What the heck is single press maple syrup?

[markct]

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Maple-Syrup-single-press-CANADA-No1-medium-/190653923510?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_2&hash=item2c63dc00b6

is it just a fancy term to baffle the consumer?

[happy thoughts]

It's explained on the back label. Filtered just once. Also bottled singly.... "by hand" lol. So yes, just a fancy term to baffle the consumer. It's all about marketing.

[markct]

Haha i couldnt read that small print on my screen, what a joke like filtering syrup more does it harm!

[ennismaple]

It's packaged by LB Maple Treats - they are a bulk buyer, packer and wholesaler.. If you can get 80% more than market rate by labelling it all fancy then good for you!

[CBOYER]

Lb maple treat is Luc Bergeron from St-Robert Bellarmin, in Qc. Yes they are a bulk buyer, packer and wholesaler, and also a producer. When customer buy syrup from big packer, the syrup is blended, filtered, pasteurized, etc.. before bottling.
so the syrup single press, or single filtered, is the syrup direct from one operation, bottled at the farm, like ours....

[red maples]

Since the sap comes from the buds of the tree then they are the fruit of the maple tree much like the olives / olive oil. So when the maple buds are sqeezed for the first time it produces the fruity flavor sweeter light syrup.

SEE WHAT YOU CAN SPIN!!! the scarey thing is people will believe you!!! :lol:

[happy thoughts]

so the syrup single press, or single filtered, is the syrup direct from one operation, bottled at the farm, like ours....

Exactly. Just like what practically everyone else here does. Anyone else see the $60 shipping charge? So maybe anyone here that's selling commercially can throw on a fancy label and sell 25 oz bottles for $27 US plus $60.00 shipping. Or better yet, run to Ebay and list the same product for a little less and give them some competition. The shipping alone should make it profitable by itself unless you plan on hand delivering to customers. IMHO this is crazier than the unfiltered syrup selling at an inflated price on that other online place someone else posted about a week ago. There really must be a sucker born every minute, lol.

[happy thoughts]

SEE WHAT YOU CAN SPIN!!! the scarey thing is people will believe you!!! :lol:

I'd start with "estate bottled" just like fine olive oil and fine wine, lol

[ennismaple]

so the syrup single press, or single filtered, is the syrup direct from one operation, bottled at the farm, like ours....

Aaaaaaahhhhhh - I guess I lost something in translation...

I guess we all need to start marketing our syrup as single filtered, estate bottled, 2012 vintage!

[markct]

Lb maple treat is Luc Bergeron from St-Robert Bellarmin, in Qc. Yes they are a bulk buyer, packer and wholesaler, and also a producer. When customer buy syrup from big packer, the syrup is blended, filtered, pasteurized, etc.. before bottling.
so the syrup single press, or single filtered, is the syrup direct from one operation, bottled at the farm, like ours....

Pasturized???? how do ya not have syrup thats pasturized basicly? its all boiled and then of course heated to bottling temps which of course would pasturize it basicly

[Newfvt]

This guy has more in the bottle and fancy multi color box than the syrup in the bottle ever would be worth.

This thread reminds me of a great story. My ex-wife was at one time the Woodstock Vermont Chamber of Commerce "office girl". She got a call one day from a woman down country wanting to know when maple season was. Naturally she got the correct answer. The woman explained that she really wanted to come to Vermont and see syrup being made but she was not sure she could stand by and watch as the trees were cut down and run through a chipper. I gathered she would be ok with watching the syrup being pressed from the chips, but the lead in was going to be too much for her. True story!

Sugarmakers are long known for inventive marketing. 15 years ago someone was putting steam away condensate in Coke bottles and selling that for a pretty penny in Vermont tourist trap stores. Someone else just had some empty soda cans printed up all nice and pretty. Nothing in them. Just labelled them "Vermont Air" and sold 'em by the six pack.

Steve

[RollinsOrchards]

I suppose that once you open a drum and divide it into little bottles that syrup does need to be re-"pasteurized" but labeling it as such is just silly.

[CBOYER]

Québec Federation have a big plant for pasteurization of Maple syrup keep in inventory in St-Antoine de Tilly, Qc. You need to pasteurised when you received barrels, and put them in big tanks before using it. Inventory from 2011 is around 36 millions pounds.

[markct]

Hmm interesting, so how is it "not pasturized" when its hot packed in the barrel by the producer? or is it just a fancy way of saying they refilter it all etc like bascoms and other places do before they resell it? is this common practice with many bulk buyers or just a canadian thing?

[CBOYER]

it is really pasteurised, (very hot for a very short time), you have to consider the amount of syrup keep in inventory: it is more than all the 2011 USA record production. A study by Centre Acer proove that syrup show microbial deterioration in following situations:

11.6% of 66 brix+
33.9% of less than 66 brix,
12.4% barrel at 90% + full
25.7% barrel at 90% or less full

[markct]

so how much hotter can syrup be made? I usualy heat it to about 215 deg then run it thru the filter press and into the barrel but now i wonder will it keep better if i heated it hotter?

[Cake O' Maple]

A study by Centre Acer proove that syrup show microbial deterioration in following situations:

11.6% of 66 brix+
33.9% of less than 66 brix,
12.4% barrel at 90% + full
25.7% barrel at 90% or less full

Interesting...do you know how long it took to get that microbial deterioration? And what was the syrup stored in--stainless steel, plastic, glass?

I'd love to see read that study, after all the stories I've heard (including from my father) about glass jars of syrup found in the basement 12 years old that were just as good as fresh.

[CBOYER]

here a link to the 2006 study, a part is in english Centre Acer is in Québec and French speaking.

http://www.centreacer.qc.ca/PDF/Publications/Microbiologie/rapport%20barils%20802.pdfhere a link to the 2006 study, a part is in english Centre Acer is in Québec and French speaking.

[Cake O' Maple]

Thank you, CBOYER! I have opened it, but haven't read it yet.

I'm glad the abstract is in English...this is one of the first times I wish I spoke French.

[markct]

interesting article but i still dont understand how syrup can be not pasturized when its made? The pasturization plant seems a waste of energy

[CBOYER]

even if your milk is pasteurised when its put in a pint, as soon you open it, you start a new microbiotic contamination.
In Qc Federation, they dont waste energy, they want to give customer high quality syrup. every barrel received is test for grade etc. when they have to "bottle" it for end user, every syrup pass by the process to be perfect before putting it in end container..

[markct]

Ok this makes a little more sense i think, so they arnt pasturizing it just to pasturize it, they are simply heating it to bottle it as is standard practice and thus pasturizing it in the process? i was under the impression that they pasturized it as an extra step in the process and i couldnt figure out at what point this would be done

[CBOYER]

yes, but instead reheating, they used pasteurizing process, and get the less modification to the quality of syrup. You all know that everytime you reheat syrup, you loose some on color grade. and when we said bottling, it could be every size of container, from 5 litres to 205 litres barrels

[Daren]

Reading thru this post from the start, it becomes obvious that most producers have no idea what becomes of the barrels they deliver to the bulk operations. Some even as large as those that produce over 200 barrels a year probably dont know but would hit themselves in the forehead and say DUH! once they actually thought about it. I am sure the big clearinghouse types will sell what they can at premium dollar in smaller amounts in addition to the shipping of barrels overseas to whoever wants to cover the cost of shipping plus+++++. So...as much fun as it is to poke fun at those who pay $60 dollar shipping, those are the folks who cant or dont make syrup and to them it is worth it. Those are the ones we have filter pressess, shiney metal fire thingies, and all manner of fun stuff to play with every year. My friends and family get a jug every year, so for that loss of market share I apologize to those that make their living at this. But to those who dont, you know how much you enjoy a sugarhouse full of friends, the smell of cotton candy and some beautiful, clear, amber illuminating sweet stuff to remember and relive it over the course of the next year....does it get any better than this?

[happy thoughts]

Ok this makes a little more sense i think, so they arnt pasturizing it just to pasturize it, they are simply heating it to bottle it as is standard practice and thus pasturizing it in the process? i was under the impression that they pasturized it as an extra step in the process and i couldnt figure out at what point this would be done

No they are actually pasteurizing it to pasteurize it. Quebec stores large quantities of syrup to stabilize prices and I think pasteurization is part of quality control for long term storage when syrup from many sources is packed into larger tanks.

If you read the study, the microbial spoilage is found mostly in low density syrup, underfilled containers, and/or containers that have been opened for grading prior to long term bulk storage in larger tanks. These are all things that would be expected to affect shelf life. So pasteurization acts as a prophylactic measure to decrease microbial activity and contamination of sterile syrup with contaminated syrup. Though the syrup may have gone into the container sterile, improper processing and/or careless packing can lead to microbial growth as does opening a properly sealed container.

[CBOYER]

Thanks Happy thoughts, since i am french speaking, you make a better text than me to explain facts. just to be clear, microbiotic contamination is not neccessary spoilage of syrup, it could be only given a grade lower.

[Luc Bergeron]

My name is Luc bergeron and I am the producer/packer of the "Single Press".
The initial goal of marketing the " Single Press " was simply to get to market a syrup that is exactly like the syrup you can get when you obtain that syrup directly from the farmer...that is a good tasting syrup right off the evaporator. As most farmers are aware , that syrup has a much finer maple taste than anything you can possibly buy from a syrup that has been blended , re-heated and filtered again as per standard food regulations.
Every time that you re-process maple syrup ( heat and filter ) , there is a loss of maple taste and an increase of the basic "caramel" taste of maple syrup
Being also the previous owner of L.B.Maple Treat, I am well aware of the loss of taste which happens when you reheat and refilter the syrup.
It may be seen as a marketing "gimmick" ( never the less it is good markeing ) , I just wanted to make available at the retail level a similar product as what we can get at the farm.
Luc Bergeron
St-Robert Bellarmin , Qc
104,000 taps
6400 GPH Dominion RO
3 evaporators ( 6 X18 )
104,000