Aging of the maple syrup: key factor in processing

Invert sugar content analysis is a key factor in the processing of maple products. It is analysed using a glucometer. Some of the sucrose in maple syrup is present in a split form, as separate fructose and glucose molecules. In most cases, this hydrolysis results from the action of micro-organisms. The conversion occurs over time and is accelerated by high temperatures. Sugar “inversion” changes the taste and cooking properties of the syrup. Some steps must be followed to slow down the maple syrup aging process.

 

Aging maple syrup
A glucometer is used to measure the amount of invert sugar.

 

 

Composition of maple syrup

Maple syrup is a saccharine type of sugar, comparing to honey which is a glucose sugar.  It makes it hard to process, but it gives us the opportunity to process it in many types of pure maple products, such as the pure maple butter (we say “pure maple spread” at La Ferme Martinette) that will cristallise so fineley during its transformation that we will say that it’s smooth like butter… We also make pure granulated maple sugar, a worthy replacement for other form of sugar found on the market.

The older the maple syrup is, the more splitted the saccharine molecule will be in glucose and fructose, the more inverted the maple syrup will be. We suggest you keep your maple syrup in the fridge to slow the aging process.

Analysing the % of invert sugar contained in maple syrup is very important. It helps us know which product we will be able to do with it.  For example, we will use a non inverted maple syrup to process the pure maple sugar because we want the sugar to cristallize easily during its processing. Otherwise, we will use a very old maple syrup (very highly inverted) to produce clear hard maple candies and lollipops, because we want them to stay clear.

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