Make maple syrup sugar in 6 easy steps

Maple sugar is a heavenly substitute for standard white sugar. Discover the simple steps for making maple sugar with the maple syrup in your fridge.

Did you know that early Canadian settlers met almost all of their sugar needs with the maple trees on their own land?

• In the country's early days, cane sugar was an expensive import and only the wealthy could afford to use it every day. When it could be had at all, white sugar was saved for special occasions.
• To fill the void, savvy pioneers tapped as many maples as they could to gather sap to boil down to pure maple sugar for baking.

Today we still enjoy maple syrup,  and you can make maple sugar for a taste of the pioneer life right in your own kitchen.

Any grade of maple syrup can be turned into maple sugar. Grade-A light amber is slightly easier to process, but it's also usually the most expensive.

• Along with your syrup, you'll need a heavy-bottomed stock pot with high sides, a half-tablespoon of butter, a candy thermometer and a stand mixer.
• If you don't have a stand mixer, an electric hand mixer or even a wooden spoon and a high-sided mixing bowl will do.

1. Rub a wide strip of butter along the inside of the top rim of your stock pot. This will keep your syrup from boiling over the sides and making a mess.
2. Pour maple syrup into the stock pot, making sure that it fills no more than one-third of the pot.
3. Turn the heat up to high and attach the candy thermometer to the side of the pot.
4. Keep the syrup boiling until it reaches 124 degrees Celsius.

Once the syrup is up to temperature, pour it into your mixing boil and begin stirring.

• This is easy with a stand mixer, but if you're using a spoon, you might want to have a partner on hand to help you when you get tired.
• Keep mixing: the syrup will turn creamy, then will start sending out puffs of steam. Finally, the sugar will become grainy.
• Once it's a fine, fluffy, off-white sugar, you're done.

Allow the sugar to cool completely, then store it in an air-tight container. A crock with a gasketed lid or a mason jar will do well.

• The sugar will keep at room temperature indefinitely.

You can use granulated maple sugar the same way you use white sugar, but its richer flavour is especially delicious in coffee and pies.

• Because it is so fine and fluffy, it's perfect in treats with a creamy texture like custards or puddings, and works well for a cake with a fine crumb.
• You can even make a maple flan by using maple sugar for the custard and maple syrup instead of caramel for the topping.

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