50 Delicious Maple Recipes (2024)

FAQs

What do Canadians put their maple syrup on? ›

When the sap reaches 66.9% sugar, it is then maple syrup. Maple syrup that is boiled too long will crystallize and maple syrup that isn't boiled long enough will spoil quickly and will be watery because the concentration of sugar in the syrup will be too low.

Although maple is lovely all year round, it's definitely best in comforting fall dishes. It plays well with other seasonal flavors — apple-maple and maple-cinnamon being classic combinations — but it also complements foods more commonly associated with savory dishes, like bacon or rosemary.

Unopened maple syrup of any kind can be stored in a cool, dark place until you're ready to use it, ideally within two years. But once opened, pure maple syrup should be stored in the refrigerator.

In Canada, syrups must be made exclusively from maple sap to qualify as maple syrup and must also be at least 66 per cent sugar. In the United States, a syrup must be made almost entirely from maple sap to be labelled as "maple", though states such as Vermont and New York have more restrictive definitions.

North Americans in general seem to have a sweet tooth, & eating fried breakfast foods with maple syrup is quite common. Pancakes are the usual target, but eggs & bacon (& ham, why not) are also sweetened this way. In Canada, & probably places like New Hampshire or Vermont, you can get eggs poached in maple syrup!

Boiling the sap:

Fill a flat pan or large pot (a “lobster” pot is used in this example) ¾ full with sap. Place the pot onto the heat source. Once the sap starts to boil down to ¼ – ½ the depth of the pot, add more sap, but try to maintain the boil.

Maple and honey together? Oh yes we did and it turned out great. Unabashedly sweet, this combination leans slightly heavily on the honey side but the maple also asserts itself in there. You use it anywhere you would pure maple syrup; pancakes, waffles, oatmeal.

Choose your own: Warming spices such as cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves pair well with the maple flavor. Common holiday spice mixes such as pumpkin pie or apple pie spice might be nice. I recommend starting with smaller amounts of the stronger spices such as clove or nutmeg.

Try it with fresh fruit (apples, pears, pineapple, peaches, strawberries, orange, etc.), cookies, cake, etc.

What is the white stuff on top of my maple syrup? ›

The most common reason mold starts to grow on pure maple syrup is because it hasn't been properly refrigerated after opening. It's best to discard your maple syrup if mold is found.

You need to look at how a little cooled syrup drips off a spoon. If it drips like water, it's too thin. If it has a little body the drips will come together and form a sheet.

Maple syrup gives you carbohydrates in the form of sugars without fiber. As a result, maple syrup can cause swings in blood sugar and insulin levels. Insulin is a hormone that moves sugar in our blood to cells that convert it to energy. People with diabetes may have bad side effects from the sugar in maple syrup.

Cook up quick and easy bacon just before gathering at the table. Maple syrup and butter add a thick and delicious glaze to the meat.

Maple taffy is a Canadian tradition, and more specifically in Quebec. Maple syrup is heated and condensed, before being poured over snow. We thus obtain soft confectionery, which is eaten with a spoon or like a lollipop. Find out more about this Canadian candy below.

In Quebec, somewhere along the way it became a tradition to boil eggs along with the sap as it was being prepared into maple syrup to make Maple Poached Eggs - or oeufs dans le sirop d'erable – as it is known there.