Simply put, maple syrup is a natural sweetener that is produced from the sap of the maple tree. It is usually eaten with French toast, waffles and pancakes. It can also be used to make candy and other desserts, as well as flavouring in beer-making. I enjoy many maple treats including maple cookies. It is believed that the Native Americans were the first to ever collect and use maple syrup. Its use was later adopted by the European settlers.
Today, a large part of maple syrup production is done in North America and the product itself is most commonly associated with Canada. In fact, about 80% of the world’s maple syrup supply comes from Canada, with the majority of production coming particularly from Quebec. However, maple syrup can still be made anywhere that maple trees grow as long as the right weather conditions are present. Some companies even make maple syrup in Vermont, which is the largest maple syrup producer in the United States. Many kitchen cupboards are graced with organic maple syrup.
The syrup is usually taken from either the sugar maple or the black maple because these two maple species have significantly high sugar content in their sap. The type of syrup or grade depends on what type of tree and there are many types like maple syrup grades. Traditional harvesting of the syrup involved tapping a maple tree and collecting the sap in a bucket. This method required daily collection of the sap and is very labor-intensive, which is why producers came up with more advanced methods like the use of plastic pipelines. The sap can now flow directly from the pipelines into the sugar house where it is processed to produce maple syrup.
Production is often done between February and April because the warm days and freezing nights of this period effectively induces the flow of sap. An estimated 40 litres of sap is needed to produce one litre of syrup. During the cooking process, a hydrometer is used to measure the syrup’s density. It is important that the proper density of about 66% sugar be reached because if the density is too low then the syrup might spoil and if it is too high then the syrup might crystallize in the bottle. Variations in the boiling process are also done to produce maple taffy, maple cream and maple butter.
Consumers will be happy to know that maple syrup not only tastes good, but it is also good for the health. The reason is that it is very rich in the minerals zinc and manganese. Manganese is an essential antioxidant mineral and is also important in our body’s natural energy production. Zinc, aside from being an antioxidant, also negates the damaging effects of oxidized fats and bad cholesterol to our hearts. Furthermore, manganese and zinc help strengthen the body’s immune system and a deficiency of these minerals has been known to compromise the body’s ability to fight off ailments and diseases.
Men may even enjoy a couple of health bonuses from maple syrup. In a human body, zinc is mostly found in the prostate tissue, which means getting zinc from maple syrup can help you avoid prostate cancer. Zinc is even known to reduce the size of the prostate. And manganese can give you reproductive health bonuses because it plays a significant role in the body’s production of sex hormones.
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