| Pure Maple Syrup is a sweetener made from the | | | | three-fourths the amount of maple syrup as |
| sap of maple trees, and production is centered in | | | | sugar. When substituting for honey, use a one to |
| the Northeastern United States and Southeastern | | | | one ratio. Pure maple syrup will tend to caramelize |
| Canada. Pure maple syrup can be made wherever | | | | and burn on the top and around the edges before |
| maple trees grow, and the season usually lasts | | | | a batter using a solid sweetener like white |
| 4-6 weeks in the spring. It was one of the | | | | granulated sugar. A tablespoon of contains 50 |
| earliest agricultural crops in Canada and in fact | | | | calories, 29 grams of carbohydrates, a negligible |
| was the standard sweetener in pioneer | | | | amount of sodium and no protein, fat, or |
| households until about 1875. | | | | cholesterol. It is an excellent source of manganese |
| It is divided into two major grades: Grade A and | | | | and a good source of zinc, which can be sweet |
| Grade B, and is sold by liquid volume, not weight, | | | | for your health. |
| and is approximately 33 percent water and 67 | | | | Pre-Columbian Native Americans, living in the |
| percent sugar. It must be graded and labeled | | | | northeastern part of North America, were the |
| properly, in accordance with the color scale | | | | first people known to have produced maple syrup |
| standards approved by the state the syrup is | | | | and maple sugar. They were used during the |
| produced in (or province, in Canada). | | | | American Civil War and by abolitionists in the |
| Pure maple syrup is the preferred toppings for | | | | years prior to the war because most cane sugar |
| pancakes, waffles, and French toast in North | | | | and molasses was produced by Southern slaves. |
| America, and is sometimes boiled down further to | | | | During food rationing in World War II, people in |
| make maple sugar, a hard candy usually sold in | | | | the northeastern United States were encouraged |
| pressed blocks, and maple taffy. It can also be | | | | to stretch their sugar rations by sweetening |
| used for a variety of uses, including: biscuits, | | | | foods with it, and recipe books were printed to |
| chicken, fresh donuts, fried dough, fritters, ice | | | | help employ this alternate source. It became the |
| cream, hot cereal, and fresh fruit (especially | | | | household sweetener in the Canadian and |
| grapefruit). | | | | American colonies throughout the nineteenth |
| Although most people use maple syrup in just one | | | | century, instead of refined white cane sugar, raw |
| way, over pancakes or waffles, there are many, | | | | sugar, or molasses. |
| many ways to use it; as a sauce over ice cream | | | | American tribes of the northeastern United States |
| or puddings, a natural glaze poured over ham, | | | | and southeast Canada first showed French and |
| baked in the hollow of a winter squash, in many | | | | British settlers how to draw the sap of Acer |
| other dishes, and even in many elaborate | | | | saccharum, the sugar maple, and reduce it into a |
| "gourmet" recipes. | | | | sweet, thick liquid known today as pure maple |
| Pure maple syrup can be used in just about any | | | | syrup. European settlers introduced iron and |
| recipe where sugar is called for, but contains | | | | copper pots into the process, which allowed the |
| more moisture than the granulated sugar which | | | | sap to be heated longer, removing more of the |
| the recipe called for so adjustments must be | | | | water and producing the syrup we have today. |
| made. For substitution in general cooking, use | | | | |