The most important points at a glance:
- Maple syrup is made from the sap of the sugar maple tree.
- We need up to 50 liters of maple sap to produce 1 liter of maple syrup.
- Each maple tree provides enough sap per season for approximately 1.5 liters of syrup.
- The harvest time determines the color of the syrup.
- Maple syrup is a very good sugar substitute.
Under cover of darkness, a few crooks break into a secure camp in a clandestine operation and disappear into the night with their hefty loot. Gold is highly coveted – no matter what form it takes.
Unlike in Hollywood films, the story was about... biggest theft In Canadian history, the story wasn't actually about stealing solid bars, but barrels full of liquid gold. The so-called... “Great Canadian Maple Heist” From 2011 to 2012, over 9,000 barrels of maple syrup with a total value of over 18.5 million Canadian dollars (almost) were produced. 13 million euros ) were gradually stolen from a warehouse in Quebec and illegally resold.
The theft went undetected for so long because it was a central warehouse where maple syrup was often stored for months before being sold, with general inspections of the barrels once a year. Initially, the thieves had been quite resourceful, taking individual barrels and refilling them with water after emptying them before returning them. The fraud was uncovered when, during the annual inspection, an inspector tried to climb onto the stacked barrels, causing them to collapse beneath him. This was because, over the months, the thieves had become careless and resorted to emptying the barrels on-site instead of refilling them with water.
It may not have been Fort Knox, but the story could still be told. straight from a Hollywood blockbuster originate.
But why is maple syrup not only precious, but also so delicious? Join us on a culinary journey to our friends at Crown Maple in the beautiful Hudson Valley in New York State and find out for yourself.
Maple syrup – culinary gold panning
The sun is shining, a cold wind is blowing through the trees, and small clouds of mist are still forming in front of your face after your breath – when the days start getting longer again in spring, our friends of Crown Maple , that the “Sugar Shack Day” is approaching and with it the enticing amber color of fresh maple syrup.
But of course, the sweet nectar doesn't come straight from the tree, clear and golden. It's the basis of maple syrup, which we love to enjoy at the breakfast table. about waffles and pancakes Or perhaps poured over some fried chicken at lunchtime (more on that later), this is the so-called maple sap. Even if it sounds a bit macabre, you can think of this sap in the maple tree as being similar to blood in our bodies. It consists mainly of water and sugar and distributes the nutrients obtained from the soil and photosynthesis throughout the tree. While the maple tree is essentially dormant during the cold months, the sap production is dormant, but as soon as the temperatures usually rise again, it begins to flow. between February and April As the sun's rays rise above freezing during the day, the sap begins to circulate through the tree again. This is the perfect time to pierce the tree and harvest the sweet sap.
But doesn't it harm the tree if we simply draw some of its blood? Don't worry. Depending on its size and age, a healthy sugar maple tree can up to five filling points They can handle two trees simultaneously without any problems, but nowadays most trees only have one or two at a time. The sap then leaves the tree on its own through pressure and gravity and can be collected for further processing. In the past, this was all done practically by hand with collecting buckets and the like, but today the sap is usually pumped directly from the tree through pipes to the so-called "sugar shacks" (hence the name "Sugar Shack Day") for further processing.
But who on earth came up with the strange idea of creating one? tap to put it in a tree, just like you would put a barrel of beer? According to legend, they first discovered the delicious sap. the American Indians by throwing a Tomahawks , which struck one of the trees used as targets deep enough to bring the sweet sap to light. How much truth there is to the legend is up to each individual to decide, but the fact is that the so-called "Tree Tapping" It has a tradition spanning thousands of years, and not only in the far north. Even the Arabs harvested juice from local trees. birch trees and brewed an alcoholic beverage from it.
But back to our maple sap. Once enough has been collected and arrived at the sugar shack, then we can finally... culinary gold panning Let's get started. The maple sap fresh from the tree is relatively diluted and consists of only 3% sugar The remaining 97% is more or less pure water. To transform this light juice into our delicious golden syrup, one thing is essential: temperature. The juice is... Boiled at 100°C . This causes some of the water to evaporate and the sugar to caramelize. Due to the significant water loss, you ultimately need 40 to 50 liters of juice to make just one liter of syrup. Over time, a thicker, golden reduction forms, almost resembling honey. The maple syrup . Finally, the syrup, like metallic gold in a river, is filtered. freed from impurities And then the liquid gold is ready to be bottled, sold, and enjoyed.
Sounds simple enough, right? So why is maple syrup (generally) so expensive, and rightly so? Liquid gold ?
The yield is what matters. On average, a single maple tree provides approximately 75 liters of juice per harvest season That's enough to produce about 1.5 liters of maple syrup. Let's take the 250 ml bottles of Crown Maple For example, that means Each maple tree can produce six bottles of maple syrup per season . Sounds like a small amount? It is, and that's why maple syrup production requires many trees, which in turn require a lot of land and a lot of care. The costs add up quickly, and the end result of all this effort is correspondingly valuable: arguably the purest maple syrup in the world.
Natural and healthy – the purest maple syrup in the world
But how can you recognize a truly high-quality maple syrup at first glance? To make it as easy as possible for customers, producers from the USA and Canada have agreed on a... unified system A system for categorization and qualification has been agreed upon, distinguishing between a total of four grades of maple syrup. The decisive factor here is the light transmittance of the final product. A lighter syrup usually tastes milder and sweeter, and the darker the color, the more bitter and intense the syrup's flavor. The color This has nothing to do with filtration, but actually depends on the harvest time. At the beginning of the season, maple sap is clear and pure, but over time, more and more additives form in the sap, which are harmless from a nutritional standpoint and make the sap cloudy. For this reason, lighter maple syrup is also the most valuable and usually more expensive than the darker varieties. To simplify, 4 quality levels defined as follows:
- Amber Color: mild, aromatic taste, slightly light color
- Dark Color: strong flavor, medium color
- Very Dark Color : very strong flavor, dark color
This system is currently only used in the North American market, and maple syrup from other countries does not follow the same classification.
Regardless of color, pure maple syrup Surprisingly healthy . Although it consists largely of sugar for its uniquely sweet taste, it also contains other important nutrients, e.g. Vitamin B and works just like honey, antiseptic . Maple syrup is also a good alternative sweetener to regular sugar, as it contains an average of around one third fewer calories than regular sugar. This is mainly due to its still high water content of 45%.
Sweet and delicious – everything with maple syrup
The seductive sweetness of maple syrup on Pancakes and waffles Hopefully we don't need to go into this any further, it is already the American breakfast classic Absolutely. For a few fruity accents, we recommend trying our new Crown Maple flavor:
➡️ Blueberry maple syrup from Crown Maple, 250 ml
But maple syrup can do so much more.
Instead of just pouring the syrup over the finished baked goods, it is also perfect as an ingredient, for example. For baking . Our tip:
Maple Pecan Cookies
Simply mix a classic cookie dough with flour, sugar, baking powder, egg, butter, salt and cinnamon (we recommend (brown sugar from Domino ). For an American kick, a shot Crown Maple syrup Mix into the dough. Knead well until a homogeneous dough forms, then roll out on a floured work surface and cut out shapes. The cookies at 180°C Bake at 160°C (fan oven) for about 10 minutes until golden brown. Then let cool.
In a bowl, prepare a classic glaze using powdered sugar and lemon juice, then stir in 2 tablespoons of maple syrup. Chop a handful of pecans. Finally, coat the cookies with the Sugar and maple syrup glaze Spread the glaze over the surface and sprinkle with pecan pieces. Then wait patiently until the glaze has hardened, and then you can start snacking.
Waffle Chicken
But maple syrup also offers plenty of potential outside of traditionally sweet dishes, such as baked goods, etc. Waffle Chicken For example, it's been an increasingly popular fusion food for years, naturally topped with maple syrup. The delightful combination of warm waffles, crispy chicken, and aromatically sweet maple syrup is absolutely worth trying. And for those who like it particularly adventurous yet still rather sweet, you can also add something at the end. whipped cream and chocolate sauce to add.
➡️ Farmhouse Pancake & Waffle Mix variations from Stonewall Kitchen
And even on meat Maple syrup makes a really good impression. You can use it for light sweetening in stews or even as a basis for delicious marinades (e.g., combined with notes of mustard and garlic) to juicy steaks, smoky grilled meats, and even fish. But if you want to try something really special, you should try the following recipe:
Maple Meat Pie
First, knead together a classic meat pie filling with pork, veal, onions, garlic, carrots, celery, spices, and a splash of red wine. Then let the mixture chill in the refrigerator for a few hours. Thicken melted butter with flour in a saucepan and Refine with maple syrup . Boil the mixture until it thickens, then let it cool.
The oven Preheat the oven to 175°C . Place the bottom of a baking pan (we recommend, for example, the...) Line pie dishes (from Anchor Hocking ) with a layer of rolled-out ready-made pastry, spread the meat filling on top, and then pour over the maple syrup butter sauce. Cover everything with a second layer of pastry (or Cover the pie crust (from Cup4Cup ) and cut holes in it for steam. For an extra crispy result, brush the dough with a little egg yolk and then bake for approximately 1 ½ hours Bake in the oven. Set aside to rest for about 15 minutes before serving.
➡️ Deep glass pie dish from Anchor Hocking
➡️ Graham Cracker Pie Crust (9 inch) - Cookie dough base for pies (23 cm)
Fluffy Apple Cider Donuts
Here's how:
Preheat the oven to 180°C (350°F). Meanwhile, reduce 360ml cider and 120ml Crown Maple Cinnamon Infused Maple Syrup until reduced to about one-third of the original volume (this takes approximately 10 to 20 minutes). Mix together 250g flour, 1 teaspoon baking powder, 1 teaspoon cinnamon, 1 teaspoon apple pie spice (available in our shop), and a pinch of salt. In a separate bowl, mix together 30g melted butter, 1 large egg, 100g brown sugar (we recommend Domino's), 100g granulated sugar, 120g room-temperature milk, and 1 teaspoon Nielsen-Massey Madagascar Bourbon Vanilla Extract.
Combine the butter mixture with the dry ingredients and the reduced cider/syrup in a bowl and whisk until a smooth batter forms. For those who prefer authentic American-style donuts, not just in taste but also in shape, we recommend baking them in our convenient donut pan instead of frying. Simply grease the pan lightly and divide the batter among the six holes. Bake for approximately 10 minutes, then set aside to cool.
For the authentic topping, simply mix powdered sugar, cinnamon, and apple pie spice, then dip the cooled donuts into the mixture on both sides. Done.
Maple syrup is also a good choice for quenching thirst. Especially in cocktails The sweet note works particularly well in hot toddies or as an extra kick in rum and gin. But even those who prefer less alcohol will find maple syrup delicious. We recommend:
The Maple Shake
Simply combine a scoop of vanilla ice cream with a quarter cup of milk and half a cup of Crown Maple syrup (we recommend the varieties depending on your favorite flavor). Vanilla-infused , Cinnamon-infused , Applewood or Blend the Bourbon Barrel (or similar flavoring) in a blender. Once all the ingredients are well combined, add a pinch of salt for an extra flavor boost and blend briefly again. Your delicious shake is now ready to serve.
And for those who, like us, like to take it a step further, the finished shakes can be topped with cream and a homemade Maple-Chocolate Sauce garnish. For the sauce, either cocoa powder or freshly ground chocolate (we love using [missing information] for this). Mix Guittard chocolate chips with maple syrup and then pour over the cream.
➡️ Crown Maple Variations: Maple syrup with vanilla or cinnamon
➡️ Bourbon Barrel Aged Maple Syrup - Limited Edition
➡️ Chocolate Chips from Guittard Chocolate Company Chocolate Chips from Guittard Chocolate Company
If you've now developed a taste for it, we recommend simply trying it for yourself. Besides classic maple syrup in Amber, Dark, and Very Dark grades, we also offer a range of flavored varieties. And for those who want to sample it first or share the quintessential American taste with their friends, we offer both Sample sets in small sizes as well Gift boxes in a stylish Crown Maple design:
➡️ Probably the purest maple syrup in the world from Crown Maple
