主要研究 今天

早在雪融化之前，厚大衣就被储存起来了, the quintessential signs that spring is not too far away in New Hampshire are maple trees that become dotted with buckets and the coming alive of the sugar shacks that have been hibernating for many months. In 2022, three New England states—Maine, New Hampshire and Vermont—and New York were 在 六大枫糖浆生产州. 然而，枫糖浆很快就会迎来一些友好的竞争. 新研究由 新罕布什尔州农业实验站 例如，科学家研究了砍伐非枫树是如何, 桦木和山毛榉, 花岗岩州也有吗 丰富—could increase the economic resiliency of the state’s syrup producers and offer intriguing alternatives to breakfast staples, 同时提供重要的生态效益.

博士候选人大卫·摩尔的成员 主要研究生态水文实验室, 领导研究, which focused on identifying best management practices for harvesting sap and producing syrup from a variety of deciduous trees native to New Hampshire. 摩尔 共同撰写了一篇论文 — 以及一个由现任和前任主要研究研究人员组成的团队 -出现在NH农业实验站的 励志林业研究报告.

摩尔, 长期的糖浆生产商, previously produced birch and sycamore syrup commercially for the Lee-based business The Crooked Chimney.

“当我还是永利app新版本官网地址的一名本科生时, I did a research project on birch syrup during my senior year to determine which New England birch species was best for syrup production,摩尔说。. “纸桦木(桦木属papyrifera)树液的含糖量平均约为甜桦树液的两倍(桦木属lenta)及黄桦(桦木属alleghaniensis).”

“桦树糖浆有一种迷人的味道，与枫糖浆截然不同,他补充道, “所以我开始探索其他类型的树木可以用来生产糖浆.”

And although many of the non-maple trees that 摩尔 taps—by drilling a small hole into a tree and attaching a sap collection system—contain sap with a much lower sugar concentration than maple, the syrup produced from the sap of those “alternative” trees can fetch four or five times more (about $300 per gallon) as maple syrup does.

部分是为了应对市场需求，替代糖浆生产商正在增加. 20年前，新英格兰没有商业桦树糖浆生产商. 现在大约有6个. 替代糖浆意味着花岗岩州的新机遇, 在山毛榉, white birch and yellow birch rank 在 top 10 most abundant tree species (along with red and sugar maple), 根据 NH森林和土地司.

生产替代糖浆也具有生态效益. The syrup industry’s primary reliance on one tree species puts it risk from extreme climate events, 害虫和病原体, 市场变化和其他不确定因素. A more diverse sugarbush (a forest of trees tapped for sap) means lower risk if one species is impacted and would offer greater climate resilience.

补充摩尔的研究, Shadi Atallah完成的工作, an associate professor at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign’s College of Agricultural, 消费者与环境科学, and 主要研究 graduate research assistant Jawad Khan showed that providing information to consumers about the type of syrup they are sampling, 以及促进糖灌木和森林多样化的潜在优势, 导致人们愿意为12买单.7盎司的瓶装矿泉水降价1美元.10.

“我最初认为这些新糖浆会与枫糖浆市场竞争, 但是在和人们交谈之后, 我认为这不一定会发生,摩尔说。. “What often occurs is that people who really enjoy pure maple syrup find out that syrup can be produced from different trees and that these different syrups have new flavors, 他们会很兴奋地尝试.”

“从某种意义上说，这些不同的糖浆在市场上都是互补的，”他补充说.

不同的滋味

许多人都熟悉枫树汁液中糖浆的味道. 然而, different tree species offer entirely different tastes 在 syrup that comes from their sap. 例如, the taste of birch syrup can vary depending on the processing method and range from a smoky and burnt flavor to a 甜蜜的, 口感清淡，带有一丝覆盆子的味道, 说摩尔.

另一方面, 山毛榉的味道和枫糖浆很像, 但是核桃糖浆比枫树糖浆口感更顺滑，更有坚果味, 而梧桐树尝起来像蜂蜜或奶油糖.

“I’ve had birch syrup that tastes like molasses and birch syrup that tastes almost fruity,摩尔描述道。. “Birch syrup pairs very nicely with savory foods – some folks don’t like the taste of it right away, 但当他们把它放进菜里, 他们很喜欢.”

“我认为梧桐糖浆是我最喜欢的，因为它有一种淡淡的味道, 甜蜜的, 制作得当，味道独特.”

全在糖里

除了水，树液中最常见的分子是糖. 蔗糖——或者你常见的食糖——是糖枫汁中发现的主要糖, 而桦树液主要含有果糖和葡萄糖. 果糖在比葡萄糖和蔗糖更低的温度下分解. 然而, recent technologies like reverse osmosis that don’t rely on heat to concentrate sap can help make the syrup production process more efficient while maintaining the flavor profile, 说摩尔.

“用热煮树汁是可取的，原因有很多——它有助于培养口感, 我们喜欢的焦糖味, 对于制糖商来说，使用木材作为燃料通常是有道理的,摩尔补充道。. “然而, reverse osmosis greatly reduces the amount of fuel you use and really makes a difference when burnt off-flavors are a risk.”