Syrup_grades_largeWhen cooking with pure maple syrup, it’s easy to substitute this natural sweetener for other sugars in baking, cooking, or drinking! Just substitute 3/4 to one cup of maple syrup for every one cup of granulated white sugar.

Decrease the liquid in your recipe by 2 to 4 tablespoons for each cup of syrup used.

Add 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon baking soda, unless your recipe already calls for buttermilk, sour milk or sour cream.

Also, decrease your oven temperature by 25 degrees as batters containing maple tend to caramelize around the edges more quickly.

Maple Syrup also serves as a one-to-one substitution for other liquid sweeteners, such as honey, molasses and corn syrup.

Pure maple syrup can also:

  • Add a subtle sweetness and a hint of maple flavor to fresh fruit, cereal and ice cream
  • Sweeten tea, hot chocolate, coffee, eggnog and smoothies
  • Jazz up a cocktail, instead of simple syrup

Grade A Maple Syrup

There are different maple syrup grades, just as there are different types of sugar. Sap tapped at the beginning of the harvest season is generally clearer and lighter in taste. As the season advances, maple syrup becomes darker and more caramelized in flavor.

Maple syrup is categorized and graded according to color, clarity, density and strength of maple flavor. The natural sweetener offers a variety of flavor components, including; nutty, vanilla, coffee, floral and spicy flavors.

Grade A maple syrup is intended for everyday use and can easily be found in grocery stores. Grade A syrup is further divided into Grade A Light Amber, Medium Amber and Dark Amber, which are all much lighter in color and intensity than Grade B maple syrup. Curious how to use the different grades of maple syrup for cooking? Grade A Light works well in salad vinaigrettes, whereas Grade A Medium and Dark taste delicious on pancakes.

Grade B Maple Syrup

Grade B maple syrup is amber in color and much darker than Grade A. Because of its strong, more pronounced maple flavor, it is mainly used in cooking and by the food processing industry. Grade B maple syrup is a favorite ingredient among mixologists and bartenders when crafting bourbon, rum and whisky cocktails. When used in cocktails, maple syrup is a great replacement for simple syrup, as it adds depth and complexity to drinks.

The classification of maple syrup into Grade A and Grade B provides consumers and the food industry alike with a simple method for identifying preferred flavors and uses.

Each classification of maple syrup must meet the standards of section five of the Maple Products Regulations, must have a clear and uniform color, and must not ferment.