Summary (maple syrup)

Oftentimes, when the consumer purchases a particular good, little thought is given with regards to the nation of origin, content, or method of production that ultimately helps to provide that finished good to the market. As a function of this brief analysis, the author will focus upon maple syrup in seeking to answer many of these tangentially related questions. Firstly, the fact of the matter is that maple syrup is only produced within two nations of the entire world; Canada (Do you know Canada, 2013). Even though the United States is included in this list of Maple syrup producing nations, it only makes up 18% of total Maple syrup production. The remaining 82% of the world’s Maple syrup is produced in Canada (Pure Canada Maple, 2013). An interesting fact it is little known about true Maple syrup is the fact that it is 100% pure and natural. Furthermore, strict guidelines are in place with regards to the production of Maple syrup to which both the United States and Canada subscribe. One of these professional organizations that helps to monitor the production of Maple syrup in Canada is known as the Federation of Quebec Maple Syrup Producers.
In order to ensure that the raw material that is utilized to make maple syrup, the tree itself, remains healthy, each year trees are At different places and varying heights so that growth, re-growth, and healing can take place in between the seasons of harvest. Moreover, an added benefit of Maple syrup is with respect to the fact that it represents an alternative to traditional sugar. As such, baked goods, glazes, and sweets can all be flavored with Maple syrup rather than sugar itself. Maple syrup production itself is a massive business within Canada and the United States. For instance, within Canada alone 8600 Maple syrup businesses are known to exist and registered with the government; a full 7400 of these exist in Québec itself. However, even though Maple for syrup production dominates the Canadian market in the current era, it was in fact the Amerindians who taught Canadians how to tap and boil sap in order to make maple syrup in the first place. As a function of this level of knowledge, Canadians have been known to extract around 67. 6 million pounds of syrup each and every year; exporting this to over 50 different countries around the world (Wild Blueberries, 2012). The trees that Maple syrup itself is harvested from typically live around 30 years; moreover, the base of the tree must be at least 12 inches in diameter prior to being tapped. Further, only 10 percent of the total tree sap is collected in a given year due to the fact that collecting more would be overly harmful to the future longevity of the tree itself (Brenhouse, 2012).
For every 10 gallons of sap that is harvested, a paltry 1 quart of syrup is able to be refined. Individuals responsible for harvesting the sap have noted that it runs best on warm sunny days and frosty nights. However, the Maple syrup season itself is brief; only between 10-12 days long; making this activity a quick harvest. Moreover, each tree contains between 30-50 gallons of sap; or only 1 gallon of syrup. The harvest season ends with the first signs of spring. Beyond merely Maple syrup, this product is able to be synthesized in order to produce pure sugar, Maple cream, or candy. The sap itself is only comprised of around 2. 5% sugar; however, the syrup that is produced from the sap is over 60% sugar in content (Deslauriers,, 2013).
Yet, Maples are not the only trees that produce syrup. The fact of the matter is that birch trees also can be used to create birch tree syrup. However, the process is more complex and the yield is much lower. For instance nearly 100L of birch tree sap is only capable of producing 1L of birth tree syrup.
Finally, there are three distinct grades of Maple syrup. Canada 1 implies extra light and medium light forms of maple syrup. Canada No. 2 implies a darker stronger flavor that is oftentimes used for cooking. Similarly, Canada 3, the darkest, is a very dark and molasses-like substance that is oftentimes used for industrial purposes.
References
Brenhouse, H. (2012). Sugar Rush. Time International (Atlantic Edition), 179(13), 50.
Deslauriers, J. (2013). Liquid GOLD. Finance & Development, 50(2), 48-51.
Did you know Canada?. Canada Info, 15 Jan. 2013. Web. 22 Oct. 2013. .
” Pure Canada Maple.” Canadian Alliance of Maple Syrup Producers, 19 Apr. 2013. Web. 22 Oct. 2013. .
” Wild Blueberries.” N. p., 22 Sept. 2012. Web. 22 Oct. 2013. .