Maple syrup is a tasty syrup often served with desserts like pancakes. This syrup comes from the sap of maple trees, which turns into maple syrup after it’s boiled. Maple syrup is a common topping for deserts in North America. People have been making maple syrup for many years now.
You're missing out if you haven’t had some pancakes with maple syrup drizzled on top! Many love the sweet and unique taste of this syrup. Before you dig into your maple syrup-drizzled pancakes, you’ll want to know how it might affect your health. Although many say maple syrup is a healthier alternative to sugar, is that really true?
The History of Maple Syrup
Maple syrup isn’t a new thing and has been around for a very long time now. Sources suggest that its origin dates back to indigenous North Americans who used to make it years before European settlers arrived. Unfortunately, we don’t know much about who discovered how to make maple syrup. However, many tribes have their own explanations of maple syrup through their legends.
One of these tribal legends says that a woman called Moqua ran out of water while cooking moose for her husband, so she decided to use maple sap instead. She discovered the sap turning into syrup.
Another tribe claims that Glooskap — a hero in their legends — saw all of his people only drinking maple syrup instead of working. So, Glooskap only made the sap available in spring and much more watery so his people would have to boil it and not be lazy. Many other legends claim different Gods cast a spell making maple syrup appear.
Tribes would cut a V shape into the tree and then put a wedge at the bottom to collect maple syrup. Next, they used hand-made baskets to collect the sap from below the wedge. Some made their baskets out of hollowed wood, while others used bark. After the men went out to collect the sap, the women usually boiled it, creating it into maple syrup.
Once European settlers arrived in North America, they started tapping maple syrup trees differently. They would use an augur tool to drill holes into the maple trees instead of cutting V shapes.
Today, people often use drills and durable buckets to collect the sap and then put it in a sugarhouse where people boil it into syrup. Not all maple syrup is the same either, with some being darker and stronger.
Can You Make Your Own Maple Syrup?
Maple syrup is much more rewarding when you make your own, and it’s quite a fun experience. Also, some store-bought versions might be less healthy than making your own.
Given that you live in North America and have a maple tree in your yard, you can make your own maple syrup. Although there are many different types of maple trees, only some can produce maple syrup, primarily red maple and sugar maple. You can often find out if you have these trees from the leaves and bark. However, you’ll need to tap your tree between February and April to get the maple syrup. You’ll also need to pay attention to the weather, as it must be above freezing during the day and below freezing at night.
To tap your maple tree, pick a good spot where the wood is healthy. Don’t tap your tree more than once, as this can damage it! Make a hole around 2 inches deep, but not any deeper. Take a spout and hammer it into the hole and put a bucket underneath.
Once you’ve got all your sap, boil it until you notice evaporation and the syrup forming.
Is Maple Syrup Healthy?
Maple syrup is often shown to be a healthy alternative to sugar, but is that true?
Maple syrup contains calcium, potassium, iron, zinc, and manganese — all crucial vitamins and minerals. However, it has way more sugar than vitamins and minerals, with 80 milliliters containing 60 grams, meaning it is 2/3 sugar. Although it’s alright to consume some sugar, having too much can lead to many health complications like heart disease, diabetes, and obesity.
The amount of sugar in maple syrup outweighs the other nutrients. If you want vitamins and minerals, don’t get them from maple syrup. It doesn’t contain much compared to its sugar content. You can get plenty of vitamins and minerals from eating whole foods and meals with assorted vegetables. Getting enough vitamins and minerals is vital for keeping our bodies healthy.
Maple syrup still has one thing going for it, though. Antioxidants are molecules that keep your cells from harm. Although your body already produces antioxidants, you can get more from certain foods. These molecules can even prevent some diseases. Maple syrup has around 24 different antioxidants, and darker maple syrup, Grade B, contains more. Although 24 antioxidants may sound like a lot, maple syrup has way more sugar.
The conclusion?
Maple syrup is a pretty tasty treat that many love eating, but that certainly doesn’t make it healthy or good for you. It won’t be bad for you if you don’t eat copious amounts of maple syrup. If you want to eat something healthy, though, you might want to look elsewhere. Try adding some fruits like blueberries, which also have antioxidants, to your waffles or pancakes instead.
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