Maple Syrup

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Spring, the time of year for the great maple syrup run. It begins when the snow melts and the animals stir from their winter slumber.  That's when you know it's time for that sugary sweet sensation of the great Canadian treat.

Canada produces 85 percent of the world's greatest maple syrup.  Canada is brimmed with majestic red, black, and sugar maples, and with the perfect mix of cold spring nights and warm days, it produces an abundance of beautiful clear sap to make the best maple syrup.

Most of Canada's maple syrup comes from Ontario, Quebec, and the east coast such as New Brunswick and Nova Scotia.  It started early on with the native people teaching the early settlers how to harvest sap and boil it to make beautiful rich maple syrup.  Maple syrup was the first type of sweetener in North America up until 1875 when cane sugar was introduced.

If you are looking for some fun activities to do with the kids try some of the following links to find a maple syrup farm near you.

 Best Maple Syrup Farms in Canada
Celebrate all things maple in Canada
If you can't make it to any of these maple syrup farms and want to know more about the different maple syrups and the quality of the product.  The following may be of some help to you.


There are different qualities and grades to maple syrup, just like there are different types of sugar. Trees that are tapped at the beginning of the harvest season are generally clearer and lighter in taste. As the season progresses, maple syrup becomes darker and more caramelized in flavor. Maple syrup is categorized and graded according to color, clarity, density, and strength of flavor. The natural sweetener offers a variety of flavor components, including; nutty, vanilla, coffee, floral and spicy flavors.

The two grades of maple syrup are:

Grade A 
  • Can easily be found in grocery stores
  • Syrup is divided up into grades of colour, light amber, medium amber, and dark amber
  • This grade works well for cooking
Grade B
  • Is much darker in colour than Grade A
  • Has a more pronounced flavour
  • Used more in the food processing industry
For more information on the two grades visit Pure Canada Maple Syrup.

Maple Glazed Chicken

Living in Canada and having access to maple syrup it's hard not to make something with it.  This chicken recipe is one of my favourites and you have just got to try it.
Ingredients
  • Chicken either breast or legs or both
  • 1 tbsp of onion powder
  • ½ cup Maple Syrup
  • 2 tbsp Worcestershire Sauce 
  • 4 tbsp Dijon Mustard
  • Salt and Pepper
Instructions
Preheat oven to 175C (350F). In a large bowl, mix the onion powder, maple, mustard, Worcestershire, and salt and pepper until well combined. Place chicken into the bowl with sauce mix and make sure the pieces are well coated. Once coated, place onto the baking pan and pour the remainder of the sauce on top of the chicken. Place in preheated oven for about 30-40 minutes until brown and chicken is ready on the inside.
 Enjoy!
~ Canadian Girl