Maple Tastes for "Sap Seekers"
The maple family originated in Asia and numbers close to some 100 spieces which florish throughtout the Northern Hemisphere. (somewhat rare in Europe) in their ‘blazing autumn exit' of reds and yellows. But maple trees have more to offer than beauty, as the colonists to this land learned from the Indians, some time ago. Although the sap of all maple trees is sweet (as is the sap of many other trees), only the hard or rock maple produces sap of greater quality and in greater quanity than the others and accounts for most of the syrup produced today. Such terms as "sugarbush" for a stand of maples, "sugar house", for the shed in which the boiling was done, and "sugaring", for the whole process all have reference to this final point rather than to the syrup, which is more common today.
The original sap averages 3% sucrose and a single tree may yield 12 gallons of sap in one season. It requires 35-40 gallons of sap to produce one gallon of maple syrup; further boiling and stirring reduces the syrup to maple sugar, (237F). The final composition of maple syrup is approximately 62% sucrose, 35% water,1% glucose and fructose,and 1% malic acid.
Maple syrups are graded according to color, flavor, and sugar content, with the higher grades (AA and A) assigned to the lighter, delicate and subtle flavor and slightly less concentrated. For some breakfasts you may prefer the rich, robust taste of Grade B.
Real maple syrup is expensive, so here are two recipies to help get the most out of its incomparable flavor.
Maple Syrup Butter
This recipe is not just economical,
it actually enriches and rounds out the maple taste.
- 1/2 cup maple syrup 4 tbsps unsalted butter (salted is ok)
- 1/2 cup water
Put the syrup, water, and butter in a small saucepan and heat until the butter has melted. Stir to blend and serve. Refrigerate any that is left over. (It makes a great spread on oatmeal brown bread toast around 10:30pm.) Yields one cup.
Whipped Maple Syrup
A delicious finish for waffles, pancakes,etc...
- 1/2 cup maple syrup 1 teaspoon lemon juice
- 1/4 cup water 1/2 cup cream-35%,
- 2 egg whites whipped
- Mix syrup and water in a small, heavy-bottomed saucepan.
- Bring to a boil, reduce the heat to medium and let the mixture boil for about 5 minutes, or until it forms a thread-like consistency (236F on a candy thermometer).
- While the syrup is boiling, beat the egg whites with the lemon juice until the whites are stiff but still moist.
- When the syrup is ready, beat it into the egg whites.
- When the syrup is thoroughly mixed with the whites, fold in the whipped cream.
- This keeps well for 5-7 days, although it will lose some of its air.
- Whip once again to incorporate the liquid that sometimes gathers on the bottom.