Are you a grade B maple syrup fan? For a lot of maple syrup connoisseurs, grade B was always the go-to syrup. It’s dark, caramelly, rich, complex. But unfortunately, you can’t get it anymore. To understand why, we have to look at the science behind the whole process, from sap to syrup. On the way, we’ll cover hydrometers, reverse osmosis, boiling point elevation and George’s dislike of Maillard reaction diagrams.
Sources:
- The Chemical Composition of Maple Syrup
- Chemical composition of five standard grades of pure maple syrup
- United States Standards for Grades of Maple Sirup (Syrup)
- 168.140 Maple sirup
- Agriculture - Maple Statistics
- Consumer Preference for Graded Maple Syrup
- Sap flow, wounding and compartmentalization in maple
- North American Maple Syrup Producers Manual full
- Making the Grade—The Color and Flavor of Maple Syrup
- Formation of flavour compounds in the Maillard reaction
- Maple syrup production from sap preconcentrated to ultra high °Brix by membrane technology
- Assessment of the Flavor of Syrup Produced with High-Brix RO Systems
- United States Standards for Grades of Maple Syrup
- Maple syrup grades