Fun Maple Syrup Facts

Fun Maple Syrup Facts. . , . Maple syrup is one of the few agricultural products distinctive to North America. , . Pure maple syrup is a 100% natural food. It is full of electrolytes, minerals, vitamins and antioxidants. It has no fat or cholesterol, is low in sodium, and has no more calories than sugar. , . The numbers of gallons of sap it takes to produce a gallon of syrup is determined by dividing 86 by its sugar content. If sugar content is 2% it would take 43 gallons of syrup to make one gallon of sap. This is known as the Rule of 86. , . Sap flows through a portion of the tree trunk called sapwood. Sapwood consists of actively growing cells that conduct water and nutrients from the roots to the branches of the tree. , . The flavor of the sap is influenced by genetics, environmental factors and tree health. , . Canada has developed a flavor wheel that details 91 unique flavors that can be detected in maple sap, much like wine tasting. , . The sugar water will flow from the sugar maple tree only when the temperatures fluctuate above freezing during the day and below freezing at night. , . Sugar water that comes out of the tree is crystal clear and only slightly sweet. , . No lasting damage is done to a tree in the tapping process. Tap holes completely heal within 6 months or so. , . The sugar maple is the state tree of New York, Vermont, Wisconsin, and West Virginia. , . The maple leaf flies at the center of Canada's national flag, which is entirely appropriate since Canada produces about 80% of the world's supply of maple sugar. The United States produces the remaining 20%, with Vermont producing 35% of this. Japan is the largest importer. , . The boiling point of maple syrup is 219 degrees Fahrenheit, or 7 degrees above the boiling point of water. , . Thomas Jefferson started a maple plantation at Monticello in 1791. He advocated for use of maple sugar over cane sugar. , . The Algonquin Indians called maple sap sinzibukwud, meaning drawn from wood. , . The tapping season typically lasts for approximately six weeks, but can be shorter or longer depending on weather and when tapping began. , . As soon as the buds on the trees begin to open, the sap becomes off flavor and is no longer suitable for making maple syrup., "A sap-run is the sweet goodbye of winter. It is the fruit of the equal marriage of the sun and frost." -John Burroughs, Signs and Seasons, 1886