Importer of quality pure maple syrup products. Pure maple syrup. Special occasion. Canada no 1 medium. 12 x 250ml per carton. Delicious as a topping for pancakes,waffles,crepes and ice cream. Long before white settlers came to Canada, Indians were making a dark sugar from the sap of maple trees. There are several varieties of maple trees in North America, eastern Asia and China, but none matches the sugar maple (Acer saccharum) for amount and quality of sap. Once the sugary sap begins to flow in the sapwood of the tree, it is time for tapping. At this moment, the sap is 97.5% water, 2.4% sugar and 0.1% minerals. A hot and sunny summer with good rainfall promotes the formation of plentiful reserves of sap. A winter in which the ground is not frozen too deeply and is gradually warmed with the approach of spring contributes to a good flow. Spring weather has an even greater effect on sap production. Nights with temperatures at or below the freezing point must be followed by days with thawing temperatures (up to 8°C) so that sufficient pressure develops to make the sap flow. The trees should be tapped as the sun's heat increases , snow begins to melt and roofs start to drip. This may be any time from mid-March to the beginning of April. Evaporation transforms sap into syrup. Although improved evaporation equipment has appeared over the years, the basic principle remains unchanged. The sap is brought rapidly to a boil and the temperature kept steady as the liquid gradually thickens. Evaporation that is too slow or too fast will affect the color, flavor and texture of the syrup. Depending on the sugar content, 30 to 45 L of sap are needed to make 1 L of syrup (the trees on 1 ha produce about 250 L of syrup).