1909.] PUBLIC DOCUMENT — No. 31. 45 



The Preservation of Maple Syrup. 



BY G. E. STONE. 



Those who delight in the fresh and delicions flavor of new 

 maple syrup, and who care little for the fermented product, 

 will be interested in the fact that by the simple process of steril- 

 ization much of the flavor is retained indefinitely. 



The writer often receives complaints in regard to the fer- 

 mentation and loss of flavor of maple syruj), and for some years 

 has sterilized it, with good results. There is much diflerence 

 in the specific gravity of the syrup sold, some grades spoiling 

 more quickly than others. 



The fermentation of maple syrup is evidently due to the fact 

 that it becomes contaminated with organisms, and bv steriliza- 

 tion its freshness is retained. The ordinary blue molds — Peni- 

 cillium glaiicum. Link, aud Aspergillus glaucus, de Bary, — 

 are occasionally found growing in maple syrup, and one year 

 we found a number of flasks contaminated with Penicillium 

 hrevicaule, Sacc. 



There is almost no limit to the amount of sugar which some 

 organisms will tolerate. HeahP and Poole ^ have recently dis- 

 covered a species of Torula in maple syrup, and their experi- 

 ments have shown that this species is capable of growing in a 

 75 per cent, solution of sugar. 



> Twenty first report of the Neltraska Agricultural Exi)erinK)nt Statiou. 



