Instructions
Maple sugar should be made with table grade pure maple syrups (light, medium or dark). The coarseness of the finished sugar may vary depending on the grade of syrup that is used.
To make maple sugar, boil pure maple syrup until it reaches a temperature between 34 and 38 degrees above the boiling point of water. Remember that the boiling point of water varies depending on the barometric pressure and will have to be calculated prior to boiling your syrup. Watch the temperature carefully, as it can rise very quickly and then your syrup may burn. If you smell smoke, remove your syrup from heat. At this point, if the syrup hasn’t already begun to burn, it will if you leave it over the heat any longer. When the syrup reaches the desired temperature, remove it from heat and stir. Stir until the syrup begins to crystallize and doesn’t foam up any longer. At this point, you can pour the syrup onto a flat pan. Keep stirring it and moving it around the pan while it cools. You will have granules and lumps of maple sugar. To remove the lumps, roll the sugar with a rolling pin and sift it through a screen. If your syrup hardens before you get it out of your cooking pan, you can add water, reheat and try again.
Store your sugar in a cool, dry place.