• Maple sap looks and tastes like water.
• Maple sap contains only 2-4% sugar.
• It takes about 40 gallons of sap, boiled down, to make one gallon of pure maple syrup.
• Warm days (40°-50°) followed by cold nights (below freezing) are the most desirable conditions for sap flow.
• A maple tree is not worth tapping until it is about 40 years old.
• In a good season, one maple tree will produce about eight gallons of sap.
• Pure maple syrup can be frozen without altering the quality of the maple syrup. If freezing, leave head space in jar.
• Pure maple syrup is assigned a grade by law. This grade must appear on every container.
  • GRADE A - LIGHT AMBER (Fancy Grade): very light color and the most delicate maple flavor.
  • GRADE A - MEDIUM AMBER: golden amber color with a slightly more pronounced maple flavor.
  • GRADE A - DARK AMBER: deep amber color with a pronounced, mellow, and rich maple flavor. This is the most widely recognized "table" grade of pure maple syrup.
  • GRADE B: darkest color with a very pronounced, robust maple flavor. This grade is typically recommended as an ingredient for cooking.

BUDDY: Popular term for an objectionable bitter flavor of syrup produced at the end of the sugaring season when the trees begin to bud out.

CRUDE SAP: Unboiled sap as it is gathered from the tree, prior to budding in the spring.

FIRST RUN: The start of the sugaring season or the first flow of sap, usually initiated by a sudden thaw that triggers the sap flow mechanism in the maples.

MAPLE SAP: The watery cell fluid of a maple, usually with a sugar content of 2-3 percent.

MAPLE SYRUP: Condensed maple sap with a boiling point 7 degrees above the Fahrenheit boiling point of water (approximately 219°).

METABOLISM: Taste description for an objectionable bitter flavor of syrup produced during warm conditions or near the end of the sugaring season when the trees begin to bud out. Precedes appearance of stronger "buddy" flavor. (Off flavor caused by metabolites in sap.)

RUN: A flow of sap, usually during the daylight hours of one day - occasionally longer.

SUCROSE: The natural sugar of the maple tree and the primary sugar found in maple syrup.

SUGAR [verb]: To make maple syrup of sugar.

SUGARBUSH: Grove of sugar maple trees. (Also called sugar grove, sugar orchard and sugar woods.)

SUGAR-ON-SNOW: Freshly made maple syrup taken at about 234° and poured while hot over clean snow or shaved ice.

SWEET TREE: A maple that produces sap with a higher-than-average sugar content and sap flow.

TAPPED OUT: In sugaring, a state of readiness at the beginning of the season, after all tapholes have been drilled and spouts placed.

TAPPING: Drilling a hole in a maple tree, inserting a spout or spile and hanging a bucket or connecting to a pipeline system.

What makes Maple Syrup Organic?

The sugar bush, where the sap is collected, has to have records showing that the trees have not been treated with any prohibited substances. No spraying of pesticides, herbicides, etc. are allowed in adjacent areas. Because the majority of the heavy-producing sugar bush areas are remote in New England and Canada, it is fairly easy to ensure organic "sap".

Any substance that could prolong the flow of sap (i.e formaldehyde or other substances) is prohibited.

The sugar house, where the sap is concentrated or boiled into Maple Syrup must be an approved Organic sugar house.

All organic maple syrup must be certified by an approved organic certifying agency. The USDA’s NOP program (National Organic Program) certifies the agencies. Dutch Gold and McLure’s are certified by PCO (Pennsylvania Certified Organic) who inspects our facilities on behalf of the USDA. McLure's only accepts maple syrup from producers that are certified organic by an NOP approved certifier; furthermore the certifier must have physically visited the organic producing area.

How does McLure's maintain the integrity of Organic Maple Syrup?

All organic maple syrup is stored in a segregated area to prevent co-mingling organic and non-organic product.

Organic maple syrup is only processed after all equipment has been completely flushed with hot water and PCO approved chemicals. The system is flushed with fresh water. All of our equipment is completely clean and emptied of all prior maple syrup. Because of these requirements we only run Organic maple syrup on Monday mornings after a complete system cleaning.

All labels must be approved by PCO before they go into production.

McLure's must be able to track 100% of the organic maple syrup; this is inspected yearly by organic inspectors.

Maple Syrup is a wholesome product created in a natural process by boiling the sap of maple trees. Proteins are associated with most true food allergies, and are found in peanuts, soybeans, milk, eggs, fish crustacea, tree nuts and wheat. Maple Syrup itself contains no protein. The major component of Maple Syrup are simple sugars.

Allergic reactions stemming from the consumption of Maple Syrup are very uncommon.

Does Maple Syrup contain Trans Fats?

Maple Syrup is a natural product produced from the sap of maple trees. Maple syrup is predominantly carbohydrate and does not contain any fat. Because no fat is present, there can be no trans fat.

Why doesn't McLure's list Trans Fats on their Nutritional Labels?

Because maple syrup contains 8 or more nutrients with a declared value of zero, maple syrup qualifies for "simplified" nutritional panel format. Since no claim is made about fat, fatty acid or cholesterol content, and the amount of trans fat is less than .5 grams, declaration of trans fat is not necessary in the "simplified" format.

In compliance with the FDA's trans fat labeling rule, McLure's currently meets the requirements for the simplified format and is not obligated to make any label changes.

The trans fat labeling rule from July 11, 2003 Federal Register can be found at:

http://www.cfsan.fda.gov/~acrobat/fr03711a.pdf