Definition: Maple syrup producer

From the Latin acer ("maple") with the suffix -culteur. A person who manages a maple grove with a view to making various products from maple sap. They hire and supervise workers, coordinate and carry out the various activities required, such as tapping the trees, installing and maintaining the vacuum collection system, and processing and transforming the maple sap. They must comply with hygiene and excellence standards in order to obtain the highest quality products possible and are responsible for promoting, marketing and selling their various products. During the off-season, they perform or supervise maintenance tasks in the maple grove: caring for the maple trees, thinning, clearing trails and cleaning or repairing equipment.

Maple syrup is a product unique to North America and, more specifically, to Quebec (10,000 maple syrup producers). It is a natural product that contains no colourings or additives and is made from the sap of the sugar maple (Acer saccharum). Maple water (sap) is composed of more than 97% water, sucrose, fructose and glucose. It also contains amino acids, proteins, organic acids and vitamins in varying amounts. From a technical standpoint, maple syrup is defined by its sugar density, which is 66 degrees Brix.

Maple syrup is a unique product because its flavour and colour vary throughout the season. As the season progresses, the fructose and glucose content of maple syrup increases, while its sucrose content decreases slightly. Like sugars, the content of other natural compounds present in maple water also changes during the season (amino acids, minerals). These changes in the composition of maple water cause a change in the colour and taste of maple syrup. At the beginning of the season, the syrup is generally clear and slightly sweet in taste (Extra-clear, Clear or Medium grade syrup – AA, A or B). As the season progresses, it becomes darker and more caramelised (Amber or Dark grade syrup – C or D).

Maple syrup and its derivatives are an integral part of Quebec culture. More than just a traditional product, maple syrup is one of the cultural elements associated with Quebecers and Canadians around the world. At the origin of many traditional dishes, maple syrup remains one of the key ingredients in 21st-century Quebec and international cuisine.

Harvest:

Generally speaking, harvesting takes place during the months of March and April, depending first and foremost on the weather. The amount harvested varies greatly depending on whether there is a cycle of freezing and thawing. The season can last from eight days to almost a month. When the first thaws wake up the maple sap, all the members of the family get to work: the work is urgent because the sap won't wait! They gather their equipment: troughs, buckets, cauldrons, barrels, and head up to the maple grove. Then, a spigot is inserted, with a bucket placed underneath it. The harvest is then carried out using a barrel mounted on a sledge pulled by a horse, which is driven along a track prepared in advance.

Two or three buckets?

You have to go back regularly over the course of several hours to collect the sap and bring it back to the sugar shack. Considering that a small maple grove has between 300 and 400 trees and the largest has several thousand, it's easy to imagine the scale of the operation! Once the rounds are complete, it's back to the sugar shack. The sap is transferred to large vats that feed the cauldrons, under which large wood fires are constantly maintained. The sap is boiled over these large wood fires. This process requires a great deal of energy. In fact, it takes between 30 and 40 litres of sap to produce 1 litre of syrup. Maple syrup is ready when it contains no more than 34% water. This density is achieved when the temperature of the liquid reaches 104°C.