All hands were on deck last weekend at the Staples’ Sugar Shack where steam surrounded family members who were boiling, bottling and labelling this year’s maple syrup product. Pictured are daughter-in-law Stacey holding daughter Scarlett, Mark, Bob and Jill Staples, with Emily in front.
By Karen Graham
This time of year, you can find the Staples family working together in their sugar shack located on Highway 7A between Cavan and Bethany. Producing world class maple syrup is a long standing family tradition, dating back seven generations to 1813, but this year for Jill and Bob, the annual ritual is made sweeter by the return to the community of both of their children. Son Mark has relocated to Cavan from Alberta with his young family, and after studying abroad and working in Toronto, daughter Meaghan has also come home, and their parents couldn’t be happier.
The Staples’ “Sugar Shack” is not a rustic cabin in the woods where they boil syrup in a caldron over a wood stove. The wood stove has been replaced by a sparkling industrial size oil-fired steel evaporator and a sophisticated reverse osmosis system. They currently tap 3600 trees, which each produce roughly 40 litres of sap which eventually yield a litre of the final product. Most of their products are sold directly to the consumer at the weekly Peterborough Farmers’ Market and at their home, and it can be found on the shelves of local retailers including Bear Essentials.
On Sunday, the steam was visible from the highway as production was in full swing and inside the building, family members were boiling, bottling and labelling the final product. The season has been iffy, beginning early with the unseasonal weather a few weeks ago but shutting down for a week or so when temperatures dipped. Ideal weather requires day time temperatures from 4 to 6 degrees Celsius dipping to -5 degrees or lower at night. The long range forecasts indicate that the season could extend for at least another week.
The flavour and colour of the syrup depends on how early in the season it is produced. The pale, light grade syrup is the first to be produced, and as the season extends, the colour darkens. This is because as the ground around the trees thaws, the sap begins to pull more nutrients from the soil, reflecting in the sap colour.
Last year, the syrup grading system underwent a complete overhaul. Formerly a patchwork of regulations varying within provinces and US States, last February an international grading system was introduced to simplify and standardize syrup grades. Gone are grade B categories, and fuzzy, subjective distinctions. Now all syrup is Grade A, and the four new names reflect the degree of light transmission allowed by the liquid. The lightest-coloured samples are now called Golden, and allow more 75% of light transmission. This syrup has a very delicate taste and is the one usually poured over pancakes. Next is the Amber grade, which has a richer flavour and allows between 50% to 75% light transmission. This is a mid-season product suitable for baking, glazes and cocktails. Dark syrup is next on the list, formerly known as Dark Amber or Grade B. Boasting a robust flavour with 25% to 50% light transmission, it can sweeten a sauce or a salmon glaze. Finally there is the Very Dark grade, which is the last product of the season with a very strong flavour. This product is usually used commercially in candy production, and some suggest it can be used in baking as a substitute for molasses if you can find it.
As an all-natural product, there is growing evidence that maple syrup offers unique health benefits. Previously identified as a healthy sweetener due to its ability to regulate blood sugar, the most recent news is even better. Last week a symposium of the American Chemical Society heard results of several international studies exploring the beneficial effects of natural products like maple syrup on the prevention of neurodegenerative diseases, particularly Alzheimer’s. This was the first time the possibility was raised that maple syrup may protect brain cells against the kind of neurological damage found in Alzheimer’s disease.
While maple syrup may rank after to red wine as a welcome addition to the list of healthy food, it will beat green tea and goji berries every time. Celebrate Maple weekend, April 2nd and 3rd this year by finding a new way to use this delicious, natural sweetener.
