He Turns Maple Syrup Into Sugar

He Turns Maple Syrup Into Sugar FARM HOME Food Folks who visit Tony Peeters’ maple syrup stand discover a second sweet treat - maple sugar Because of maple syrup’s low glycemic index it appeals to diabetics and people on the Keto diet Maple sugar can be used in baked goods at 1/4 the rate of regular sugar “One gallon of syrup makes 8 lbs of sugar But not all syrup will make sugar ” says Peeters Menahga Minn He notes that he uses only the syrup made from sap collected early in the season because it has lower invert sugars 4 to 2 percent He starts by cooking the sap into syrup then running it through a filter press and into 40-gal stainless steel barrels Of the 14 barrels of syrup he made last year he set aside 5 for sugar To make the sugar he reheats the syrup to 255 to 260 F and pours it immediately into an industrial 60-quart mixer The heat and the stirring evaporate the water and within a few minutes turns the syrup into sugar Peeters pours it in tubs to spread it out and cool thoroughly before straining out bigger clumps to grind before packaging it The sugar’s texture is between white sugar and powdered sugar Some people like the maple flavor in their coffee When it’s used in baked goods the maple flavor isn’t noticeable But it’s low glycemic index releases sugar slowly into the blood stream making it a better option for diabetics Maple sugar also has fewer calories 11 calories/tsp compared to 16 calories/tsp of white sugar The extra work is worth it Peeters says as it has increased his customer base He sells the sugar for $15/lb Last season he had 2 400 taps and he hopes to increase to 4 000 to 5 000 taps in the next couple of years He doesn’t have a website but Peeters ships orders Contact: FARM SHOW Followup Anthony Peeters ph 218 298-4758; tonka_p85@hotmail com

To read the rest of this story, download this issue below or click here to register with your account number.