maple syrup

A sugar syrup made from the sap of maple trees. The season begins in early March and lasts for 6 to 8 weeks. Trees begin to be tapped when they have grown to a circumference, at chest height, of 63 centimeters (24 inches). Such a tree could support one hole. Trees with circumferences at chest height of more than 125 cm (50 inches) can have 2 holes, and the maximum of three holes is only used for trees over 189 cm (75 inches). Holes are no larger than 11 millimeters (7/16 inch) in diameter and no more than 6 cm (2 3/8 inches) deep, counting the bark, and are fitted with spouts. The number and size of the holes are adjusted from year to year depending on the health of the individual tree and the forest.

An average tree yields 35 to 50 liters of sap per year. Proper tapping extracts about 10% of the tree's sugars.

The sap is concentrated by boiling, now in stainless steel pans, and in recent years, also by reverse osmosis. To make 1 liter of syrup requires about 40 liters of sap.

Canada

More than three-quarters of the world supply of maple syrup comes from Canada. Even to be graded, syrup must be produced exclusively from maple sap or by dissolving a maple product in water, "clean wholesome and fit for human consumption", and have a minimum soluble solids content of 66% as determined by a refractometer or hydrometer at 20deg; C.

In the descriptions below, a caramel taste is the result of overheating the sap. The buddy taste is one found in sap taken too late in the season, when the trees have begun to leaf out.

Colors are determined either with a spectophotometer having 10-millimeter square cells, with light at a wavelength of 560 nanometers and taking 100% to be transmission through analytical grade glycerol; or by comparison with glass color standards, which can be purchased from Canadian government approved suppliers.

Grades
Grade		Color	Description of Color
Canada No. 1	"Free from fermentation"; "uniform in colour and free from any cloudiness or turbidity"; "has a maple flavor characteristic of its colour class"; "is free from any objectionable odour or taste".	Extra Light	not less than 75.0% transmission
		Light	less than 75.0% transmission but not less than 60.5%
		Medium	less than 60.5% but not less than 44.0%
Canada No. 2	Same as Canada No. 1	Amber	Less than 44.0% but not less than 27.0%
Canada No. 3	"has a characteristic maple flavor and is free from any objectionable odour or taste other than a trace of a caramel, buddy or sappy taste."	may be one of the colors above or Dark	if Dark, less than 27.0%

United States

The U.S. standards are voluntary. Described below is the version published 14 December 1979, becoming effective 14 January 1980.

To be called maple sirup [sic], the liquid must have not less than 66% solids by weight.

"Serious damage", in the descriptions below, is defined as "any defect that seriously affects the edibility or market value of the sirup. Badly scorched sirup, buddy sirup, fermented sirup, or sirup that has any distasteful foreign flavor or disagreeable odor shall be considered as seriously damaged."

Grade	Description of Grade	Color	Description of Color
U.S. Grade A	"Good" color, "good maple flavor characteristic of the color"; "good" odor; clean; "practically free from defects"; "practically clear"; "practically free from damage"; "free from serious damage". Color is "bright and typical of maple sirup prepared from sound, properly gathered sap".	light amber	As light or lighter than the USDA Light Amber Glass Color Standard
		medium amber	Darker in color than the USDA Light Amber Glass Color Standard but no darker than the USDA Medium Amber Glass Color Standard
		dark amber	Darker in color than the USDA Medium Amber Glass Color Standard but no darker than the USDA Dark Amber Glass Color Standard
U.S. Grade B for Reprocessing	"Fairly good" color, "fairly good characteristic maple flavor"; "fairly good" odor; "fairly free from defects"; "fairly clear"; "fairly free from damage", "free from serious damage". Considered unsuitable for consumer labeling.		Darker in color than the USDA Dark Amber Glass Color Standard.
Substandard	Doesn't meet Grade B requirements.

U.S.D.A., Agricultural Marketing Services, Fruit and Vegetable Division, Processed Products Branch.
United States Standards for Grades of Maple Sirup.
Washington, DC: Federal Register of 14 December 1979. 7 C.F.R. 52.5961-52.5967.

Standards of Identity for Maple Sirup, 21 CFR 168.41. (Regulated under the Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act.)

Vermont

Vermont's standards are compulsory and were in effect prior to the U. S. standards. They apply only to syrup made and sold within the state. The abbreviation "U.S." may be prefixed to the Grade A grades, that is, "U.S. Grade A Dark Amber" is acceptable as a Vermont grade. Labeling Vermont Grade B or Vermont Commercial as U.S. Grade B is not permitted.

All grades of packaged maple syrup must have a density of at least 66.9 degrees Brix but be no denser than 68.9 degrees Brix (both at 60 degrees Fahrenheit). Fancy, Grade A, Grade B and Commercial syrups must be "pure, clear, clean liquid in sanitary condition," "free of sugar crystals, and shall not be damaged in any way." Damage is defined to include fermentation, and scorched or buddy flavors. Thus a syrup with a trace of buddy flavor that could qualify as Canada No. 3 would not qualify as Vermont Commercial.

To describe color, the Vermont regulations refer to the USDA glass standards, Canadian glass standards, and measurements in which 100%Tc is the amount of light of wavelength 560 nanometers transmitted though a 10-millimeter square cell filled with analytic grade glycerol (that is, the same test as Canada's).

Grade		Color	Description
Vermont Fancy	"has a delicately sweet, original maple flavor characteristic of fancy grade"		No darker than the USDA Light Amber Glass Standard, OR, a measured transmission not less than 75.0%Tc
Vermont Grade A	"it may have a flavor which is more pronounced than that of Fancy Grade, but which is not strong or unpleasant and must be of the flavor characteristic of Grade A Medium Amber"	Medium Amber	No darker than the USDA Medium Amber Glass Standard, OR, a measured transmission between 74.9%Tc to 60.5%Tc
Vermont Grade A	"it may have a flavor which is stronger than that of Grade A Medium Amber, but which is not sharp, bitter, buddy or off-flavor and must be of the flavor characteristic of Grade A Dark Amber"	Dark Amber	No darker than the USDA Dark Amber Glass Standard, OR, a measured transmission between 60.4%Tc to 44.0%Tc
Vermont Grade B	"a flavor stronger than Grade A Dark Amber"		No darker than Canadian No. 2 Amber glass standard (as of 9 June 1989), OR, a measured transmission between 43.9%Tc to 27.0%Tc
Vermont Commercial	"may have a strong flavor"; "may not be sold, offered for sale, or exposed for sale as packaged maple syrup."		Darker than Canadian No. 3 Dark glass standard (as of 9 June 1989), OR, a measured transmission less than 27.0%Tc
Vermont Substandard	"Bulk maple syrup which fails to meet the requirements of any other grade." Not to be sold to consumers.		Doesn't qualify for any of preceding grades.

Title 6 V.S.A., Chapter 32. Vermont Maple Products Law, and regulations approved 7 December 1989.

Comment

Notice that, in all these standards, the grade ultimately depends on the judgment of a human taster with a memory of what flavor is "appropriate to the color".

"Lower" grades do not necessarily represent lower quality, but mainly a difference in color and taste. The light, delicate taste of Vermont Fancy would be appropriate on some very good vanilla ice cream (a maple sundae), but on a stack of pancakes I would much prefer Vermont Grade A Dark Amber, and similarly for the other grading systems. The difference between some of the grades is like the difference between cognac and armagnac.