We had a great day today visiting the team at Mapleland Farms! We hung out at the sugar house with Mary Jeanne & the Mapleland Farms family to chat with our Facebook followers about all things maple! With Mary Jeanne’s help, we were able to answer many of your maple questions. Below are some of the most popular questions & answers from our local experts!
Does the color of the syrup relate to the flavor of the syrup?
MJ: The darker the syrup the stronger the flavor. The color is determined by the sugar content of the sap when it comes out of the trees. However, all maple syrup is 67% sugar!
Has the weather this year been affecting your productivity?
MJ: We count on cold nights & warm days to make the sap run. This year, there’s been cold nights & cold days, or warm nights & warm days, so the sap production is down slightly.
How much sap does it take to make one pint of maple syrup?
MJ: It takes about 40-50 pints of sap for one pint of pure maple syrup.
What is the difference between the grades of syrup?
MJ: There are 4 grades of pure maple syrup: golden, amber, dark, and very dark. The darker the syrup the stronger the flavor. All 4 grades have the same sugar content–67% sugar!
Which grade of pure maple syrup is best for cooking?
MJ: We recommend dark or very dark. The darker the syrup, the stronger the maple flavor.
Can you substitute pure maple syrup for sugar in baking?
MJ: Yes! When baking, substitute pure maple syrup with sugar 1:1 and reduce the amount of liquid slightly.
Does where the maple syrup comes from (NY, VT, Canada) affect the flavor?
MJ: Definitely! Just like wine regions, maple also has different flavor regions.
How should maple syrup be stored?
MJ: If unopened, pure maple syrup will keep for 2 years. Once opened, it should be kept in the refrigerator. Pure maple syrup can be put in the freezer; however, it will not actually freeze.
Do you tap the same trees every year?
MJ: We tap every tree, every year!
Special thanks to our friends at Mapleland Farms. Look for their award-winning pure maple syrup at 3 of our locations: Fort Edward Market 32, Wilton Market 32, & Market Bistro in Latham. Learn more about them & shop all their products online. Click here.
