Test your syrup to see if it falls into one of four common pure maple syrup “grades.” The fifth bottle in the comparator is for your syrup. Grade it against the four samples provided.
Once you’ve done all the hard work of collecting sap and making syrup, take a minute to marvel at the beautiful product you’ve made. Maple syrup is not only delicious; it’s beautiful to look at, too! Note the color of your syrup. Is it a light golden hue or a dark amber? Taste your syrup. Does it have a mild, delicate maple taste or a strong, robust maple flavor? To place a grade on your syrup, you need to determine its color and flavor category.
You must grade your maple syrup to place a proper value on it for sale purposes, though not all states and provinces require that the grade be shown on the product. In the United States, pure maple syrup is graded according to federal USDA regulations. The USDA uses five grades for syrup: Grade A Light Amber, Grade A Medium Amber, Grade A Dark Amber, Grade B, and Commercial Grade. Vermont, Ohio, New Hampshire, New York, and Maine have their own variations on these grades. In Quebec, which produces about 70 percent of the world’s syrup supply, syrup is graded with the letters AA, A, B, and C.
The International Maple Syrup Institute (IMSI) has come up with a standardized system for grading pure maple syrup that will replace the current grading systems in the United States and Canada. The IMSI grading scale focuses more on flavor than color, whereas many other grading systems focus mostly on color. Flavor can’t be measured with a tool; you have to learn how to grade syrup by taste, which takes practice and trial and error. You can use a comparator to grade the color of syrup. A comparator, like a maple syrup grading kit, compares a sample of maple syrup to a standardized color sample.
According to its website, the International Maple Syrup Institute (IMSI) is an organization that works “to promote the use of pure maple syrup and protect the integrity of the product while encouraging cooperation among all persons or groups involved in any aspect of the maple industry.”
IMSI suggests four classes of pure maple syrup:
Golden Maple Syrup “has a light to more pronounced golden color and a delicate or mild taste.”
Amber Maple Syrup “has a light amber color and a rich or full-bodied taste.”
Dark Amber Syrup “has a dark color and a more robust or stronger taste than syrup in lighter color classes.”
Very Dark Maple Syrup “has a very strong taste. It is generally recommended for cooking purposes but some consumers may prefer it for table use.”
Test your syrup to see if it falls into one of four common pure maple syrup “grades.” The fifth bottle in the comparator is for your syrup. Grade it against the four samples provided.
Maple producers have very little control over which grades of syrup they make. Typically, lighter syrup is made earlier in the season and darker syrup is made later. At the start of the season, your equipment is cleaner and the weather is colder. There are fewer bacteria contaminating your sap. Bacteria grow as the season continues and the weather warms, so toward the end of the season there are more bacteria contaminating your sap. These bacteria are not harmful — they are the same bacteria that are in the air we breathe. Bacteria metabolize the sugars in the sap, and this causes darker-colored, stronger-flavored syrup. The trees also go through chemical changes as they begin to bud, changes that affect the color and flavor of maple syrup. As with all aspects of syrup making, there are exceptions to these scenarios.
Dark syrup is not of inferior quality to light syrup, but different consumers prefer different grades of pure maple syrup. Just as with beer styles, color and taste differences in syrup grades do not denote differences in quality. A light pilsner beer has a light color and a delicate flavor. A stout beer has a dark color and a strong flavor. One style isn’t of inferior quality to the other; they simply vary in color and taste.
Most pure maple syrup that is packaged and sold on grocery store shelves is considered dark or amber grade. This is a fairly middle-of-the-road grade that will please the majority of consumers. When you’re packaging for mass production, you have to keep this in mind. If you package smaller batches for individual customers, you can customize to their taste if you are lucky enough to have made the grade they prefer.
When packaging syrup for retail sale, IMSI suggests that it should be uniform in color; its flavor should fall into one of the four suggested classes; it should be free of foul or off-flavors; and it should be free of sediment and impurities. IMSI suggests that labels include the words “Grade A” and “Pure Maple Syrup,” as well as where the product originated, the color class, the flavor intensity, and whether the grade is recommended for cooking. Additionally, labels could state that there are no additives. If your syrup is certified organic or kosher, add that to the label as well. Make sure your label has your name and at least the city and state in which your syrup is made so that customers can reorder from you when they run out.
To price your syrup for retail sale, first consider what price your syrup is worth in bulk. Packagers buy bulk syrup, usually in 30- or 55-gallon drums or barrels. Contact a packager to find out what price you would get if you sold your syrup to them. We’re always happy to let people know the going rate for maple syrup. Our information is listed at the back of the book, and you can feel free to call. Prices may vary regionally, and they are not set for the year until after the syrup season is finished and bulk buyers are able to take inventory. Wait until the majority of the states and provinces have finished making syrup for the year before trying to pin down a price.
Start with that bulk syrup price, and increase from there, adding the cost of your containers and labels as well as other costs. Consider your time and the cost of your equipment. Consider labor: You’re doing all the work of making the syrup, and you are also packaging, marketing, and storing it. Price it accordingly.
Also look at what syrup is selling for in the grocery store, and sell it for at least that price. People sometimes make the mistake of underpricing their syrup. Generally, when a customer goes to an individual producer to buy syrup, she does so because she feels that she is getting a higher-quality product. You don’t need to price yourself out of the market, but making maple syrup is a very labor-intensive, specialized craft, and your prices should reflect that.
If you’re building a business, your business plan will need to show how your business will make a profit. You’ll need to know what you’re going to do with your syrup.
Bulk. Selling to a bulk buyer is the easiest way to sell your syrup. Ask other producers whom they sell to, or ask a maple syrup equipment dealer for names. If the dealer doesn’t buy syrup, he or she will certainly know someone who does. Bulk buyers are almost always looking for more syrup and almost always willing to buy. Ask a trusted producer about the reputation of the buyer; you’ll want to sell to a buyer who grades and prices syrup fairly.
Retail. Good places to start selling your syrup include farmers’ markets, craft shows, and church bazaars. Some farmers’ markets or bazaars have rules and fees, or they require a license to sell there. You’ll want to make sure you contact the sale organizer before arriving. Some syrup makers find that they really enjoy selling their syrup this way; it gives them a chance to connect with each customer and talk about the process of making maple syrup.
Advertise that you have maple syrup to sell by putting a professional-looking sign at the end of your driveway.
It’s always a good idea to put a sign at the end of your driveway; people won’t know that you have syrup to sell if you don’t advertise. Selling to your neighbors is a great way to start — they’ll tell their neighbors, and word will spread that you make great maple syrup and you have some for sale!
Wholesale. Selling wholesale to gift stores, grocery stores, and even food service outlets is the next step. Try local or independent grocery stores first. It is difficult to gain access to chain stores, and they may require that you hire a broker and pay warehouse, shelf space, and other fees. Food service outlets such as bakeries and restaurants often cook or bake with bulk syrup or serve pure maple syrup. Try making connections with them as well.
When marketing your pure maple syrup, start with the packaging. There are a variety of preprinted labels — ranging from simple to beautiful — that will work with any size or style of container. Some have space for you to add your business name and contact location. If they don’t have space for that, we suggest sticking a return address label on the bottle. If you create your own label, make one that is unique to your business or family. It should clearly state “pure maple syrup.”
Proper language. The maple syrup industry, with the help of IMSI and NAMSC, was instrumental in passing legislation stating that if the words “pure maple syrup” appear on a label there must be pure maple syrup in the container. There are severe penalties for breaking this law. Further, if the product is not pure maple syrup, the words “maple syrup” must be followed by a descriptor such as “flavored.” For example, “maple syrup–flavored gum.” This legislation was passed to protect consumers and the industry from fraudulent claims. If you are flavoring your pure maple syrup with, say, cinnamon, your label may state that it is “cinnamon-flavored pure maple syrup.” If you are selling a blend of pure maple syrup and sugar syrup, which some producers do, you may not label your container as “pure maple syrup.”
Labeling grade. Not all states require that you label the grade of your syrup, but it is important. In 2015 most states and provinces will require grade labels on pure maple syrup. We use grade labels so consumers know what they’re buying. Grade labels also make your product look more professional. If they’re having a label printed, people typically add the grade to the label design. If you decide to use a preprinted label, you can purchase grade-label stickers from a maple syrup supply dealer and place them on your container.
State programs. Many states offer specialty labels or programs. For example, Wisconsin offers the “Something Special from Wisconsin” program. Minnesota promotes the “Minnesota Grown” program. Each state has different program requirements, and many require a fee. These programs are beneficial because they have loyal followings. As the trend to buy local intensifies, consumers will continue to look for ways to identify local producers.
Certification. As consumers become savvier, they demand that more products be certified. There are many certifications — such as “organic,” “kosher,” and “gluten-free” — that maple syrup producers can use to describe their syrup. All of these certifications require yearly fees and inspections, tracking paperwork, and cleaning procedure and shipping documentation. For example, pure maple syrup is organic by nature, but you cannot label it organic without following the organic certification guidelines. Organic certification requirements pertain to land management, tapping procedures, the types of defoamers used during cooking, and products used during cleaning procedures. Contact the National Organic Program (see Resources for website) for more information on becoming certified organic.
For more information on how to market your pure maple syrup, check with the maple syrup producer association in your state or province. They may have suggestions or even marketing tools available for use.
A well-designed label can be an essential marketing tool for your syrup. Add any special certifications to your label. Your packaged syrup should also look professional. It should be wiped clean of any syrup drips, and the labels should be straight.