Maple syrup

High school (ages 12+)
Food & Cooking

Name:

Date:

Step 1 · Read the article

Open the article and read it at the level above. Then answer the questions below in your own words.

https://smallwhale.org/articles/maple-syrup

Write what each word means, using the article.

Do not copy the article. Write two things you learned, the way you would explain them to a friend.

Answers below are taken from the article’s stored facts, so they match what the student read.

1. What is the scientific name of sugar maple?Acer saccharum
2. What is the average sap sugar concentration?2% to 5%
3. How do maple trees make the sap that becomes syrup?In winter maple trees store starch. When it warms up, enzymes turn that starch into sugars, and the sap rises up the tree.
4. Why does the sap need to be boiled to become syrup?The sap is only 2-5% sugar, so boiling removes water and raises the sugar to about 66%. This makes the syrup thick and keeps it from spoiling.

Xylem: Plant tissue that transports water and nutrients from the roots to the rest of the plant.
Maillard Reaction: A chemical reaction between amino acids and reducing sugars that gives browned food its distinctive flavor.
Thermodynamics: The branch of physics that deals with heat and its relation to other forms of energy and work.