple Syrup Cook Book. Phoenix Publishing, 1974.

Nearing, Helen. The Maple Sugar Book. Schocken Books, 1970.

Periodicals

Berk, Gesina. "Sugaring Time - How Maple Sugar is Made." Humpty Dumpty's Magazine, March 1996, pp. 16-20.

Clark, Edie. "Sap Bucket Blues." Yankee, March 1996, p. 18.

Martin, Rux. "Caught up in the Romance of Maple." Yankee, March 1994, pp. 132-139.

Robinshaw, Sue. "Spring in the Sugarbush." Countryside & Small Stock Journal, March-April 1993, pp. 63-66.

Other

"Camp 100 % Pure Maple Syrup, the Maple Syrup Experts!" http://www.ivic.qc.ca/abri-web/erable/faq_32.html#anchor709074 (March 29, 1997).

Heiligmann, Randall B. "Hobby Maple Syrup Production." http://www.ag.ohiostate.edu/~ohioline/forestry/f-36.html (January 16, 1997).

"Maple Syrup-A Sweet Natural Resource." http://monsterbit.com/touch/maple1.html (January 16, 1997).

"The Story of Maple Syrup." http://www.state.vt.us/agric/minfo.htm (January 16, 1997).

"What is Maple Syrup?" March 5, 1996. http://www.mkl.com/~jmitchell/maple/syrup.html#whatis (March 29, 1997).

[Article by: Michael Cavette]

Sap of the North American sugar maple tree, Acer saccharum. Evaporated either to syrup (63% sucrose, 1.5% invert sugar) or to dry sugar for use in confectionery.

The American Indians taught the Colonists how to tap the maple tree for its sap and boil it down to what the Indians called "sweetwater." Canada, New York and Vermont are all known for their superior maple products. The maple-tapping season (called "sugar season") usually begins sometime around mid-February and can last anywhere from 4 to 6 weeks. The "sugarmakers" insert spouts into the maple trees (a grove of which is called a "sugarbush") and hang buckets from them to catch the sap. Some companies connect plastic tubing to the spout, running it from tree to tree and eventually directly to a large holding tank where it's stored until ready to be processed. The sap is then taken to the "sugarhouse," where it's boiled until evaporated to the desired degree. Quite simply, maple syrup is sap that has been boiled until much of the water has evaporated and the sap is thick and syrupy. At the beginning of the sugar season, when the sap is concentrated, it only takes about 20 gallons of it to make a gallon of syrup, whereas toward the end of the season it may take up to 50 gallons of sap. Maple sugar, which is about twice as sweet as granulated white sugar, is the result of continuing to boil the sap until the liquid has almost entirely evaporated. In between those two stages at least two other products are made: maple honey (thicker than syrup) and maple cream or butter (thick and spreadable). Maple syrup is graded according to color and flavor. Generally, U.S. Grades are: Fancy or Grade AA, a light amber colored syrup with a mild flavor; Grade A is medium amber and mellow-flavored; Grade B is dark amber and hearty flavored; and Grade C is very dark with a robust, molasseslike flavor. Since the processing of maple syrup is labor-intensive, pure maple syrup is quite expensive. A less costly product labeled maple-flavored syrup is a combination of less expensive syrup (such as corn syrup) and a small amount of pure maple syrup. Pancake syrups are usually nothing more than corn syrup flavored with artificial maple extract. Pure maple syrup should be refrigerated after opening. Warm to room temperature before serving.

Bottled maple syrup produced in Quebec.

A sugar shack where sap is boiled down to maple syrup.

Maple syrup is a sweetener made from the sap of maple trees. It is most often eaten with pancakes, waffles, or french toast. It is sometimes used as an ingredient in baking, the making of candy (confection) or in preparing desserts.

Production

Maple syrup originates in northeastern North America, and is commonly associated with Quebec in Canada and Vermont in the U.S. However, given the correct weather conditions, it can be made wherever maple trees grow. Usually, the maple species used are the sugar maple (Acer saccharum) and the black maple (Acer nigrum), because of the high sugar content in the sap. A maple syrup production farm is called a "sugar bush" or "the sugarwoods". Sap is boiled in a "sugar house" (also known as a "sugar shack" or cabane à sucre), a building which is louvered at the top to vent the steam from the boiling sap.

Canada makes more than 80 percent of the world's maple syrup, producing about 7 million US gallons in 2005. The vast majority of this comes from Quebec: the province is by far the world's largest producer, with about 75 percent of the world production (6.5 million US gallons in 2005).[1] The provinces of Ontario, Nova Scotia, and New Brunswick produce smaller amounts.

Vermont is the biggest U.S. producer, with 410,000 US gallons in 2005, followed by Maine, New York, Ohio, and then a half-dozen other states with smaller industries.

Maple syrup Nutritional value per 100 g (3.5 oz)
Energy 260 kcal   1090 kJ
Carbohydrates     67.09 g - Sugars  59.52 g - Dietary fiber  0 g   Fat 0.20 g Protein 0 g Thiamin (Vit. B1)  0.006 mg   0% Riboflavin (Vit. B2)  0.01 mg   1% Niacin (Vit. B3)  0.03 mg   0% Pantothenic acid (B5)  0.036 mg  1% Vitamin B6  0.002 mg 0% Folate (Vit. B9)  0 μg  0% Vitamin C  0 mg 0% Calcium  67 mg 7% Iron  1.20 mg 10% Magnesium  14 mg 4%  Phosphorus  2 mg 0% Potassium  204 mg   4% Zinc  4.16 mg 42%
Percentages are relative to US recommendations for adults. Source: USDA Nutrient database

Traditionally, maple syrup was harvested by tapping a maple tree through the bark and into the wood xylem, then letting the sap run into a bucket, which required daily collecting; less labour-intensive methods such the use of continuous plastic pipelines have since superseded this, in all but cottage-scale production.

Production is concentrated in February, March and April, depending on local weather conditions. Freezing nights and warm days are needed in order to induce sap flows. The change in temperature from above to below freezing causes water uptake from the soil, and temperatures above freezing cause a stem pressure to develop, which, along with gravity, causes sap to flow out of tapholes or other wounds in the stem or branches. To collect the sap, holes are bored into the maple trees and tubes (taps, spouts, spiles) are inserted. Sap flows through the spouts into buckets or into plastic tubing. Modern use of plastic tubing with a partial vacuum has enabled increased production. A hole must be drilled in a new location each year, as the old hole will produce sap for only one season due to the natural healing process of the tree, called walling-off. Maple sap is collected from the buckets and taken to the sugar house; if plastic tubing and pipelines are used, then the pipelines are arranged so that the sap will flow by gravity into the sugar house, or if that is not possible, into holding tanks from which the sap is pumped or transported by tanker truck to the sugar house.

A small scale evaporation pan used in Ohio.

During processing, called sugaring-off, the sap is fed automatically from a storage tank through a valve into a flat pan called an evaporator where the sap boils down until so much water is lost that it forms a sweet syrup. The process is slow, because of amount of water that must be boiled off. Approximately 40 litres of sap must be boiled down to make one litre of maple syrup (i.e., 39 litres of water must be boiled off). A mature sugar maple produces about 40 litres (10 gallons) of sap during the 4-6 week sugaring season. Trees are not tapped until they have a diameter of 25 centimetres (10 inches) at chest-height and the tree is at least 40 years old. Most contemporary producers use a 5/16" or 19/64" (7.94 mm or 7.54 mm) outside diameter drill bit to drill with. A tap hole depth of 1" to 1 1/2" (25 mm to 38 mm) is a commonly recommended depth.

Starting in the 1970s, some maple syrup producers started using reverse osmosis to remove water from sap before being further boiled down to syrup. The use of reverse osmosis allows approximately 75 to 80% of the water to be removed from the sap prior to boiling, reducing energy consumption and exposure of the syrup to high temperatures. Microbial contamination and degradation of the membranes has to be monitored.

Maple syrup is sometimes boiled down further to make maple sugar, a hard candy usually sold in pressed blocks, and maple toffee. Intermediate levels of boiling can also be used to create various intermediate products, including maple cream (less hard and granular than maple sugar) and maple butter (creamy, with a consistency slightly less thick than peanut butter).

Starting in the mid 80's, northern communities in the province of Quebec began to open the "Cabane à Sucre" or Sugar Shacks to the public. These sugar shacks were generally located on large maple farms and often were built solely for tourist purposes. These sugar shacks serve maple syrup direct to the public and also are often restaurants serving maple syrup inspired meals and treats.

Grades

U.S., Vermont, and Canadian grading

U.S. Syrup grades. Left to right, Vermont Fancy, Grade A Medium Amber, Grade A Dark Amber, Grade B

Grading standards are the same for most of the United States. Maple syrup is divided into two major grades, Grade A and Grade B. Grade A is further broken down into three subgrades: Grade A Light Amber (sometimes known as "Fancy"), Grade A Medium Amber, and Grade A Dark Amber. Grade B is darker than Grade A Dark Amber. The Vermont Agency of Agriculture Food and Markets uses a similar grading system of color and taste. The grade "Vermont Fancy" is similar in color and taste to U.S Grade A Light (Fancy). The Vermont grading system differs from the U.S. in maintaining a very slightly higher standard of product density. Vermont maple is boiled just a bit longer for a slightly thicker product. The ratio of number of gallons of sap to gallon of finished syrup is higher in Vermont. Maple syrup is sold by liquid volume, not weight, however a gallon of Vermont Grade A Medium Amber weighs slightly more than a gallon of U.S. Grade A Medium Amber. The Vermont graded product has one-half percent more solids and less water in its composition. A non-table grade of syrup called "commercial," or Grade C is also produced. This is very dark, with a very strong flavour. Commercial maple syrup is generally used as a flavouring agent in other products.

In Canada, there are three grades containing several color classes, ranging from Canada #1, including Extra Light (sometimes known as AA), Light (A), and Medium (B); through #2, Amber (C); and finally #3 Dark (D). A typical year's yield will include about 25-30% of each of the #1 colors, 10% Amber, and 2% Dark. Extra light syrups are recommended for making maple sugar candy, on pancakes and waffles; Light for French toast, desserts and cereals; Medium for glazing, sweetening, or eating on its own. Number 2 grade syrups are intended for baking and flavouring. In addition, Canada #2 Amber may be labeled Ontario Amber for farm sales in that province only.^[1] Number 3 grade syrup is heavy, and restricted for use in commercial flavourings.

The grades roughly correspond to what point in the season the syrup was made. U.S. Grade A Light Amber and Canada #1 Extra Light is early season syrup, while U.S. Grade B/Canada #2 and #3 is late season syrup. Typically Grade A (especially Grade A Light Amber) and #1 Extra Light has a milder, more delicate flavor than Grade B or #3, which is very dark with a robust flavor. The dark grades of syrup are primarily used for cooking and baking.

Off-flavours

Sometimes off-flavours are found in maple syrup. While this is more common toward the end of the season in the production of commercial grade product, it may also be present early in the season during the production of U.S. Grade A Light or Canada #1 grade. Identification of off-flavour in table grades is cause for ceasing production and either dumping the product or reclassifying the product as commercial grade if the off-flavour is slight. Off-flavours are described as: metabolism, derived from metabolic changes in the tree as spring arrives and having either a woody, popcorn, or sometimes peanutbutter-like flavour; buddy, referring to the swelling of the new buds and its impact on the flavour and having a bitter chocolate or burnt flavour; and ferment, an off-taste caused by fermentation and having a honey or fruity flavour, often accompanied by surface foam. Additionally, if trees are stressed or fighting off disease or insects (eg. gypsy moths), they will produce a folic-like acid causing a bad taste. After an ice storm, trees may also produce the same acid.

Use in food and cultural significance

Two taps in a maple tree, using plastic tubing for sap collection.

Maple syrup and its artificial imitations are the preferred toppings for crêpes, pancakes, waffles, and French toast in North America. Maple syrup can also be used for a variety of uses, including: biscuits, fresh donuts, fried dough, fritters, ice cream, hot cereal, and fresh fruit (especially grapefruit). It is also used as sweetener for applesauce, baked beans, candied sweet potatoes, winter squash, cakes, pies, breads, fudge and other candy, milkshakes, tea, coffee, and hot toddies.

Maple syrup and maple sugar were used during the American Civil War and by abolitionists in the years prior to the war because most cane sugar and molasses was produced by Southern slaves. During food rationing in World War II, people in the northeastern United States were encouraged to stretch their sugar rations by sweetening foods with maple syrup and maple sugar, and recipe books were printed to help housewives employ this alternate source.

In New England, Quebec and eastern Ontario, the process has become part of the culture. One tradition is going to sugar houses (cabanes à sucre) in early spring for meals served with maple syrup-based products, especially the dish known variously as maple taffee (in English Canada), Tire sur la neige (in Quebec), and sugar on snow (in the United States). This is thickened hot syrup poured onto fresh snow and then eaten off sticks as it quickly cools. This thick maple syrup-based candy is served with yeast-risen doughnuts, sour dill pickles, and coffee. Owing to the sugar maple tree's predominance in southeastern Canada (where European settlement of what would become Canada began), its leaf has come to symbolize the country, and is depicted on its flag. Several U.S. states, including New York and Vermont, have the sugar maple as their state tree. A scene of sap collection is depicted on the Vermont state quarter.

Imitation maple syrup

Many "maple-flavored syrups" are imitations (table syrups), which are less expensive than real maple syrup. In these syrups the primary ingredient is most often high fructose corn syrup flavored with sotolon, with little (2-3 percent) or no real maple syrup content. They are usually thickened far beyond the viscosity of real maple syrup. Since U.S. labeling laws prohibit these products from being labelled "maple syrup," many manufacturers simply call the imitation "syrup" or "pancake syrup." Québécois sometimes refer to imitation maple syrup as sirop de poteau ("pole syrup"), a joke referring to the syrup as having been made by tapping telephone poles.

References

1. ^ Ontario Maple Syrup Producers Association

See also

• Birch syrup
• Sap (plant)
• Vermont Maple Sugar Makers' Association

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to:

Maple syrup

Wikibooks Cookbook has an article on

Maple syrup

• The North American Maple Syrup Council – includes extensive links to state and local maple syrup producers associations and other maple-related links.
• "North American Maple Syrup Producers Manual" (1st edition), edited by Melvin R. Koelling and Randall B. Heiligmann, Ohio State University Extension (Bulletin 856), 1996. (archived at Internet Archive#Wayback Machine) – "The Bible" of maple syrup production.
• "Maple Syrup Quality Control Manual" by Kathryn Hopkins, University of Maine Cooperative Extension (Bulletin 7038)
• Vermont Maple Sugar Makers' Association & Vermont Maple Foundation
• Cornell Sugar Maple Research & Extension Program
• University of Vermont Proctor Maple Research Center
• The Massachusetts Maple Producers Association
• The Canadian Encyclopedia: Maple Sugar Industry
• "Pure Pennsylvania Maple Syrup": A Photo Essay by Peter J. Singhofen, 2005.
• "A Sugarbush Tale": Short documentary about small-scale maple-syrup production in Vermont
• Cooking For Engineers - Kitchen Notes: Maple Syrup Grades
• "Fresh From Vermont’s Maples, a Taste of Terroir" by Jane Black, New York Times, December 20, 2006.
• National Agricultural Statistics Service: Specialty Crops - Production data for U.S. agricultural commodities, including maple syrup. (Highlight "Maple Syrup" and click "Search".)pdc:Buschmelassich

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