Maple syrup labeled by color, flavor in new system

Buying maple syrup is now a little bit like buying wine.

The descriptors “robust,” “rich,” “delicate” and “strong” have been added this year to labels that in the past only indicated the product’s grade and color.

The change, announced in late January by the U.S. Department of Agriculture, also does away with the Grade B label and allows some of that darker, late-season syrup to be classified as Grade A.

Consumers will see the same grading classification no matter where the syrup is produced.

Local syrup producers are pleased with the change.

“I think it’s going to be great for the consumer,” said Jim Deming, co-owner of Brower Road Sugar House in Mayfield, which produces about 300 gallons of syrup a year. “I think it’s going to be a little more informative for them. It’s going to give the people more of an idea of what they’re buying flavor-wise,”

Under the new grading standard, Grade A syrup includes four color and flavor classes: golden color and delicate taste; amber color and rich taste; dark color and robust taste; and very dark color and strong taste.

In the past, grade descriptions varied widely.

“In this global marketplace it certainly didn’t do any good to have syrup from Vermont labeled differently than syrup from New York, and Canada’s was a whole ’nother ball of wax,” said Helen Thomas, executive director of the New York State Maple Producers Association. “It was very confusing if you traveled, which most people do in this day and age.”

Karl Ruger, who owns Sugar Oak Farms in Malta, said he’s excited about the grading change because he thinks it will make syrup shopping less confusing for his customers.

“Vermont had their Light Amber Fancy syrup, so people would come and be like, ‘What’s the difference between Vermont Fancy and your Light Amber?’ And we’re like, ‘Absolutely nothing,’ ” he said.

Ruger’s anticipating a lot of questions about the change as maple syrup season ramps up. He plans to set up a question-and-answer booth during his farm’s Maple Weekend open house.

“The state association has provided us with a large poster explaining the new grading system. We have pamphlets to pass out. The state is really embracing it and really helping all of the producers make the consumers aware,” he said.

Clifford Nightingale, owner of Nightingale’s Maple Farm in Amsterdam, agreed that the new labeling descriptors will eliminate confusion. He also said getting rid of the Grade B classification is a beneficial move.

“[Grade B] doesn’t give much information, but it does have a negative psychological effect. Of course you want Grade A, so that was a serious negative and a matter of confusion because there’s no information there,” he said. “In the new system, all syrup, if it’s edible quality, is Grade A. It’s only if there is a defect it is not Grade A.”

The change involves a small amount of extra work and expense for producers, who need to replace old syrup labels with ones bearing the new grading descriptors, but local syrup makers shrugged that off. Tim Everett, owner of Stone House Farm in Sharon Springs, which produces about 1,500 gallons of syrup a year, said the cost to update labels was minimal and sticking new ones over the old wasn’t a big deal.

“It didn’t take much time to get that done. A couple hours and we had stickers on all the containers,” he said.

Most producers said the grading change won’t affect how they price their syrup. Nightingale is an exception.

“We expect to, if not immediately, then very shortly, bring the darkest color up to our regular pricing,” he said.

The darkest syrup, formerly known as “Extra Dark for Cooking (USDA Grade B),” is sometimes priced lower even though it costs more to produce, Nightingale said.

“Late in the season, there’s less sugar in the sap, so it takes more sap, more boiling, to produce those darker grades,” he explained.

Thomas, who is also a maple syrup producer, said she has been an advocate of the grading standard change since she learned about the concept four years ago.

“I have always felt this speaks the customer’s language better,” she said.

Everett said he’s not sure flavor descriptors were actually needed on the labels.

“Most producers were already explaining to their customers as to how the flavors fell in line with the colors that were there,” he said.

He said he thinks the change will cause a bit of confusion at first, but people will get used to it.

“The way we’re going to label it with the flavor, it’s customary to have that with wine or coffee or whatever, so I think they’ll find with maple it’s OK, too,” he said.

Categories: News, Schenectady County