History of Maple Sugaring
Maple sugaring is the practice of extracting maple syrup from sap and has been an integral practice in North
America long before Europeans settled in the region. Many legends are surrounding the origins of maple
sugaring but it is not known which Native American group first began harvesting the syrup from maple trees.
One legend speculates that maple syrup was discovered after a Native American chief threw a tomahawk at a
tree and sap ran out of the tree.
With the arrival of European colonists in North America, dairy farmers looking for more affordable sources
of sweeteners that were cheaper and better than molasses or sugar turned to maple syrup. To collect the sap,
the colonists would drill small holes into the trees between winter and spring when the ambient air
temperature is around 40 degrees. To collect the maple sap large buckets are placed at the base of the tree
before being boiled and mixed with water. Because sap is about 98 percent water it takes about 40 gallons of
sap to make one gallon of maple syrup.
The Increasing Need for Maple Testing
Fast forward 300 years and maple syrup continues to be a popular alternative to processed sugars in North
America. This is evidenced by the maple syrup industry growing over 10 percent annually for the last four
years. According to the article, A Brief History of Maple Syrup, “Thanks to increasing demand and poor
sugaring weather in some regions over the past several years, retail prices have spiked to as much as $80
per gallon in some places.”
As maple syrup demand increases and gets more expensive, there are strong financial incentives among some
bad actors to increase profit margins by stretching the maple with cheaper syrups. It has become
increasingly more important for customers to perform maple testing to ensure their products are not
adulterated. With simple maple testing, customers can guarantee the quality of their maple syrup.
Siratech’s Maple Testing
Using stable isotope ratio analysis, Siratech performs maple testing by identifying the expected chemical
makeup of the sample and comparing it to the sample’s reported results. A difference in chemistry can be
identified because maple sugar derived from sap has a very narrow isotope ratio range around -24, whereas
cane sugar, which can be processed to taste much like maple and can appear chemically identical, has a
carbon isotope ratio value around -10. Siratech’s maple testing uses the SIRA analytical method to determine
the addition of cane or corn sugars to maple products.
Are you ready to start maple testing with Siratech? Contact us today to begin your maple testing.
