Cornell Maple Program
Permanent URI for this collection
The Cornell Maple Program exists to improve the production and use of maple products by working with producers, consumers, and others interested in this local product. Our goal is to provide information on maple syrup production and guidelines for creating value-added products. This sub-community archives some of the information from the Cornell Maple Program. More information can be found on the program website.
Browse
Recent Submissions
Item Bottled Maple SapMonserrate, Catherine; Wild, Adam (2025-01)Producing maple syrup (66.0 to 68.9 °Brix) from maple sap with approximately 2 °Brix requires extensive energy and labor. A lower input option is to market maple sap as a commercial beverage for consumers. On average, about 44 gallons of sap are required to produce one gallon of maple syrup. One gallon of syrup has a gross value of about $120 if sold in 16 oz retail containers. If instead of being processed into syrup, the maple sap was processed into 16 oz bottles of drinkable sap sold at $3 each, $1,056 of revenue could be generated from the same 44 gallons of sap; this represents a 780% increase in sales revenue. Maple sap is harvested in eastern North America during thawing temperatures from January to April each year. For maple syrup production, sap is typically processed into syrup soon after harvest as sap is a perishable product susceptible to bacteria, yeast, and mold contamination across the season. To preserve maple sap quality, care must be taken to ensure it has not spoiled or interacted with any potential contaminants, including lead and sanitizer residues. Once maple sap is harvested, it can be processed and packaged using multiple techniques, each of which ensure the product maintains quality and safety for consumers. This article reviews the benefits of maple sap as a bottled beverage while covering preservation and packaging methods, regulatory guidelines, and overview of commercial production procedures.Item Reducing Maple Sap SpoilageMonserrate, Catherine (2025-01)Maple sap is a perishable product that will spoil when stored improperly or for extended periods of time. As it exits the tree, it is contaminated with bacteria, yeast, and molds, which can spoil the sap by consuming its resources (e.g. sugars) or by releasing byproducts (e.g. enzymes, acids, aromas) resulting in color, texture, flavor and odor changes in the sap. Flavors and textures developed in spoiled sap can persist in maple syrup and other value-added products; proper care of maple sap is essential to produce quality products.Item Mold in Maple SyrupMonserrate, Catherine; Wightman, Aaron (2024-07)Mold is a serious concern in maple syrup production. Any attempt to sell maple syrup contaminated with mold is prohibited in the U.S. Fortunately, mold growth can be prevented through proper production and packaging practices.Item Maple Hazelnut SpreadMonserrate, Catherine (2024)Maple and chocolate maple hazelnut spread recipes were developed using maple sugar and hazelnuts as the primary ingredients. The recipes were designed with ingredients known for their antioxidant, mineral, vitamin, and protein contents. Final recipes were evaluated for overall liking, maple flavor, hazelnut flavor, sweetness, creaminess, and thickness. Both the maple hazelnut and chocolate maple hazelnut spread were liked by 90 and 95% of consumers, respectively. An overview of ingredients, recipes, regulation requirements for commercial production, packaging information, pricing information, and consumer perceptions are presented in the article.Item Packaged Maple Cotton CandyBelisle, Catherine (2023-11)Maple cotton candy is a delicately flavored treat often produced and sold at fairs, festivals, and farmers markets. It was introduced at the New York State Fair in 1998 and has become the second most profitable maple food product after maple ice cream, according to the NYS Maple Producers Association. Cotton candy that is prepared for immediate consumption can be placed in a food grade balloon bag or served on a paper cone. It can also be prepared and packaged for wholesale or retail sale. This bulletin outlines guidelines for producing and packaging maple cotton candy prior to sale online, in-stores, or at onsite locations. Recipe, equipment, and marketing information can be found in the Maple Cotton Candy subsection in the New York State Maple Confections Notebook.Item Crystal Coating Method: Sugar PanningBelisle, Catherine (2023-09)A quality maple candy is identified by its smoothness, hardness, shelf-life, and lack of blemishes. To extend the shelf-life from 1- to 3-weeks to 9- to 12-months, a protective layer of sugar crystals is formed on the outside of the candy by submerging it in heated, supersaturated maple syrup. This process is known as crystal coating or sugar panning. The current crystal coating method used by maple producers involves submerging candies for a minimum of 6 hours, which allows the sugar to precipitate out of the supersaturated syrup and crystalize on the surface of the candy. This crystal coat protects the candy from moisture uptake in humid environments or dehydration in arid environments. This method is time consuming and requires excess moisture to be wiped from each candy by hand. An alternative method is sugar panning. This method is common in the confectionery industry and uses the same supersaturated syrup solution as traditional crystal coating. However, rather than submerging for a long period of time, the candies undergo a repeated dipping and drying cycle for 1.5 to 2 hours. The cycle allows multiple thin layers of sugar crystals to develop on the candy's surface, which creates a firm shell less prone to moisture accumulation during drying. Crystal coated or sugar panned candies have an estimate 9- to 12- month shelf-life. This bulletin details the procedure for sugar canning maple candies.Item Maple Sugar TroubleshootingBelisle, Catherine (2023-09)Maple sugar is a versatile product with distinct maple flavor. It is produced by boiling syrup to a set temperature followed by stirring the heated solution until it crystalizes into a granulated or brown sugar consistency. Multiple factors influence the quality of maple sugar. This bulletin provides guidelines for addressing issues commonly encountered during and after the production of maple sugar, including moisture content, granulation size, and flavor formation.Item Maple Marshmallow SpreadFan, Xingrui; Bica, Anna; Kim, Young; Roth, Jordan; Belisle, Catherine (2023-07)Maple marshmallow spread is a gourmet, shelf-stable confection developed using maple as the primary sweetener. This fact sheet provides information on production, regulatory guidance, packaging, and consumer and marketing trends of marshmallow spread. The Cornell Maple Program aims to assist individuals and companies with the commercial production of value-added products, including maple marshmallow spread.Item Dehydrated Maple MarshmallowsBelisle, Catherine (2023-06)Dehydrated maple marshmallows are ideal for use in cereal, trail mix, hot chocolate, and other food products. This fact sheet provides a recipe, guidelines for commercial production, packaging information, pricing information, and insight into consumer perception of the product.Item Getting Started: Value-Added ProductsBelisle, Catherine (2022-12)The objective of this document is to provide guidelines on how to produce and sell packaged value-added maple foods and beverages. This document does not include regulatory requirements for unpackaged products sold at fairs or farmers markets. State and federal regulatory requirements are established to protect the producer and consumer from food safety concerns. The information presented below is not comprehensive and is for informational purposes only.