Showing 11 – 20 of 26 resources

CDL Maple Sugaring Resources

CDL equipment’s collection of production resources, including proper usage of tools and how-to guides for candy, cream, and other products.

Chemical and microbial characterization of ropy maple sap and syrup

Ropiness of maple syrup is a phenomenon that can occur several times in the season. The alteration known as ÒropinessÓ is characterized by a viscous, thick, slimy/jelly-like texture which, although not noticeably altering the taste, renders the product unpleasant in terms of mouthfeel. The aim of this study was to estimate the economic impact of production of ropy maple syrup in the region of Quebec, to more deeply identify and characterize bacteria associated to this type of quality defect, and to study the composition of Polysaccharides found in stringy maple syrup.

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.

Product Demo: Boiling on a Lapierre Hyperbrix rig with 35 percent concentrate

Today we are at the UVM Proctor Maple Research Center in Underhill Center, Vt. with center director Dr. Timothy Perkins, Jean Francois Goulet of Lapierre Equipment and Proctor’s Abby Van Den Berg, boiling on a Lapierre HyperBrix system with 35 percent concentrate. The new technology takes out 2/3rds of the water from the sap before it hits the evaporator. Lapierre donated the equipment to the Proctor center to support research. Van Den Berg’s findingsÑfollowing a blind taste test last fall with a group of volunteersÑ found there is no noticeable taste difference between syrup produced in a high brix process vs. conventional syrup.

When to Stop: Some Factors Affecting The Economics of Processing Grade Syrup

Near the end of each sugaring season, producers must make a decision when to stop making maple syrup. Sometimes the decision is an easy call, such as when the onset of bud break and cessation of sap flow coincide. The decision to stop production can also be the result of careful economic analysis of the cost of production versus value of the product. The variable costs (fuel, labor, filters, etc.) of any maple operation are a key component to this sort of analysis.