The miracle of maple - 7 steps to make maple syrup

The miraculous alchemy of maple syrup occurs in 7 steps, like a sacred ritual for sweet teeth.

With a burning passion, Nathalie Decaigny, Sales Manager at Domaine Vallier Robert in Auclair (home to the maple economuseum!), takes us behind the scenes of this silent but dazzling spectacle.

2.  Flowing

In spring, when the temperature is between freezing and melting, the magic happens silently. In the dark, when the mercury drops below zero and no one’s looking, the wood freezes and the roots absorb water from the soil. As the water rises, it soaks up the sugar created by photosynthesis the summer before. During the day, the wood expands under the heat and, under pressure, releases this precious sap, which gushes out like an explosion of happiness, but in slow motion.

“No matter how well we watch the calendar and weather forecasts, we can never accurately predict the first pour. It’s always a surprise. Smelling maple water for the first time all year, that unforgettable scent, both mineral and vegetable, is my favorite moment.”

In the Bas-Saint-Laurent region, the second largest maple-growing area in Quebec, the maple trees flow for around 5 to 6 weeks, between mid-March and mid-May.

3.  Collecting

Farewell to the boilers of yesteryear, near which gourmands watched the water fall drop by drop in infinite torment! In modern maple groves (like those in the Bas-Saint-Laurent region, among the most technologically advanced!), the water now flows through a maze of blue pipes, which propel the water directly to the cabin, by gravity or vacuum pumping. Less bucolic, but a whole lot more efficient!

“It’s like a vast network of spider webs. Several of our sugar bushes are equipped with intelligent sensors along the main lines, which detect anomalies in the network, such as a drop in vaccum. This enables us to intervene quickly and accurately.

4.  Concentration

The water arrives in large stainless steel basins, where it undergoes a process of reverse osmosis. What is it? A system of mechanical pumps creates high pressure in the liquid. Some of the pure water is rejected, making way for water with a higher sugar concentration.

At this stage, the sugar content rises from 2% to over 12%.

5.  Boiling

To further concentrate the sugars and trigger this addiction in waffle lovers, the water is then transferred to boilers, set at 104°C and powered by oil, wood or electricity. For hours, the water slowly evaporates, and the liquid is transformed into syrup, with a sugar content of up to 66%.

“It’s very precise. If the level is a little lower, the syrup will ferment. Higher, it will crystallize”, explains Nathalie Decaigny.

6. Filtering

In the final stage, the syrup is filtered to extract all impurities. This is liquid gold, after all…

7.  Tasting

Nothing to explain here. Just pour generously, dip, drizzle, mix and drink… “ The syrup has more than one taste. Syrup doesn’t have just one taste. It’s a complex product, with a vast palette of flavors, aromas and colors. It contains over 100 aromatic compounds, which vary according to the chemical reaction during boiling.”

So, at the next brunch, let’s take the time to thank those valiant grey trees who make the magic happen.

“Sugar season is a bit like our spring harvest. It’s a joyful, festive and exhilarating time,” concludes Nathalie Decaigny.