A Carleton University PhD student developed test strips that can detect when the end of maple syrup season is near, helping producers make the most of the trees during the short springtime.
Shahad Abdulmawjood noticed a paper from Justin Renaud, now her collaborator, on the specific amino acids that increase in maple sap when the tree is near its end of season. These acids are critical in understanding whether the sap, that is used to make syrup, will taste good.
Her research builds on Renaud’s findings and allows harvesters to use test strips, similar to COVID-19 tests, to detect if the amino acids are present.
This project isn’t just to help out producers who face more climate change complications as the planet warms, but also because Abdulmawjood adores the liquid gold.
“I didn’t grew up here, I came as an immigrant. So maple syrup was one of the first things that I tried because we don’t have it back home and I fell in love with it,” she told CityNews in an interview.
Growing up in Iraq, she said maple syrup was seen in movies and TV shows, so when she moved to Canada 12 years ago, she knew she had to try it.
“Then this project came and I was like, ‘Can I have it? I love maple syrup,’” Abdulmawjood said.
For centuries harvesters relied on natural indicators, like the presence of snakes and bird calls, of when the sap could have that “buddiness” flavour. Abdulmawjood said that if sap is “buddy” not only will it make the syrup taste sour but it also has the odour of rotten eggs (or sulphur).
“So imagine going through all of this process (of making syrup) for it to taste buddy, then that will be a waste of time, resources, and even in some cases, a lot of them complain about how hard it is to clean out after,” she said.
How the tests work
The test strip Abdulmawjood developed resembles the COVID-19 tests Canadians used for years during the pandemic. Producers need to add a few drops of the sap to the strip before adding a detecting agent to the test and waiting 20 minutes for it to soak.
Abdulmawjood is still testing different solutions for accuracy, but the harvesters then dip the stick into the solution she provides and need to wait two minutes for the reactions.
“If they see two lines then the sap is good and they can continue,” she said. “If they see only one line at the top and in the test zone it will disappear, then this means that the target is present and then so maybe they should stop.”
The research she’s doing is funded by the Ontario Maple Syrup Producers Association and the North American Maple Syrup Council.
The harvesters are excited, knowing that Abdulmawjood’s goal is to help them test their sap and create better products.
“They’re so happy,” she said. “Almost all of them when I talk to them they say it’s going to be so helpful since no one knows about their issues with the maple syrup buddiness.”
Her goal is for these tests to be mass produced and be the most accurate for producers so they can focus on providing the sweet syrup that we all know and love.
