The Pantry Quiz #17

Multiple choice

Today is my husband Ted's birthday, and in his honor, our quiz is about a pantry ingredient most every Canadian loves, and which I keep in my pantry at all times.

How many gallons of sap does it take to make one gallon of maple syrup?

1. 1
2. 4
3. 10
4. 40

__________

Please leave your answer in the comments, and let us know whether you have this ingredient in your pantry.

[Last week's answer: Mexican oregano is the only herb on the list from a different plant family.]

You can find most answers to The Pantry Quiz by using the search box at right, at the top of the page, to hunt for clues. Come back next Saturday for the answer to today's quiz question.

Comments

40 gallons! I always have pure maple syrup in my pantry and it's one of my favorite ingredients. My husband used to boil the sap with his dad in Vermont when he was growing up so I know it takes a lot of sap and a lot of time to produce a gallon of maple syrup - it's like liquid gold!

My son was looking over my shoulder as I read this email, and immediately said 40. His grades in Science and Engineering and History (and English, and Math let's be honest) aren't anything to write a Christmas letter about, but since his gut response was 40 I'm going to go with that.

And I don't have TJ's 100% Pure Maple Syrup, but I do have Ohio Pure Maple Syrup from my farmer's market in my fridge. The syrup is in the fridge. Not the farmer's market.

10 and i always have some in my pantry

I'm going with 40 gallons. I always have Trader Joe's Grade B maple syrup in my refrigerator.

Oh, how well I know it's forty. When we first bought our house, we wanted to transition from New Yawkers to real New Englanders. We tapped some big old maples, strained the bugs out of the sap and started boiling in my two biggest pots. Six hours later, the wallpaper started peeling from all of the steam! That syrup was great, but now we just buy it from Parker's Maple Barn. Happy Birthday, Ted!

40 gallons of sap for 1 gallon of syrup. Yes I have pure maple syrup in my fridge. Love that syrup and use it frequently.

40! we have friends who tap their trees and have a big to-do every spring. Plus the local environmental center has a maple syrup pancake breakfast too. Let's put it this way -- I *try* to have it in my pantry, but with 2 college students and a high school senior -- it goes quickly! :)

Well, I'm seeing that all these others know the answer and know it well! But, yes, I always have maple syrup in my fridge. The current jug comes from Vermont. I love using it for certain recipes as a refined sugar-free option. :-)

Happy birthday to Ted!

Shirley

40 gallons. We have the sweet liquid hanging out in the pantry. Mmmmm mmmmmm!

40 gallons. i learned that watching a "good eats" episode. i always have a bottle in my fridge and an extra bottle in my pantry. it is my main sweetener.

40 Gallons and I would like some addresses of Home Made Syrup from the Eastern side of the United States. I like to buy stuff like this from local businesses. Thanks

This Pacific Northwesterner guesses 40! I prefaced with this as I really have no clue. ;-) Once upon a time I read an article about it and I know it was a lot. Looks like I am correct and like others, I always have some in the pantry. I buy it in bulk from my local food co-op so it is organic as well!

I didn't know but now I DO!

Yes, 40. We get ours from local sugar houses. If I didn't love New England for other reasons too, that would be enough to live here. I love seeing the lines in the trees as we drive in wooded areas. In about a month, the huge collecting tanks will come out, where the tap lines empty. Hope for a good season!
I used to sell a bottled sparkling water called Sap Water -- just a bit of the sap in each bottle. They dropped out of sight, so I assume they didn't put enough in!

10 gallons of sap for one if syrup. Labor intensive. Especially when made on an outdoor fire.

my answer is 40 gallons as well.

The kind of maple syrup in my pantry is a bottle from Maine or Vermont. I find it at the Home Goods store during the winter months.

This Canadian says it can take anywhere from 35 - 50, depending on how much sugar there is in the sap :)

40....very labor intensive and sooo good on hot, buttery pancakes or as a sugar-substitute. I always have this in my fridge.

HAPPY BELATED BIRTHDAY TED!!
(my mom's was the same day!)
And I LOVE maple syrup - I like to get mine at various small maple farms in New Hampshire where I am from!