What do maple syrup make of? Useful properties and application of maple syrup

Tough golden sap from maple juice has become a true symbol of Canada, spreading around the world as an excellent component of many dishes. Especially it is good in combination with desserts, for example, Canadians like to pour lavish pancakes on it, which it is customary to cook for breakfast. Not the worst option will be an ice cream with such a syrup or a variety of pastries based on it, and some will like meat in a sweet sauce. How is this unusual treat produced and is it useful?

History of appearance

Mentions about how to prepare maple syrup, first appeared in 1760. The technology of production came up with the indigenous inhabitants of the continent - the Indians. There is even an ancient legend dedicated to this dish. A young Indian trained to throw his tomahawk at the maple. From the remaining marks on the tree, juice began to ooze. The Indian's sister picked it up and tried to use it for cooking. Everyone liked the unusual sweet taste. And the story of the main Canadian delicacy began. Every spring, the Indians harvested syrup stocks a year in advance, they did not have sugar, and maple juice was the only available sweetener. Recipe, they eventually shared with the colonists. Since that, from which the syrup is produced, namely the special kind of sugar maples, is only in Canada, the delicacy became a real national treasure.

What it is?

In order to produce natural maple syrup, it is necessary to thicken the juice of a particular species of the corresponding tree.
The liter of the final product requires thirty to fifty liters of raw materials, which can not but affect the cost. The quality of what maple syrup is made from is of great importance. Suitable maples are black, red, silver and sugar. It is they, especially the latter, in the juice contain the right concentration of sugar. Such trees grow in North America, mainly in Canada, so it is their syrup that is considered the best. It is important that all the necessary technologies are observed during production. So, the maple for getting juice should be mature, older than forty years. From it during the season you can get about twelve liters of raw materials daily for fifty years. Immediately after the collection you need to start cooking the syrup. The juice boils naturally and without any additional ingredients, transforming into an appetizing product, loved by many people around the world.

Secrets of production

To collect what maple syrup is made from, special weather conditions are needed. Begin the procedure in late winter or spring, when the temperature during the day is above zero, and at night falls to minus signs. This weather stimulates the maximum circulation of the juice in the tree. As a rule, this is the end of February and the first weeks of March. Spring juice is considered the sweetest. At a height of thirty centimeters from the ground on the trunk make holes or notches, they insert grooves with tubes, through which the juice flows down into the container. After this, the production process begins. How do maple syrup? Quite a long time, this greatly increases its value. The juice is completely liquid, like water, in addition, it contains a small amount of sugar - no more than two percent. When processed, it undergoes a thorough stage-by-stage purification and thickens upon evaporation in huge, but flat containers. No sugar, no other components are added. Thus, what maple syrup is made from and what is produced as a result is absolutely natural products without additives. The state commission follows the production process, so that the Canadian dessert is guaranteed to meet the highest standards.

Features of maple syrup

Despite the fact that this is a dessert, maple sap contains considerable benefits. In syrup, a significant amount of calcium and iron, as well as vitamin B. It should be borne in mind that there are also imitations in which there is nothing useful. A cheap product, on the packaging of which it is written that this is a syrup with a taste of maple, is not worth buying. It is necessary to look for a bottle with a maple leaf, which is a kind of quality sign. The label should indicate a letter from A to D. Such a note indicates the intensity of the syrup: AA will be very light, A - light, B - medium, C - amber, and finally the letter D can be found on the darkest and thickest product.

Medicinal properties

Even without knowing what good maple syrup is, you can add it with pleasure to your food. However, in view of his invaluable benefits, he will want to do it even more often. Still, because maple juice stimulates immunity, charges the body with energy, serves as an antioxidant, slows the development of atherosclerosis, favorably affects potency, fights against cancer, reduces the likelihood of obesity and diabetes. The syrup has a small glycemic index, in addition, it does not contain any fat. A high level of phenolic compounds and a high content of organic acids help the body to fight the formation of cancer cells. In addition, the syrup contains phytohormones that stimulate the pancreas.

Mineral composition

According to the content of minerals maple syrup, the useful properties of which are already quite widely known, bypass even honey. The Canadian dessert contains magnesium, iron, phosphorus, manganese, calcium, sodium, potassium, zinc, a complex of vitamins B and many polyphenols. Sugar in maple syrup is a little, honey contains it more. In addition, the first contains not sucrose, but dextrose, which is much more useful for the body. Applying maple syrup will be an excellent solution during a diet, as its calorie content is quite low. It is suitable for diabetics, and for allergy sufferers. A portion of sixty milliliters will provide your body with a daily rate of manganese, a third of vitamin B2, a noticeable share of zinc, magnesium, potassium and calcium. Multivitamin composition is exactly what maple syrup is useful for. In combination with excellent taste, this feature turns the product into the ideal choice.

Benefits for the liver

Scientists have found out the properties of maple syrup and came to the conclusion that, among other things, it perfectly heals the liver. Diet with the use of this product reduces the content of harmful enzymes in the blood and suppresses the production of ammonia. Scientists for eleven days were fed a natural maple syrup of rats, and by the end of the experiment the state of rodents surprisingly improved. These or other violations of the liver are manifested in every fourth person, especially in middle-aged people, who are prone to alcohol and excess weight. A complex of useful components of maple syrup allows you to take preventive measures and significantly improve your health.

Other products of maple juice

Since what maple syrup is made from is an extremely useful raw material, it is not surprising that other products are produced from it. For example, in Canada maple juice makes special honey and sugar. Such products are distinguished by high production costs, so the scale of production is small, however, you can buy and try them. Both sugar and honey from maple juice are more useful than conventional analogues. More widely available and widely distributed are syrup based products that are very popular in North America. This breakfast cereal, and butter, and jelly, as well as a real variety of all kinds of sweets, from caramel to pulls and chocolates. All of them will seem very tasty to those who love the rich and bright taste of maple juice. Of course, the benefits from them are less than from pure syrup, but to buy such treats as a souvenir or simply sometimes they are quite reasonably reasonable.

Baking with maple syrup

To feel the real rich Canadian flavor as bright as possible, try to make cupcakes. Take 2 chicken eggs, 100 grams of fresh butter, 225 milliliters of maple syrup, 3 or 4 apples, 2.5 glasses of flour, a tablespoon of baking powder, a teaspoon of table salt, the same amount of cinnamon and nutmeg. Immediately turn on the oven and heat it to one hundred and seventy degrees. Whisk the eggs, adding butter. Pour in a lot of syrup and pour the finely chopped apples, mix everything thoroughly. Sift in the dough flour with baking powder and spices, mix and lay out on the molds. Bake for twenty minutes, after which the flavored muffins will be ready for serving. Have a nice appetite and good mood!