Topic: Syrup Production

Showing 1 – 10 of 215 resources

How controlled inoculation of sap tubing with Pseudomonadota strains may influence maple syrup quality

The study recently published in Canadian Journal of Microbiology and available in open access consisted in the inoculation of the sap collection system with three Pseudomonadota strains and to assess the microbial and organoleptic quality of maple sap and syrup (Gagnon et al., 2025). This work represents a significant step: rather than simply characterizing microbial communities, the study tested whether an intentional inoculation of selected bacterial strains into tubing systems can steer microbial succession and influence syrup quality.

Publication:
Maple Syrup Digest
Date:
December 15, 2025

A Promising Alternative to Defoamers for Maple Production

Foam development in the evaporator is a phenomenon often encountered in maple production (Martin, 2011). As it passes through the evaporator, the boiling sap can begin to foam quickly, especially at a later stage of the production season. When excessive foaming occurs, the use of a foam control agent, commonly called “antifoaming agent” or “defoamer” in the maple syrup industry, sometimes becomes necessary to avoid problematic overnows (low productivity, loss of product, cleaning challenges, safety, etc.).

Publication:
Maple Syrup Digest
Date:
December 15, 2024

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

A 20-Year Record of Syrup Production at UVM Proctor Maple Research Center from 2004-2023

The University of Vermont (UVM) Proctor Maple Research Center (PMRC) in Underhill, Vermont, has along history of research on sap production. Maple syrup has been made at PMRC since shortly after its founding in 1946, in part for research and in part for demonstration. Syrup production has always been an important component of the work of PMRC as it keeps the faculty and staff aware of the issues involved in sap collection and syrup production, it provides more of a “buy in” from producers when they understand that we face the same hurdles as they do each season, and the revenue gained from the sale of maple syrup helps to fund the operation.

Publication:
Maple Syrup Digest
Date:
December 15, 2023

Sweet Talk: All Things Maple

This ongoing podcast features interviews with researchers and educators about topics related to maple production and marketing.

Date:
June 27, 2023

Net-Zero Maple Syrup

An examination of why and how maple sugarmakers can make their operations carbon-neutral.

Publication:
Maple Syrup Digest
Date:
June 27, 2023

The Map of Maple: Off-Flavors

This tool is meant to identify off-flavors in syrup, and link the particular sensory experience to a specific defect and category that explains why the defect has occurred. Additionally, this tool serves as a user-friendly representation of the Vermont Agency of Agriculture Farms and Markets (VAAFM) “Maple Syrup Off-Flavors” manual.

Date:
June 27, 2023