Canadian Maple Syrup 250ml

The Wholefood Pantry 100% Pure Canadian Maple syrup is sourced from the beautiful maple forests that populate the Portneuf region of Quebec. The highest care is taken to ensure that the process of turning maple water into the maple syrup we all love, maintains that classic maple syrup taste.

What’s so good about Maple Syrup? The nutrients found in maple syrup include energy, water, protein, fat, carbohydrates, and sugars. In terms of minerals, it contains calcium, iron, magnesium, phosphorus sodium, potassium, and zinc. Vitamins such as thiamin, riboflavin, niacin, and B6 are also found in maple syrup.

How is Maple Syrup made? When spring temperatures warm, this enables sugar maple trees to turn their stored starch back into sugar. The sap is made by way of the maple tree mixing ground water with the sugar. The sap is generally clear water containing about 2% sugar. By drilling the tree, capturing the sap and boiling it down, this removes most of the water content. It takes about 150 litres of sap to make about 4 litres of maple syrup, which has a sugar content of 66.9%.

What grade is our Maple Syrup? “Canada Grade A” 

How is Canadian Maple Syrup graded? Maple Syrup comes in different grades as a means of reflecting it’s purity and quality set in place by the Government of Canada. This grading system has only recently changed from a numbers classification system to the current grading system.

Previously these grades were “Canada No. 1”, “Canada No. 2” and “Canada No. 3” with “Canada No. 1” being the highest quality Maple Syrup available. Under the new legislated grading system “Canada Grade A” is now the highest quality followed by “Canada Processing Grade”.

In order for Maple Syrup to qualify for “Canada Grade A” classification it needs to meet the fowlling criteria.

• (a) it is free from fermentation;
• (b) it is uniform in colour and free from sediment and free from any cloudiness or turbidity;
• (c) its colour class is
  • (i) Golden, Delicate Taste,
  • (ii) Amber, Rich Taste,
  • (iii) Dark, Robust Taste, or
  • (iv) Very Dark, Strong Taste; and
• (d) it has a maple flavour characteristic of its colour class and is free from any objectionable odour or taste.

Fructose Comparrison: Maple Syrup can contain up to 40% of Fructose, that said, it does contain some great health benefits and is often the choice of natural sweetner for many who follow a paleolithic diet.  

Coconut Sugar/nectar/syrup contains 38 – 48% fructose which is the same amount in sucrose (White Cane Sugar)

Agave contains 90% fructose, around 40% higher than white cane sugar!

How to use Maple Syrup? Pour over pancakes and ice cream or use as a sweetner. Pour over roasting nuts & seeds like macadamias, almonds, cashews and sunflower seeds.