Simply put, density is how much mass can be crammed together to take up space. If you had 2 bags of the same size and one bag was heavier than the other, the heavier bag is more dense. We can go through the scientific steps to figure out the density of maple syrup or just take the word of  scientists. Maple syrup has a density of 1.37 grams per milliliter, heavier than water, milk and corn syrup but not as dense as honey.

When maple syrup is made, the sugarmaker wants to draw the syrup off the evaporator at the correct density.  When the temperature of the syrup reaches 7 degrees above the boiling point of water, it has reached the correct thickness. A hydrometer is also used to confirm that the maple syrup is at the legal standard.

At the Carman Brook Farm we store the syrup we made during the production season in barrels to be bottled throughout the year.  We pump a barrel into our canning unit and reheat that syrup to about 140 degrees Fahrenheit to make our density.... read more