Pure Maple Syrup Grades

With no preservatives, additives or chemicals pure maple syrup is a wild crafted natural product. If it says ‘pure’, the maple syrup you are using is 66.0 to 68.5 % sugar regardless of its colour or taste. Maple syrup is a true natural product which is only produced between the middle of March and the middle of April. The rule of thumb in the maple industry is that in the early spring when the temperatures are still cool, the sap which comes from the maple tree produces lighter syrup with a slightly milder taste.

As the season progresses and the temperatures increase, the sap begins a natural chemical transformation which makes the syrup darken and acquire a slightly stronger maple flavour. Despite this chemical transformation all colours and flavours of maple syrup contain the same amount of sugar and require the same boiling time.

Like most agricultural commodities in Canada maple syrup has different grade distinctions. In Canada the grades are; Canada No. 1, 2 and 3. The grade of the syrup is determined primarily by the maple syrups colour class. These colour classes include; extra light, light, medium, amber and dark. The colour class of maple syrup is determined by the amount of light that will pass through the syrup, also known as light transmission. The more light that passes through the maple syrup the higher the colour class will be.

So what does all this mean? Well, most people don't choose syrup because it looks good, they want it to taste good, making the real issue taste. Although lighter syrup is often coveted as higher quality because of its golden appearance, most people actually prefer the darker grades because of their more robust flavours. Most maple syrup that is made in any given year is Canada No. 1 Medium. But this is not always the case as crop yield and quality are completely dependant on the forces of nature.

Just remember this; the darker the syrup the bolder the flavour. If you like a really strong maple flavour then you would prefer the darker grades, medium and amber. If you like a syrup that is more middle of the road, try a lighter grade, light, or medium. If you enjoy pure maple syrup in your cooking or baking we recommend you use the darkest grade possible. This is because you will not require as much to have that great maple undertone in your cooking. For a table syrup the best choice is a medium grade pure maple syrup, not too strong and not too mild, just right.

At Acadian Maple we source out the highest quality, premium pure maple syrup produced in the highlands of Nova Scotia. Being a wild crafted product, pure maple syrup acquires tastes, flavours and aromas from the surrounding natural environment. As spring melt water runs over different rock & vegetation on its way to the tree roots, to become the sweet sap of the maple tree, it acquires a whole host of varying tastes and flavours distinct to each individual sugaring operation.

Only establishments that are federally registered with the Canadian Food Inspection Agency, as maple producers or packers can apply a Canadian grade to pure maple syrup. Below is a table of the Canadian grades for pure maple syrup. Any syrup produced or packaged in a federally registered establishment must bear the correct grade, colour class and license number on any container for sale. If you look closely at any container of our pure maple syrup you will find the grade, colour class, license number and batch code.

Canada - US Maple Syrup Grade Comparison