The Maple Syrup Can
- Annemarie Bolduc
- Sep 13, 2020
- 4 min read
Updated: 5 days ago
Inside the story of Québec’s pure maple syrup and its iconic illustrated tin.
The maple leaf is the symbol of Canada, and the sweet syrup coming from the trees is a source of Canadian pride. Produced all over the eastern North American woodland regions, especially in Québec, maple syrup is the country’s most important native food ingredient. It is said that Indigenous peoples were the first to cultivate the sugar sap of maple trees and taught the process to the early settlers. When the snow begins to melt in spring, the water is absorbed into the maple trees, and warmer days push the water back down, which makes it possible to tap. Then the sugaring season begins and lasts for a short period only, normally from mid-March to the end of April.
Sugar shack camp in Québec • Photos by Gaétan Bolduc (first 2) and Valérie Goulet
Spring thaw and weather conditions are critical to the length of the harvest season, and there are now more challenges adapting to warmer changes. The sap, also called maple water because it is a transparent liquid, is collected from the tree by drilling a hole in the trunk that leaks into traditional buckets or modern tubing. It is then carried (traditionally with horses) to the cabane à sucre (often translated as sugar shack, camp or house) to be boiled in a large evaporator to concentrate the water into sweet syrup. The syrup is then filtered and bottled or canned. More about maple syrup making and organic practices here.
Let me tell you this interesting fact about the iconic illustrated syrup can. It is a Québec classic standard packaging and the preferred format by locals. The original design dates back to 1951 when canning became a new method, and the name of the artist who won the province-wide contest remains a mystery. There are a few versions now, and all represent a traditional sugar camp winter scene. The maple producer’s info is added on a sticker on the back of the can. Glass bottles shaped like maple leaves and plastic or metal containers (looking like oil tins) are more common in tourist shops. Packaging depends on industry standards and cost, but syrup can be preserved for up to 3 years in metal cans or glass jars, and only 2 years in plastic. Once opened, it can be kept in the refrigerator for up to 6 months… if it lasts that long.
Each time I make the trip to Québec, I never miss bringing back a few cans purchased in the region where I was born, all packed safely in my suitcases, as they are like precious gold to me! Gladly, Canadian maple syrup can be purchased in most Australian supermarkets, and recently even in the can format from My Canadian Pantry. All their maple syrup cans come from a small certified organic maple camp and were shipped straight from Québec.
Canning and grading maple syrup • Photos © Bottle and Brush Studio 2023
I have visited family-run sugar camps that use both modern and traditional craft methods. I was amazed by the vintage canners that they were still using. They originally work manually, but some farmers use a drill to make the job quicker. As making syrup is teamwork, one person fills empty cans with hot syrup, and another uses the canner to seal the lid. Like jam making, the correct heat temperature and sugar level ensure sterilisation. Letting the cans cool down in the snow helps preserve the syrup’s colour. More about colour grades next.
Maple products at Jean-Talon market, Montréal • Photos © Bottle and Brush Studio 2019
If you visit Québec or other provinces of Canada, you will find more maple syrup than you can imagine, along with many delicious maple confections: maple butter, maple sugar or flakes, maple candy, maple cones, maple whisky liqueur, gin and more. Pure maple syrup is clear, translucent and classified into different quality grades and flavour profiles. Early harvest is very light with the most delicate flavour, reminding of freshly boiled syrup. Light to amber syrup has a balanced, mild, sweet and rich maple flavour and is the most popular for pancakes and cooking. Late-season syrup is darker with a strong caramelised taste but loses some of the fresh sap aroma. This one is mostly exported internationally as it is less expensive. The darkest grades are used commercially for flavouring in the food industry, such as the classic maple leaf cookies. Many commercial brands of table syrups should be avoided, as they contain corn syrup mixed with artificial maple flavour. In Québec, we call those poor-quality syrups “sirop de poteau” (telephone post syrup).
Pure maple syrup is 100% natural, nutritious, and a good source of antioxidants and minerals, with fewer calories than honey. It is one of the few “good sugars” and makes a fantastic substitute for sugar in most recipes. Maple syrup is commonly used on crêpes, pancakes and waffles, but there are many ways to use it in desserts and savoury dishes (find heaps of maple recipes in my cookbook!). The traditional tire sur neige (maple taffy on snow) fascinates visitors, and locals never miss the chance to enjoy one during sugaring celebrations. If you want to find organic syrup in Australia and learn why maple syrup cannot be produced locally but remains a sustainable imported product, go to my Organic Maple Syrup story. Maple syrup is the star of the Canadian native terroir, but the boreal forest hides many other delicious sweeteners and aromatics in trees like birch and conifers. Wild food and foraging are back in fashion, but you can also grow your own — read more here.
Follow @snowyfoodie for more delicious content and many maple syrup recipes, stories and photography in my Québec Kitchen Abroad cookbook!
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