What is Maple Syrup For?

Maple syrup is a natural sweetener obtained from the concentration of maple tree sap. Makers of maple syrup tap maple trees in spring, collect the sap, and cook it down into rich, flavourful syrup. The syrup is usually enjoyed on breakfast foods such as pancakes but it is also used in sweets and cooked into sauces and glazes as well as adds sweetness to savory dishes. Check out maple syrup products available at www.deliceserableetcie.com.

Is Maple Syrup the Same as Pancake Syrup?

Pure maple syrup is made by boiling maple sap until it has less than 33% water, with 66% concentrate of sugar. Non-pure maple syrup is available as pancake syrup that needs to be labelled as such. In general, it is made mostly of corn syrup with less than 3% pure maple syrup. Some imitation maple syrup may have just artificial maple extract.

Different Maple Syrup Varieties

Maple syrup grading is done based on its colour and the time the sap was collected. The syrup tends to become darker when collected later in the season. Grade A golden maple syrup is the lightest and has a mild flavour. This makes it perfect for drizzling on breakfast food and desserts. Grade A Amber features a rich flavour and is a good choice for table syrup as it has classic maple flavour. Grade A Dark is the most flavourful variety of maple syrup that is great for cooking. Lastly, Processing Grade A is quite dark and used for maple-syrup commercial products.

Uses of Maple Syrup

The majority of people use maple syrup as a topper for pancakes and waffles or in sweets. Also, the syrup can be used in savoury dishes and works well with veggies and as a meat glaze.  The use of maple syrup for making barbeque sauce and other condiments is getting popular. Some people add the syrup directly to recipes without extra preparation.

For a lot of uses, the syrup does not require any prep time. Maple syrup can be used as-is, drizzled on top of desserts, stirred into salad dressings, ice cream, and beverages, as well as incorporated into sour cream, frostings, and whipped cream. Other uses of this syrup require lightly cooking or boiling it with other ingredients. It becomes maple cream when mixed with a bit of butter. A lot of recipes indicate the grade of maple syrup to use. For recipes that do not, dark syrup is usually preferred.