FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
ABOUT MAPLE PRODUCTS

What trees are best for making maple syrup and products?
The sugar maple and black maple are primarily used because of their higher sugar content.  While other maples, like the red or silver can be used, they have a higher water content which means it takes even more sap to make a syrup that might not be as sweet.

What is the difference between New York and Vermont maple syrup and products?
The biggest difference between New York and Vermont maple products is the label. The flavor of the maple syrup will vary slightly from region to region because of the difference in soil and climatic conditions.

What is the difference in syrup grade?
New York maple syrup must meet exacting standards for purity. High quality Grade A syrup can be made only by the evaporation of pure maple sap, and by weight contain no less than 66 percent sugar. Grade A maple syrup is classified according to its color. The darker the syrup, the stronger the maple taste.
Grade A Light Amber — the lightest of the three classifications has a mild and delicate flavor
Medium Amber — a bit darker with a fuller flavor
Dark Amber — the darkest of the three grades has a stronger maple flavor
Extra Dark — used for cooking, strongest maple flavor which is better for cooking
Grade B —s old in bulk for reprocessing and the manufacture of commercial table syrups

Does syrup quality vary from one region, state, or province to another?
Syrup quality is affected by weather conditions during the maple season, time during the season when the sap is collected, and processing technique. Some producers in every region consistently are able to produce light color, high quality products.

Is maple syrup produced all through the United States? The world?
Maple syrup is produced only in the northeastern United States and eastern Canada, the region in which sugar maple is found. Although maple syrup is not produced in other regions of the world, some other species of maple are tapped. For example, Koreans tap a maple species called Acer mono and pipe the sap from the mountains down to the village. They drink the sap but do not boil it to produce syrup. Birch trees may be tapped in Alaska and Siberia but the sap is lower in sugar content and quality than maple sap.

What is the nutritional label information for maple syrup?
Retail maple products are not generally labeled but range from 66-67% sugar content for syrup to nearly 100% sugar content for candy. None of the calories come from fat. Syrup: serving size = 4 Tablespoons (60 ml). Calories: 200; total fat 0 g, sodium 7 mg, total carbohydrates 53 g, protein 0 g

In cooking, what is the equivalent amount of maple syrup for white sugar? Can maple syrup be used as a substitute for sugar?
Maple syrup can be substituted for white sugar in cooking. Use ¾ cup maple syrup for 1 cup white sugar. Reduce liquid in recipe by 3 Tablespoons for each cup syrup used.

What is the shelf-life for maple products?
The shelf-life for maple syrup is about six months in the refrigerator. The shelf-life for un-coated maple candy is about two weeks on the shelf or in the refrigerator, and for coated maple candy about six months at room temperature.  (Coated maple candy should not be kept in the refrigerator.) The shelf-life for maple cream is about two weeks in the refrigerator.

Is the sugar in maple syrup more healthy than white sugar?
The sugar in maple syrup is sucrose and invert sugar. White sugar is sucrose, whereas invert sugar is a breakdown product of sucrose. There is no evidence that maple syrup is healthier than white sugar.

Is maple syrup organic?
The overwhelming majority of maple syrup is produced in forests where no herbicides or pesticides have been applied.  Therefore, most maple syrup would be considered organic.

What is required for syrup to be labeled "organic?"
The requirements are stated by the particular organic certification organization, but generally state no use of substances in the production process that would alter the pure nature of maple syrup.

How long have people been producing maple syrup from sap?
Native Americans produced maple syrup before Europeans arrived in North America. 

1.  Courtesy of Cornell University, 1999.