Organic Maple Syrup? What's up with that?

Over the past few months, Don and I have done tons of research, visited and spoken with a variety of people involved in the maple syrup industry, and checked out numerous producers' websites from all over northern North America.  I have even been checking out maple syrup in farm stores, gift shops and grocery stores, carefully examining the containers and labels, occasionally buying a sample for....analyzing, shall we say.  One might think we've got an unhealthy obsession with this sweet, beautiful, sticky, tasty "gift" of the maple tree. (Most sugarmakers do!)  Like I explained in a past post:  Nothing beats learning by immersion!

Often, I encounter the word "pure" on maple syrup labels, but, lately, I have been noticing the labels with the word "organic" on them.  What?  "How can maple syrup be anything but?" I questioned. The bottles and jars with the word "organic" are noticeably more expensive to me, so I have not purchased any, being a cost-conscious mom working within a modest grocery budget.  But, I am also a health-conscious mom.  So, I decided to do some research into this, both as a mom and a new maple syrup producer, so I can educate all of us on this matter.

In my opinion, people can take the whole "organic" thing way too far.  It has become an almost-spiritual matter for some folks - like eating all organic products somehow makes them more pure; better than the average person who still buys food products without that little green emblem on it. Like the rest of us are obviously uneducated neanderthals - makes me chuckle!  An all organic diet does not automatically equate to good health.  Cheese curls, even organic ones, still do not turn into carrots on the way down!  I believe moderation, prudence and wisdom are so important in diet and nutrition choices.  Educate (yourself) and evaluate!

So, what IS the difference when it comes to maple syrup?  I have found several articles and blog posts about this topic.  Of course, the syrup producers who have jumped through all the hoops and paid good money for their official government certification will defend it as the ONLY way to ensure you are getting totally "untainted" syrup. "Tainted by what?" I wondered.
 

Of all the producers we've met so far, no one fertilizes or sprays.... the forest - How ridiculous!  I guess it is possible that a few trees may be close to farm ground that is sprayed, but the chances of those chemicals affecting the trees, whose roots are very deep, is slim.  We are talking about native trees that are usually 30 yrs. old ...or older when tapped.  We're not talking about corn or wheat or produce- products grown in a mono-culture, one species of plant in an area that is largely dependent on human management to grow and flourish.  Those trees have been living off of their own sap for years, amongst a wide variety of other plant species. This aids to protect them against disease, bad molds, etc.  So long as we selectively remove overgrowth, they don't need us for much.  And, we only extract about 10% of the sap they actually produce in a year.

Many years ago, before folks knew any better, formaldehyde was used to clean the taps between seasons, but that practice died long ago.  Today, we use alcohol or hot water.

Some producers use one drop of canola or safflower oil per 80 gallons of sap to "defoam" the boiling sap. Apparently, the organic guys must use organic oil for this.

The organic producers have strict rules regarding the number of taps per tree based on its diameter.  However, all conscientious sugarmakers follow these guidelines for the health of their sugarbush.  I'm sure there are some irresponsible folks out there, but they can't stay in business very long with damaged trees.

I also learned that the organic producers must hand over their detailed records for scrutiny by the certifying agency.  All producers of any quality, however, keep detailed records of each season.



So, is "certified organic" maple syrup really any different than, say, what we are making this year? Or, what I have bought at the local farmer's market? Not really.  Is it worth the extra cost to buy it for my family's health?  Should we pay for the certification ourselves?  I would have to say.....NO. But, you need to make the decision for your own family.

However, I will stress that buying locally, or at least buying directly from a producer's website, is the best way to go.  I encourage you to visit your local sugarmaker.  If you buy syrup from a farm store or farmer's market research the producer, check out their website.  I guarantee you'll get a better product there than you will from the grocery store, though it may cost a little bit more (maybe, not). Most sugarmakers keep their best quality syrup for direct sales, as well as their own families!

These 2 articles sum it up fairly well.  The first is an article by Richard Bernstein published in the New York Times entitled "Is Organic Maple Syrup a Step In The Right Direction?"(www.nytimes.com ). And the second is a blog post entitled "Should we buy organic maple syrup?" by Kimi Harris ( http://www.thenourishinggourmet.com )

I encourage you, as much as possible,  Buy Local,  Buy direct!  Support the farmers and artisans in your community, Friends.