While Canada produces about 80% of the world's supply of maple syrup, many in this country believe that the best maple syrup in the world comes from the great state of Vermont. Vermont has only about 5% of the world's total maple syrup market while 40% of all maple syrup produced in the U.S. comes from this small state. Native Americans are believed to be the first to use maple sugar as it was easy to transport and lasted a long time. As early as 1631, ships carried maple sugar to Europe. Prior to the Civil War, maple was the primary sweetener in the northeastern U.S., as sugar cane was very cost prohibitive to transport to this region of the country.Our 100% pure granulated Vermont Maple Sugar is much more flavorful than white sugar. Making Maple SugarBefore you can even really think about maple sugar you have to get to the maple syrup first. The best pure raw product comes from maple trees, whose starch is converted to sugar between winter and spring, resulting in sweet, runny sap.Maple syrup season in Vermont occurs in a very small window of about 4 to 6 weeks, with sap flow being the heaviest for only 10 to 20 days. This high volume period of sap flowing is called a "run." Sap only flows as the tree is either thawing out or freezing. Ideal conditions are warm sunny days (with temperatures above 40Ô) along with cold frosty nights (below freezing). Harvest season ends around late April with the arrival of more consistent warmer spring nights which brings bud development in the maple trees. The amount of sap needed to produce a gallon of Maple Syrup depends on the sap's sugar content. 1% sugar sap needs about 86 gallons to make one gallon of Maple Syrup, while 2% sugar sap requires around 43 gallons to produce one gallon. Maple sap is made into maple syrup by boiling off water, which increases the sugar content. Once the sugar content has reached 66%, a critical chemical reaction occurs which darkens the syrup and provides its characteristic taste. At this stage the syrup is done and is removed to cool.To produce maple sugar the sap continues to be boiled until enough moisture has evaporated to allow for crystallization. At this stage it's vigorously stirred (either by hand or by machine) until it turns completely granulated. It takes approximately one quart of syrup to produce about 2 pounds of granulated maple sugar.Born and Raised in VermontOur small family owned Maple Sugar supplier is located in Vermont's Green Mountains. They've been producing some of Vermont's best maple syrup for 5 generations! Their Maple Syrup is 100% pure with nothing added. One of the other things about them that we loved was how they've been perfecting an innovative, resource efficient approach, which allows their maple syrup to be produced while consuming less energy.They live and breathe maple products and their passion was evident the first time that we spoke to them. During their "season," their Sugarhouse collects up to 12,000 gallons of maple sap in a single day. We're thrilled to be able to support their family maple farm. How to UseWhile Maple Sugar shines in baking applications, we also like to use it in rubs, barbecue sauces and marinades. Ideal for making frosting and sprinkling on buttered toast, cakes, cereals, cookies, oatmeal, pancakes, waffles and yogurt. We've also used it to make the crust of a cheesecake and maple shortbread. We've also come across a recipe that adds it to butter to make a maple butter that we can't wait to try. Use as a substitute in any recipe that calls for sugar.Flavor ProfileMaple sugar is about twice as sweet as cane sugar, with a subtle but distinct woodsy flavor. Health BenefitsSome people are of the opinion that using Maple sugar is healthier than sugar. I don't really buy that argument. If you're going to use a sugar-based sweetener anyway, then substituting maple sugar for refined sugar may reduce the total sugar content by approximately a third.The glycemic index of maple sugar comes in at around 54, while refined table sugar tops the glycemic index at approximately 65. Sugar is still sugar and most Americans would be better off consuming much less of it.Helpful Hints2 oz of maple sugar is equal to about 1/3 a cup.If you're looking for other alternatives to refined sugar then you may be interested in our 100% Granulated Black Strap Molasses from Louisiana.
