Is there anything trees can't do? Alongside making our oxygen and bearing our fruit, they also give us the best pancake topping ever.
How To Make Maple Syrup
Made by tapping the sap from maple trees, maple syrup is a Canadian staple. Producers boil the sap to get the right sugar content. From there, it makes its way to breakfast tables across the country and beyond.
Maple Syrup Grades
Not all maple syrup is equal. Grade A is the main kind sold to consumers, and it's lighter than grade B, which is typically used for cooking and often sold to manufacturers. Grade A maple syrup comes in sub-grades: light, medium, or dark amber, depending on your taste.
Canadians love maple syrup in part because we make most of it. Around eight in every ten gallons of this liquid gold comes from Canada, mostly from Quebec.
Many spend their whole lives without realizing maple syrup's true potential. From maple cookies to maple taffy and even maple cake, this sweet sap spans the culinary spectrum.
Maple Syrup Breakfast Idea
Let's start at maple syrup's traditional home: the breakfast table. These Maple Banana Bread Pancakes bake sweet maple flavours directly into the pancake itself, along with some bananas. Don't let that stop you pouring maple syrup over the top, though. You can also drizzle maple syrup on top of our other breakfast favorites like Buttermilk Waffles With Caramelized Apples and Holiday Morning French Toast.
Maple Syrup Recipes For Lunch And The Afternoon
With a little imagination, you can create savoury maple syrup recipes that can give your lunch some sparkle, too. This Maple Apple Grilled Cheese dish uses maple syrup and Apple Pie Spice to contrast with the sharp tang of cheddar cheese. Added apple slices make your sandwich sing.
Maple flavours can also elevate what's in your coffee mug. Check out this Maple Dolce Latte for a new take on an old Italian favourite. But what's going to go next to it for your afternoon snack? Maple is traditionally associated with sweet snacks because of its high sugar content, which makes maple cookies the perfect complement for coffee. This Maple Walnut Shortbread Cookie recipe is the perfect treat with your afternoon coffee.
Maple-Flavoured Meats
Maple flavours can take many meat dishes to the next level, even if it's just in a marinade. Take this Maple Brined Chicken as an example. Two hours in half a cup of maple syrup with water, cider, and seasonings will pack your chicken breast breasts with taste. Or you can put maple syrup into the heart of your meat-based recipe. Dry white beans and pork shoulder marry perfectly with maple syrup in this Slow Cooked Maple Pork and Beans favourite.
You don't necessarily need syrup to give your meat that maple taste. Seasonings and rubs will give dishes from skillets to casseroles subtle sweet undertones. This Smokehouse Maple Chicken Sausage and Egg Hash uses our Maple Bacon Seasoning to sweeten a one-skillet hash, while our Smokehouse Maple Flavoured Wet Rub combines with bacon, chicken drumsticks, red wine, and vegetables for a Canadian take on a classic Coq au Vin.
Does Maple Syrup Expire?
Don't feel that you have to make all of these maple syrup recipes at once. The syrup's high sugar content means that you can keep it indefinitely if unopened, but once you've cracked the seal you should store it in the refrigerator, or you can keep it in the freezer for better long-term flavour retention. There's plenty of time to make these maple-based dishes. When an ingredient is this good, you shouldn't rush it.
More Maple Syrup Recipes To Try
- Maple Bacon English Style Breakfast Sausage
- Maple Bacon Grilled Vegetable Salad With Bocconcini Cheese
- Maple Marinated Chicken Spring Rolls
- Bacon Wrapped Grilled Corn With Maple Bacon Butter
Find all of our maple flavoured foods.
