Maple syrup, color

I ve adapted these easy and wholesome cookies fiom one of my favorite health-oriented cookbooks, N ourishing Traditions by Sally Fallon. A fantastic treat for kids, they re sweetened naturally with sweet potatoes and maple syrup and contain no refined sugar. I make these for Clyde s snack day or class parties at school, and because they bake to a gorgeous orange color, they re also perfect at any fall or Thanksgiving table. 

Light-colored syrups are generally more difficult to produce, and are very useful in blending of maple syrup to achieve a good color and flavor balance. Lighter syrups therefore generally command a higher price than darker syrups. 

FIGURE 4.9 Transmission profiles of maple syrup. Profile for each grade was derived from 10-40 scans of individual syrups. Grades delineations are based upon U.S.D.A. standards. Color grade is determined by the transmittance of light at 560 nm. 

Caramel is unintentionally generated in burnt carbohydrate foods (rice, oatmeal, cornmeal, etc.) and molasses (Kowkabany et al., 1953) it is the source of maple flavor and color in the concentration of maple sap to maple syrup (Stinson and Willits, 1965). In industrial manufacturing, the intended application is taken into account, because reaction conditions help determine the properties of the pyrolysate, e.g., its tinctorial value, water solubility, and alcohol stability. Tinctorial value refers to the absorbance at 560 nm of a 0.1-wt/vol% solution in a 1-cm cell. Tinctorial strength increases with acidity, temperature, and duration of heating. Caramel manufactured above pH 6.3 is biologically unstable and much below pH 3.1, it is a resin. 

The most elementary, nontechnical method of identifying a polysaccharide is to burn it, observe the yellow-to-brown color, and sniff the perfumelike aroma that should be reminiscent of the aroma of maple syrup, if the test is positive. If the caramelized residue is shaken with egg white and a visible reaction produces an insoluble, pigmented deposit (melanoidin), it is empirical proof that the sample was a polysaccharide. 

Stinson, E. E., and Willits, C. O. (1965). Isolation and characterization of the high molecular weight brown colorant of maple syrup, f. Agric. Food Chem. 13 294-297. 

Figure 6-7 CIE Chromaticity Diagram with Color Points for Maple Syrup and Honey Glass Color Standards...

An example of the application of the CIE system for color description is shown in Figure 6-7. The curved, dotted line originating from C represents the locus of the chromaticity coordinates of caramel and glycerol solutions. The chromaticity coordinates of maple syrup and honey follow the same locus. Three triangles on this curve represent the chromaticity coordinates of U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) glass color standards for... 

For breakfast try the lemon poppy seed pancakes - light, fluffy pancakes served with a stellar creamy lemon sauce. Heavier, but unsurpassed, are the organic oatmeal pancakes - topped with a warm peach compote and served with pure maple syrup. Lunch favorites include the love cakes - three black bean and cornmeal cakes, sauteed and topped with tomatillo salsa, sour cream, feta cheese and spears of raw onion and pudge - mashed potatoes colored with sun-dried tomatoes, basil and olive oil. 

Urine has color of Mental retardation, Odor of maple syrup (E5, E12, Dl, GI9, H17,... 

Bruce and Turner (1952) developed polished glass standards, now in use, for determining color specifications and tolerances for maple syrup and honey, based on the C.I.E. system. They can be used for both clear and cloudy liquids. 

Maple syrup disease (MSD) Yellow precipitate Greenish-gray color Leucine >2 mg/dl (>153 pmol/1)... 

Maple producers attempt to control the color and flavor profiles of the syrup they produce primarily though rapid processing of sap. 

Little research has focused on the differences in syrup composition by grade. While light transmittance is different (by grade definition), the trends in other aspects of syrup chemistry are not as simple. Two unpublished studies at the University of Vermont Proctor Maple Research Center show that there are no consistently predictable trends in bulk syrup chemistry related to grade (color class). 

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