66 



AGRICULTURE HANDBOOK 134, U.S. DEPT. OF AGRICULTURE 



Table 8. — Composition ofynaple sap and 

 sirup ' 



Sap 



Sap (dry Sirup (dry 

 weiRlit) weight) 



Percent Percent Percent 



Sugars 2.000 97.0 98.0 



Organic acids .030 ^1.5 .3 



Ash .014 ".7 .8 



Protein .008 .4 .4 



Unaccounted for __ .009 .4 .5 



' Typical values, not averages. Maple sap and sirup 

 vary in composition between rather wide limits. 



Table 9. — Siigars in maple sap and sirup 



' Typical values, not averages. 



■ The oligosaccharides have been isolated by chroma- 

 tography but have not been identified. 



may prove to be useful in detecting adultera- 

 tion (151). One or more of these acids may be 

 important in forming "maple flavor." Sap con- 

 tains soluble ligninlike substances that are in- 

 volved in the formation of maple flavor (117). 



The ash or mineral matter (table 11) accounts 

 for only 0.66 percent of the whole sirup, or 1 

 percent of the dry solids. Although the minerals 

 are only a minor part of the sirup, they have 

 been useful in establishing the purity of maple 

 sirup and they contribute an astringency to the 

 sirup that many find desirable. 



Calcium, a part of the ash, is responsible for 

 the sugar-sand scale, calcium malate, which 

 forms on the pans (18). The low sodium and 

 high potassium content of the ash suggests the 

 use of maple in dietary foods. 



Composition of sugar sand ranges as follows 

 U8): 



Range 



Sugar sand in run percent__ 0.05- 1.42 



pH 6.30- 7.20 



Ca percent-. 0.61-10.91 



K do 0.146-0.380 



Mg do 0.011-0.190 



Mn do — _ 0.06- 0.29 



P .... do 0.03- 1.18 



Fe p.p.m... 38-1,250 



Cu p.p.m._. 7- 143 



B p.p.m..^ 3.4- 23 



Mo p.p.m... 0.17- 2.46 



Free acid percent-^ 0.07- 0.37 



Total malic acid do 0.76-38.87 



Acids other than malic do 0.08-2.62 



Undetermined material do 6.94-34.16 



Calcium malate do 1.30^9.41 



Sugars in dried samples do 33.90-85.74 



Sugar sand in dried samples do 14.26-66.09 



Table 10. — Nonvolatile organic acids in maple 

 sap and sirup ' 



Acid 



Sap 



Sap (dry 

 weight) 



Sirup (dry 

 weight) 



Table 11. — Mineral composition of maple 

 sirup ' 



