Maple Syrup: More Than Just a Pancake Topping

As we begin to transition from winter into spring, there is a period of time where the days are relatively warm but temperatures continue to dip below freezing during the night. This time of the year brings longer days and the promise of warmer temperatures to come. It's a time to start planning for spring activities such as cleaning the yard or ordering supplies for planting the garden but for many people in Pennsylvania, this is a time to get busy working…making maple syrup.

Many people don't realize that Pennsylvania is a significant producer of maple syrup. According to the USDA National Agricultural Statistics Service maple syrup producers in Pennsylvania put 710,000 taps into maple trees and made 169,000 gallons of syrup in 2020. Pennsylvania consistently ranks in the top 5 to 7 maple producing states in the country each year. 

Maple syrup is a natural product that has nothing added to it during the production process. This means there are no artificial flavorings, colors, or preservatives added to the syrup. Sap from a maple tree is collected during early spring when the sap is flowing. In order for the sap to flow, warm days and freezing nights are necessary which makes the "sugar" season relatively short, typically lasting 4 to 6 weeks each year. Once the sap is collected, it is then boiled to evaporate the majority of the water from the sap to concentrate the sugar that is in it. The syrup is then filtered, bottled, and ready to sell. 

Maple syrup contains 66% to 69% sugar (mostly sucrose). While having too much of any kind of sugar can certainly lead to potential health issues, studies have shown that there are some benefits to using maple syrup over other types of sugar. Researchers at the University of Rhode Island identified 54 beneficial compounds in maple syrup. Some are polyphenols which have been found to have anti-inflammatory properties. Maple syrup has also been found to be an excellent source of manganese and riboflavin and a good source of zinc.  It also contains a source of magnesium, calcium, and potassium.  These nutrients are not found or only found in very small quantities in white sugar.

You may be thinking "That's great but I only eat pancakes once in a while."  Maple syrup can be used for much more than just a breakfast topping. A few examples are maple cream which is a spreadable topping that is great on toast or bagels (my kids enjoy spreading it on pretzels). It is used as a coating on things such as nuts and can be turned into small, sweet nuggets of candy. Granulated maple sugar is available and could be used to sweeten your coffee, sprinkle on vanilla ice cream, or used in recipes to replace regular sugar. There are now drinks that are being created that include maple as part of the ingredients. In fact, more and more people are using maple syrup to replace the sugar that many recipes call for. If you do a quick search on the internet you can find many recipes that include maple syrup in the list of ingredients rather than regular sugar.

As we move into the heart of the maple syrup season in Pennsylvania, I encourage you to think about trying maple syrup in new ways this year. Try making your own maple-covered peanuts or scour the internet to find interesting recipes to test with your family and friends and enjoy the sweet treat that Mother Nature offers us each year.