Transcript What is the maple syrup - Czech Technical University in Prague

Maple Syrup Production
 Frank Prive
What is the maple
syrup ?
The maple syrup is a kind of
sweetener made of the water
collected from some species
of maple trees during the
spring, called the sap.
A little bit of history...
The tradition of collecting the
maple water and boiling it to
produce syrup comes from
Native people of Quebec.
Long before the arrival of
Europeans, they appreciated
the energy and nutrients.
Practicing a rudimentary hole
with a tomahawk, they set at
the bottom of the hole a chip of
wood that transported water to
a container made of tree bark.
Then, they were boiling the
collected water in clay pots to
get maple syrup.
The start of a grand tradition...
From t the 17th and 18th centuries,
this tradition passed rapidly to the
first settlers for whom the syrup
represented the first major source of
sugar.
Early settlers boiled the water in iron
cauldrons. Using rudimentary
shelters to protect themselves from
the cold, they would "run the sugars".
It was for them and to us today, a
period of celebration for the end of
winter and the arrival of spring.
Sugar in trees ?
Maple trees transform into sugar
the starch formed during its
growth. The sugar is naturally
mixes with the water absorbed by
the roots of the tree.
In the spring, when warmer
temperatures come, water in the
trunk and roots expands and
causes pressure inside the tree.
The alternation of cold nights,
when the temperature is below
zero, and days where the
temperature is above zero,
promotes the flow of maple sap.
How do we do maple syrup today?
Tapping
In early March, when the snow begins to
melt, we pierces a hole in the maple tree with
a crank or an electric drill (in such tree c. 10 cm).
Small maple grove install
bins on the trees to poured
maple sap.
For biggest maple grove
Tubing (from 1965)
A system of plastic pipes
is place in a network
that collect the water
from maple trees and
move it to the main
building by gravity
where it is collected
through a pressure
pump.
Start of the process
To control the microbial growth,
we must be very careful with the
installation, maintenance,
cleaning and sanitation of the
tubing.
Then water made its ways to the
maple grove main building, where
it will be transform.
Filtration and Sterilization
The sap is then passed through a filter
to take out all impurities.
Adding ultraviolet lamps are an
effective means of sterilizing the maple
sap by destroying bacteria and other
microorganisms found there.
Reverse osmosis
The reverse osmosis takes place within
a cylinder. The maple sap, contains 2%
to 3% sugar, at its entrance.
It passes along a semi-permeable
membrane, which gradually leaves out
some of the water.
At the exit, there is thus the freshwater
that we have extracted, and the maple
sap concentrate containing up to 8%
sugar and mineral elements.
Evaporator
The syrup must contain around 66% of sugar.
So, we need to reduce the water content of the
sap through evaporation.
We need a uniform and intense fire to keep the
sap boiling constantly. The taste of the syrup and
its color will be altered if evaporation is too slow.
The sugar syrup is reached when the
temperature of the liquid rises to 3.94 ° C (7.1 °
F) above the boiling point of water. This results
give the syrup a density of 66 degrees Brix. The
degrees Brix is a measure of the sugar content in
maple products.
Last filtration
During the evaporation causes
the sugar to be concentrated in
the syrup, but the minerals too.
These minerals, known as
"Râche", in French, form
sediment at the bottom of the
evaporator and must be
removed by filtering. We
therefore pass the hot syrup in
thick felt filters to obtain a
product attractive and clear.
Some producers use a filter
press that pushes the hot syrup
through a series of very fine
filters.
Packaging
The syrup is then bottled in glass
containers, plastic or galvanized metal
boxes while still very hot (85 ° C, 185 ° F
or more). This high temperature sterilized
containers and prevents the formation of
mold.
Quality
Maple syrup is a 110% natural product. Its flavor and color vary during the
season because of its natural composition. In general, as the progress of the
season, the fructose and glucose increased, while the sucrose decreases slightly.
In addition to the different types of sugar, the content of other natural
compounds present in maple water also varies during the season (amino acids,
minerals). This change in the composition of maple water causes a change in
color and taste of maple syrup, again depending on the time of harvest. Earlier
in the season, the syrup is clear, subtly sweet taste (extra light syrup, light or
medium - AA, A or B). It becomes increasingly dark and caramelized during the
season (or dark amber syrup - C or D).
Others maple products
40 litres of sap
= 1 litre of syrup