Tuesday’s Cupful: Maple Syrups

A tree's sweet extract and the alternatives

The syrup poured on pancakes (French toast, and waffles) might be maple syrup or manufactured sweet syrups. Maple syrup possesses a strong sweetness with a slight woodsy flavor that is different from honey. Still, consumers have options:

Maple Syrup

It’s the natural sweetener that’s obtained from tapping any of three varieties of maple trees: sugar, red, and black. Vermont is the maple syrup capital of the United States. European colonists learned how to make maple syrup from Native Americans. The tree sap must be harvested (in the spring months) and then boiled to remove excess liquid. The result is the all-natural sweet syrup. Bottles labeled “Maple Syrup” must contain 100% pure maple syrup. It takes 40 gallons of maple tree sap to make 1 gallon of maple syrup so expect to spend a little more for genuine maple syrup.

Maple-flavored syrups

These are made with high-fructose corn syrup. Different flavor agents are added to create a maple-syrup like taste and feel. Bottles are labeled pancake syrup, waffle syrup, and table syrup. They are also cheaper to produce (than real maple syrup) and cost less at the cash register.

Sugar-Free Maple Syrups

There are now many producers of this diabetic-friendly sweet syrup. Most use an artificial sweetener, such as Splenda. These are definitely worth trying if you need to watch your sugar intake. The flavors have improved in more recent versions.