Maple Roch
FAQ
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The maple syrup production process gets its start from one of nature’s true phenomena. In springtime, when the nights are still cold, water from the soil is absorbed into the maple tree. During the day, the warmer temperature creates pressure that pushes the water back down to the bottom of the tree, making it easy to collect the precious maple sap. The sap is gathered over 12 to 20 days, usually between early March and late April.
After harvesting in the maple woods, the sap is transported to a sugar house where it boils down to become real maple syrup. During cooking, storage tank pipes feed sap to a long and narrow ridged pan called an evaporator. As it boils, water evaporates and becomes denser and sweeter. Sap boils until it reaches the density of maple syrup. About 40 liters (10.5 gallons) of sap boil down to one liter (about .25 gallons or one quart) of pure maple syrup. For other maple products – Maple Roch Organic Spread, Maple Roch Caramel with Sea Salt, or Maple Roch Sugar – the sweet syrup is further boiled in the evaporator to the temperature necessary to produce the different types of maple products. After evaporation, the finished products are bottled, and are shipped to our store. In the case of Arbeau Maple Sap Water, distilled water is captured and bottled right away.
Maple Syrup is graded, or categorized by its color, or more specifically, the amount of light that is able to pass through the syrup. The current grading system in Canada was introduced for 2017 and recognizes the following grades.
Organic maple syrup is produced using no chemicals, pesticides or genetic modification. In addition, organic producers must adhere to a number of restrictions and regulations outlining everything from how the trees are tapped and the collection of sap through to the bottling process in order to obtain organic certification. We are proud to call all our products fine Canadian organic maple syrup.
Sugar Maple trees are not indigenous to British Columbia, however there are a cluster of Sugar Maple Trees that were imported to Summerland many years ago. In the early spring of 2018 we tapped 15 of those imported trees. We were able to harvest 600 litres of Maple Sap from the trees.
Of course! Maple syrup can be used as a healthy option to sugar in many recipes, including baked goods, glazes, sauces and more. A rough guideline is to use 2/3 cup of maple syrup for every 1 cup of granulated sugar in the recipe. Then reduce any other liquids in the recipe by 1/4 cup and lower the baking temperature by 25 degrees F. Maple syrup can replace other liquid sweeteners such as honey, molasses and corn syrup in a 1:1 ratio.
Yes! Maple syrup is a completely vegan sweetener as the trees are not harmed in any way by extracting the sap. It is a completely natural unprocessed sugar. No other ingredients are added during the bottling process. In addition, maple syrup has a very low impact on the environment, making it the 'green' sweetener as well!
Maple syrup isn't only the better tasting sweetener choice, it is also much better for your health! Maple Syrup has a higher nutritional value than other sweeteners and contains less calories than corn syrup or honey. It is an excellent source of manganese, riboflavin, calcium, magnesium and potassium. Maple syrup is also a source of many antioxidants, some of which are only found in maple syrup.
Table or pancake syrup from your grocery store often relies on high fructose corn syrup as the main sweetener and even brands that claim to contain maple syrup often have as little as 5 percent real maple syrup content. Don't miss out on the healthy, better tasting choice - choose Maple Roch organic maple syrup products!
Yes, please contact us for more information.