110 



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



solution can be boiled to bring it to sirup den- 

 sity. This sirup is called maple-sugar sirup to 

 distinguish it from sirup made directly from 

 sap. 



Hard sugar is made by heating maple sirup 

 to approximately 40P to 45° F. above the boiling 

 point of water. As soon as the sirup reaches the 

 desired temperature, it is removed from the 

 heat and stirred. Stirring is continued until the 

 sirup begins to crystallize and stiffen; then the 

 semisolid sirup is poured into molds. If stirring 

 is continued too long or if transfer of the sugar 

 to the molds is delayed, the sugar will solidify in 

 the cooking vessel. 



In the past, hard sugar, often called maple 

 "concrete," was the preferred form for holding 

 commercial maple sirup in storage. 



Granulated (Stirred) Sugar 



Granulated (stirred) sugar is made by heat- 

 ing maple sirup to between 40P and 45° F. above 

 the boiling point of water, as in making hard 

 sugar. The hot, partly crystallized, thickened 

 sirup is transferred from the kettle to a stirring 

 trough, and it is stirred continuously until 

 gi-anulation is achieved. In the past, this form 

 of maple sugar was made by stirring it in a 

 hollowed log usually made from basswood (fig. 

 122). 



Maple on Snoiv 



Maple on snow is a favorite of guests at a 

 maple-sirup camp. As in making stirred sugar, 

 the sirup is heated to 22^ to 4(f F. above the 

 boiling temperature of water. The final temper- 



PN-IKIK 



Figure 122. — Stirred sugar, another popular item, while 

 more easily made by stirring the sirup in a steam 

 kettle, has often been made by stirring it in a hollowed- 

 out basswood log with a wooden hoe. 



ature within this range depends on individual 

 preference. As soon as the sirup reaches the 

 desired temperature, it is poured immediately, 

 without stirring, on snow or ice. Because it 

 cools so quickly, the supersaturated solution 

 does not have a chance to crystallize; it forms a 

 thin, glassy, taffylike sheet. 



Recipes for other maple confections can be 

 obtained by writing to your State Department 

 of Agriculture or your Extension Service. 



Suimnai'^ 



Maple Sugar 



(1) Converting maple sirup to maple sugar is 

 not difficult. The only special equipment 

 required for small-scale operations is a ther- 

 mometer having an upper range of 250^ to 

 300P F. calibrated in 1° units. 



(2) Sirup that is saturated with sugar at one 

 temperature will be supersaturated when 

 cooled to another temperature. 



(3) Supersaturated sugar solutions tend to re- 

 gain their normal or saturated state by 

 throwing the excess sugar out of solution. 

 This precipitated sugar usually is in the 

 form of crystals, and the amount formed 

 depends on the degi'ee of supersaturation. 



(4) The size and number of crystals in the 

 precipitated sugar depend on the degi'ee of 

 supersaturation, the rate of cooling the sir- 

 up, and the amount and time of stirring. 



(5) Invert sugar, a product of sucrose, tends to 

 retard the crystallization. Its presence in 

 maple sirup is usually the result of fermen- 

 tation of the sap. It influences the ciystalli- 

 zation of maple sugar. Too much invert 

 sugar may prevent ciystallization of sugar 

 from a supersaturated sirup. Too little will 

 cause the maple sugar to be coarse and 

 gritty. 



Maple Cream or Butler 



(1) Use a sirup low in invert sugar (0.5 to 2 

 percent). U.S. Grade AA (Fancy) or U.S. 

 Grade A (No.l) usually meets these specifi- 

 cations. 



(2) Test all sirup for invert sugar by the quick 

 test. Do not use sirup that contains more 

 than 4 percent of invert sugar. 



