Thoughts From a "Lost Canadian" About Maple Syrup

Earlier this month I wrote about the "Great Maple Syrup Heist" (You will find my post about it at this link.) 3,000 tons of maple syrup—worth a massive $18 million CAD was stolen in 2012 by siphoning $18.7 million CAD worth of syrup from a heavily guarded reserve in Saint-Louis-de-Blandford, Quebec, and then replacing it with water to avoid immediate detection. The sticky thieves were eventually arrested, convicted, and sentenced to prison. This was the "Great Maple Syrup Heist".

Today I thought I'd write about Maple Syrup again and share some of the extremely interesting things I've learned about Canada and Maple Syrup - did you know . . .

• Canada produces roughly 70% to 80% of the world's maple syrup supply, with Quebec acting as the main global hub.
• It takes about 40 liters of tree sap to make just one liter of pure syrup.
• Short Season: The harvest happens in late winter and early spring. It only lasts for four to six weeks.
• Sap flows best when nights are freezing cold and days are warm and sunny.
• Trees must be 30 to 40 years old before people tap them.
• Out of 13 native Canadian maple types, only three main species are used: the sugar maple, red maple, and black maple.
• Boiling removes extra water from the watery sap until it reaches at least 66% sugar content.
• Pure maple syrup contains helpful minerals like manganese, calcium, potassium, and zinc.
• Canadian grades run from golden and amber to dark and very dark, where lighter types have a mild taste and darker types have a strong, rich flavor.
• 100% Canadian maple syrup is pure, offering a genuine taste of nature.
• Once a tree is tapped for maple syrup, it can yield sap for about 100 years.
• The season ends when the weather gets warm enough for tree buds to appear. At this point, the chemistry of the sap changes, making it taste bitter.
• Unlike refined sugars, pure maple syrup is packed with antioxidants (comparable to bananas or broccoli) and essential minerals like zinc, calcium, and manganese. 
• Due to its high sugar content, maple syrup actually has a much lower freezing point than water and won't freeze solid in your freezer.
• While pure maple syrup lasts a long time, it is prone to mold and fermentation once the bottle has been opened, requiring strict refrigeration.
• Canadians simply call it maple syrup. However, legally, anything labeled with "maple" must contain at least 10% pure maple sap. Cheaper, artificial versions—usually made with corn syrup—are strictly referred to as "pancake syrup," "table syrup," or "table blend". 

My ancestors made maple syrup in Nova Scotia and New Brunswick in the late 1700's! We have reason to believe they were Mi'kmaq First Nations People and when they eventually moved to Ontario, they made Maple Syrup there as well. I do not know if they made Maple Syrup when they moved to Michigan, but I do know we have Maple Syrup crafters in my family line! Maple Syrup is just one of the treasures of Canada - and a very sweet treasure it is for sure!