Where Does Maple Syrup Come From?

We know it, we love it, and it’s a must on breakfast tables and in pantries across the nation and world. Maple syrup has humble beginnings but has become the darling of gourmet food lovers and diner clientele alike. There’s nothing quite like that natural, pure maple flavor. But just what is maple syrup? And does maple syrup come from maple trees? There’s a lot to know. In fact there’s much more behind a bottle of pure maple syrup than its sweet flavor–it’s the result of nature, careful timing, and generations of maple-making knowledge. Let’s get into it. 

What Is Maple Syrup?

Pure maple syrup is concentrated maple tree sap, which–you guessed it–comes from maple trees. To be specific, it is mainly the sap of the sugar maple, black maple, silver maple and red maple that is collected to boil down and create bulk maple syrup, though other species can be used. Sugar maple is the gold standard for maple sap collection thanks to its higher sugar percentage, with the other species of maple requiring a higher quantity of sap to achieve the same final product. All of these trees are native to North America, specifically throughout the northeastern United States, The Great Lakes region, and Canada–areas with a cold winter. This area is known today as the Maple Belt.

The maple sap that is the first step in the maple syrup process consists of water along with numerous naturally occurring sugars, minerals, antioxidants and flavor compounds. As the sap is boiled and water evaporates, flavors and sugars are concentrated. The final flavor and color of the maple syrup is categorized by grades, with the darker grades resulting from sap collected later in the season. The resulting sugary, syrupy liquid is a natural sweetener that is enjoyed in countless ways.

Where Does Maple Syrup Come From?

We’ve already discussed the trees and area of the world where maple sap originate, but that’s only part of the story. There’s a specific process that’s required to produce maple syrup from sap that is trapped inside of a tree’s trunk. 

First of all, the trees are tapped. This involves drilling a small hole into an appropriately aged maple tree, into which a spout is then inserted. This interrupts the flow of sap through the xylem on its way upward through the tree. When weather conditions are right, this sap flows freely and some of it is diverted into the spout, dripping into an attached bucket (traditional) or tubing system (modern). As long as this is done responsibly and on trees of the right age–30 to 40 years old–sap collection can be done sustainably for many years without hurting the trees.

Maple sap is then collected in centralized collection systems where most of the water content is evaporated and the sap is turned into syrup. This requires careful monitoring during processing to take water content from 97% to 98% down to 32% to 33% water. This gives the syrup its classic viscosity and thickness, rich flavor and sweetness, and makes it easier to store. Once the syrup reaches the desired concentration it is filtered to remove naturally occurring mineral sediment and impurities, it’s bottled, stored, and distributed. Wholesale maple syrup is often sold to retail, food service, and bulk ingredient companies and suppliers.

How Was Maple Syrup Discovered?

Mid to late 16th and early 17th centuries mark the beginning of European records of maple trees and maple syrup production in what would become North America. No one knows for sure the moment that maple syrup was discovered, as there are several legends among native peoples. That said, it’s possible that Native Americans sampled the “sapsicles” resulting from frozen maple sap from the end of a broken twig as days began to warm in late winter. But this would have been the very diluted sap that carried nutrients throughout the tree–nothing as sweet as pure maple syrup. 

Once native peoples discovered the resource of maple sap, they eventually devised ways to collect, concentrate, and preserve it. This involved finding novel ways to heat the sap in order to evaporate excess water, since metal pots were not the norm. While they enjoyed maple syrup, it was hard to store and keep fresh, so they more often turned it into maple sugar. Regardless, by the time Europeans arrived in the New World, the native peoples already had an established culture and practice of maple sap collection and maple syrup and sugar production. Families would move into the woods during sap collection season and set up camp during the sap flow to make the most of nature’s bounty.

When is maple syrup season? It’s essentially the same as maple sap season. It runs from roughly late winter to early spring, typically February through April, when freezing nights below 32°F are followed by warm daytime temperatures in the high 30s to mid-40s. When the right environmental factors align, maple sap flows and can be collected and processed into bulk maple syrup.

Early European settlers ended up first adopting and then changing native peoples’ maple sap and preservation methods. The resulting maple sugar was a valuable sweetener and was also used for trade. Eventually, maple syrup shifted from small-scale production to a commercial industry during the mid-to-late 19th century as various inventions made it easier to produce, preserve, and store the sugary liquid.

Pure Maple Syrup In Ohio

From tree to table, every bottle of pure maple syrup has a story that begins in the maple forest and ends with careful processing, grading, and packaging. As an experienced maple producer, Bissell Maple Farm takes pride in transforming naturally collected maple sap into quality products that bring authentic maple flavor to a range of businesses and retailers.

If you are a retailer, food service provider, or bulk ingredient distributor, Bissell Maple Farm can provide you with high quality, domestically collected, locally produced maple syrup and maple sugar, all year round. Consumers who can’t find our products locally can also sample some of our offerings by shopping our site. Nate’s Hot Maple and our barrel-aged syrups are particularly popular.

Contact us with questions and to learn about the Bissell difference. Then see what our customers are saying about our delicious, natural maple syrup products and try them for yourself!