Syrup Key Terms

Learn the key terms associated with the commercial production of syrup

Syrup is a big part of the American diet. Whether blueberry, strawberry or the ever popular maple syrup (which is the most common), syrup tops everything from ice cream to pancakes.

The process of making syrup is quite unique. From the acquisition of the sugary substance from a tree or fruit source, to the boiling and eliminating of water content, it takes quite a lot of work to produce a little bottle. Here are some key terms associated with the commercial syrup industry.

 

Sugaring

Sugaring is the industry terms for the actual making of maple syrup. People who make syrup are in turn called "sugarmakers."
Try: Visit the website for the Vermont Maple Sugar Makers Association. They have a comprehensive article on the process of sugaring which details how maple syrup is tapped from the tree all the way until it ends up on your pancakes.

Vermont fancy, US grade A light maple syrup

Vermont fancy, or US grade A light maple syrup, refers to the highest grade of maple syrup produced. It is the lightest in color and most delicate maple syrup produced.
Try: Vermont Living has an article dedicated to "Vermont fancy" and the rest of the grades of maple syrup. The Vermont Maple Sugar Makers' Association also has a comprehensive guide to the different grades of syrup.

Acer saccharum, sugar maple

The acer saccharum is often considered the "hard rock" of maple trees at it tends to produce the most sap with the highest sugar content. There are many different kinds of maples, however, for commercial production the acer saccharum is most commonly used.
Try: Visit the website for the Maine Department of Agriculture for more information on how the syrup is harvested from the sugar maple.

Sap

Sap is the basis of maple syrup. Harvested from the maple trees, the sap is somewhere between 1% and 4% sugar at the time of harvesting. The rest of the sap is water. After boiling or evaporating (depending on which process the sugar house practices) the sugar content ratio is two to one over water, or about 67%.
Try: Visit the website for Balsam Woods Farm. They have an article describing how the sap is processed in order to end up with maple syrup. The Massachusetts Maple Producers Association also has an informative article about sap flow.

Sap hydrometer

The sap hydrometer calculates the amount of sugar that is in the sap being drawn from the maple tree. This equipment allows the producer to approximate the boiling or evaporating time to produce syrup with the correct sugar content.
Try: Visit the website for Anderson's Maple Syrup Company. They are a manufacturer of maple syrup processing equipment. They have an explanation page of the sap hydrometers they sell.

Organic maple syrup

Organic maple syrup refers to maple syrup that has been produced without using any chemicals or pesticides on the maple trees and no formaldehyde to enhance the amount of syrup extracted from a tree.
Try: Maple Valley Syrup has an informational page regarding organic maple syrup.

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