Emma Radebaugh
Maple syrup is a beautiful and delicious substance. Believe it or not, most people have never had a taste of pure maple syrup; many pancake syrups you find in the grocery aisle contain artificial sugars and colors. Nature provides us with so many delectable substances and foods, and you can take advantage of this by consuming real maple syrup. Explore these five interesting facts about pure maple syrup that might just surprise you.
Most Syrup Comes From Canada
Although the United States produces some syrup, Canada is known for its plentiful maple trees and, therefore, maple syrup. Interestingly, most of the syrup in the world comes from Quebec, making it the maple syrup capital of the world. To be exact, this area provides roughly two-thirds of the world’s maple syrup supply.
Bonus Fact
Vermont is the leading state for maple syrup production in the United States.
It Takes an Astonishing Amount of Sap To Make Syrup
You may notice that pure maple syrup costs significantly more than the other bottles at the grocery store, and there’s a good reason for that. It takes approximately 40 gallons of tree sap to make one gallon of maple syrup. The sap contains only a small amount of sugar, as the majority of it is water that evaporates during boiling. Because pure maple syrup doesn’t have additives, making that small bottle requires a lot of tree sap.
Pure Maple Syrup Contains Nutrients
Most other pancake syrups contain high fructose corn syrup and other artificial sweeteners, which aren’t good for your body. On the other hand, pure maple syrup contains numerous antioxidants and minerals, making it an excellent addition to your diet. Although it may reduce inflammation and damage from oxidative stress, maple syrup is still sugar and you should consume it in small amounts.
There Are Different Grades
Interestingly, there are different grades of maple syrup. These grades appear lighter or darker in color, with A being the lightest and B getting progressively darker. In addition, it’s the time of year you collect the sap that determines the color, not the processing method. Darker grades of maple syrup typically have a more robust and sweet flavor.
Only a Few Maple Varieties Produce Sap
While many maple tree varieties exist worldwide, only a handful of them produce the sap necessary to create maple syrup. Sugar maples are the best trees to tap for sap as they make the sweetest harvest. However, you can also tap red maples, silver maples, Florida maples, western maples, and more to create a slightly less sweet syrup. If you have one or more of these mature trees on your property, knowing how to make your own maple syrup will come in handy.
Now that you know these five interesting facts about pure maple syrup, you may want to ditch the other syrup in your pantry. If you’ve never tasted pure maple syrup, you really should try it; although it doesn’t taste like the artificial, sugary syrup, nothing beats the pure sweetness of authentic maple syrup.
