Publisher: North American Maple Syrup Council

Showing 1 – 10 of 202 resources

Maple Syrup Pricing Analysis Using a Shelf Survey

This market development and promotion program was designed to strengthen and diversify market opportunities for the maple syrup industry in the South Atlantic United States. It sought to promote consumer awareness and access to maple syrup products through market research, consumer education, promotion of agri-tourism, and distribution support. Gaining knowledge of how maple syrup is sold (prices, on store shelves) and what information is provided to consumers (labels) to help them make buying decisions seemed a good first step. Such information had never been collected.

Publication:
Maple Syrup Digest
Date:
September 15, 2024

Maple Hazelnut Spread

Maple and chocolate maple hazelnut spread recipes were developed using maple sugar and hazelnuts as the primary ingredients. The recipes were designed with ingredients known for their antioxidant, mineral, vitamin, and protein contents. With a market for nut-based spreads expected to grow at a compound annual growth rate of 7% between 2024 and 2029 (Market Data Forecast, 2024), this sweet treat is ideal for maple and chocolate consumers.

Publication:
Maple Syrup Digest
Date:
September 15, 2024

Effects of the January 1998 Ice Storm on Stem and Root Carbohydrate Reserves, Radial Growth and Tree Vigor in Two Vermont Sugarbushes

The ice storm of January 1998 damaged well over 17 million acres of forest in the northeast, including nearly 1 million acres of forests in Vermont (Figure 1, Miller-Weeks and Eagar 1999, Vermont Department of Forests, Parks & Recreation 2000). Many of the areas which experienced damage were active sugarbushes, with severe damage to tubing systems in affected zones.

Publication:
Maple Syrup Digest
Date:
June 15, 2024

Maple Sugar Troubleshooting

Maple sugar is a versatile product with distinct maple flavor. It is produced by boiling syrup to a set temperature followed by stirring the heated solution until it crystalizes into a granulated or brown sugar consistency. Multiple factors influence the quality of maple sugar. This bulletin provides guidelines for addressing issues commonly encountered during and after the production
of maple sugar.

Publication:
Maple Syrup Digest
Date:
March 15, 2024

Maple Research & Outreach Professional Profiles “Dr. Tim” Perkins

Tim Perkins was born and raised in the Northeast Kingdom of Vermont. As a youth, he, along with his seven siblings (5 brothers, 2 sisters) and father, helped on their grandfather’s (and later Uncle’s) farm in Westmore, Vermont. His chores included gathering sap from buckets, carrying firewood, and, of course, tasting syrup.

Publication:
Maple Syrup Digest
Date:
March 15, 2024

Ask Proctor: Tiny Bubbles

Maple producers using tubing often observe bubbles emerging from the tree within the spout or first few inches of tubing when the sap is running. If the spout is not seated properly, leaks may occur.T hese are most noticeable as rapidly moving streams of small or large bubbles. At other times, these are not leaks, however repeated or overly aggressive attempts at seating spouts to make the bubbles stop can create leaks that further attempts at spout seating will only make worse.

Publication:
Maple Syrup Digest
Date:
March 15, 2024

Innovations in Maple Sap Collection Systems: Reducing Clogging in 3/16” Tubing

Natural vacuum created in3/16” tubing has been a boon for many maple producers in stands where sufficient grade allows it to function properly. The column of sap moving downhill in 3/16” tubing doesn’t readily allow air bubbles to pass, but rather pushes them out of the system, creating a vacuum (Wilmot 2014, Perkins and van den Berg 2018). Unfortunately, several years of use have demonstrated that 3/16” tubing systems can be prone to clogging by microbial masses (Wilmot 2018, Perkins and vanden Berg 2019), especially at fittings (Childs 2019) where the internal diameter is greatly reduced.

Publication:
Maple Syrup Digest
Date:
December 15, 2023

Ask Proctor: How does Sap Move Near Tap Wounds

Because of the vertical orientation of the dominant anatomical feature of wood (vessels and fibers), sap within the stem of maple trees moves primarily in a vertical direction, either upward during as the tree is freezing/uptake phase or downward (mostly) during the thawing/exudation phase. When a tree is tapped, a zone of impermeable wood forms around the wood.

Publication:
Maple Syrup Digest
Date:
December 15, 2023

Ask Proctor: Why do I sometimes make light-colored syrup at the very end of the season?

The typical trend over a sugaring season is for syrup to start out light in color and get progressively darker, eventually ending up with very dark (and strong or off-tasting) syrup at the end. While there can be some temporary excursions up and down in syrup light transmittance, the natural progression is from light syrup early on to dark syrup near the finish. However, occasionally a syrup producer finds that right as the season is concluding the syrup color goes up dramatically and wonder why this happens.

Publication:
Maple Syrup Digest
Date:
December 15, 2023