Institution: Cornell University Cooperative Extention

Showing 1 – 7 of 7 resources

Measuring and Adjusting Invert Sugar in Maple Sugar

The variability of invert sugars in syrup makes it necessary to test and adjust the invert sugar levels to match the specific characteristics desired for a given confection. Testing syrup and adjusting to a proper invert sugar level can eliminate batch mfailures and help the maple producer make confections of consistent quality. For many years the use of the Clinitest tablets was suggested as the way to measure invert sugars in syrup. Now, a simple test using the common glucose meter used to monitor blood sugar can be very helpful in selecting and blending syrups to make the most consistent products. Testing syrups before they are purchased for the purpose of making confections assures you are getting syrup that will make the confections you want.

Date:
February 26, 2022

Maple Performance Gel

Consisting of mostly sucrose, with some additional minerals, maple syrup is an ideal foundation for performance gels, and can satisfy a real need within the endurance running communities. We found that adding a thickening agent to maple, with the addition of flavoring and electrolytes, was the most ideal formula for nutritional benefits and consumer ease. A thorough processing step, clean and sterile packaging measures, and correct fill instructions are all vital in the shelf life and safety of these novel products.

Date:
October 1, 2020

Sugarbush Management Notebook

A sugarbush is a special type of woodland. Woodlands include a complex mixture of natural processes and attributes such as soil type, elevation, tree species, types of wildlife, history of use, tree age and more. Foresters can help maple producers gain an in-depth understanding of these factors to achieve a healthy and productivity sugarbush, but there are several steps a maple producer can take on their own.

Date:
October 1, 2020

Maple Beer Capstone Project

There are many ways a partnership between maple producers and brewers could be beneficial. The goal of this project was to focus on maple-flavored beer. Within this scope, there are many options including maple extract, fenugreek, maple syrup and maple sugar. We focused on the use of fenugreek, maple syrup and maple sugar for aroma and flavoring in this experiment.

Date:
May 20, 2020

Getting Started with Small-Scale Maple Syrup Production

Making maple syrup is a time-honored tradition for woodlot owners, and anyone who has even a few maple trees. The process is as simple as boiling sap, but attention to a few details will make for a more pleasant, productive, and safe experience. A warning first, many people who start with just a few tapped trees quickly catch the maple bug; what starts as a handful of tapped trees can expand into hundreds of tapped trees.

Date:
February 2, 2018

Assessing the Commercial Potential of a Site for Maple Sap Collection

These 9 variables are intended to help a potential commercial maple producer evaluate the relative merits of one or more selected woods for profitable maple production. A poor or medium rating does not mean that the woods should not be tapped but that production costs in money or labor will likely be higher or greater investments will be necessary to allow the sap collection to be established relative to other sites. Some problems may be avoided if the potential producer is a creative problem solver. Small-scale producers and hobby producers have less emphasis on financial return, so these variables are relevant but perhaps not weighted as heavily.

Date:
October 18, 2016