Editing Maple sugar (section)

== Sources ==

[[File:Acer saccharum.jpg|thumb|180px|upright|right|A sugar maple tree]]

Three species of maple trees in the genus ''[[Acer (plant)|Acer]]'' are predominantly used to produce maple sugar: the [[Acer saccharum|sugar maple]] (''A. saccharum''), the [[Acer nigrum|black maple]] (''A. nigrum''), and the [[Acer rubrum|red maple]] (''A. rubrum''),{{sfn|Elliot|2006|pp=8–10}}{{full citation needed|date=January 2021}} because of the high sugar content (roughly two to five percent) in the sap of these species.{{sfn|Ciesla|2002|pp=37–38}}{{full citation needed|date=January 2021}} The black maple is included as a [[subspecies]] or [[variety (botany)|variety]] in a more broadly viewed concept of ''A. saccharum'', the sugar maple, by some botanists.<ref name=grin>{{GRIN | ''Acer saccharum'' subsp. ''nigrum'' | 314801 | access-date = 10 December 2011}}</ref>  Of these, the red maple has a shorter season because it buds earlier than sugar and black maples, which alters the flavor of the sap.<ref name="mann">{{cite web|last=Heilingmann |first=Randall B |title=Hobby Maple Syrup Production (F-36-02) |url=http://ohioline.osu.edu/for-fact/0036.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20010320055201/http://ohioline.osu.edu/for-fact/0036.html |url-status=dead |archive-date=20 March 2001 |publisher=Ohio State University |access-date=20 September 2010 }}</ref>

A few other species of maple are also sometimes used as sources of sap for producing maple sugar, including the [[Acer negundo|box elder]] (or Manitoba maple, ''A. negundo''),<ref name="thestarphoenix">{{cite news |title=Sask. sap too sweet to waste |last=Ehman |first=Amy Jo |newspaper=[[The StarPhoenix]] |date=25 April 2011 |page=B1}}</ref> the [[Acer saccharinum|silver maple]] (''A. saccharinum''),<ref name="resource">{{cite book |last1=Heiligmann |first1=Randall B |last2=Winch |first2=Fred E |editor1-first=Melvin R |editor1-last=Koelling |editor2-last=Heiligmann |editor2-first=Randall B |title=North American Maple Syrup Producers Manual |chapter-url=http://ohioline.osu.edu/b856/ |archive-url=https://archive.today/20060429074616/http://ohioline.osu.edu/b856/ |url-status=dead |archive-date=29 April 2006 |access-date=20 September 2010 |series= Bulletin |volume=856 |year=1996 |publisher=Ohio State University |chapter=Chapter 3: The Maple Resource}}</ref> and the [[Acer macrophyllum|bigleaf maple]] (''A. macrophyllum'').<ref>{{cite journal|author1=Ruth, Robert H |author2=Underwood, J Clyde |author3=Smith, Clark E |author4=Yang, Hoya Y |year=1972|title=Maple sirup production from bigleaf maple|journal=PNW-181|publisher=US Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Pacific Northwest Forest and Range Experiment Station|page=12|url=http://www.fs.fed.us/pnw/pubs/rn181.pdf}}</ref> Similar sugars may also be produced from [[birch syrup|birch]] or [[palm syrup|palm]] trees, among other sources.<ref>{{cite news|newspaper=The Globe and Mail|title=Why settle for maple when you could have birch syrup?|date=7 June 2011|url=https://www.theglobeandmail.com/life/food-and-wine/trends/trends-features/why-settle-for-maple-when-you-could-have-birch-syrup/article2050424/|access-date=12 December 2011|author=Leung, Wency}}</ref><ref>{{cite book|last=Food|title=Utilization of tropical foods: trees : compendium on technological and nutritional aspects of processing and utilization of tropical foods, both animal and plant, for purposes of training and field reference.|year=1989|publisher=Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations|isbn=978-92-5-102776-9|page=[https://archive.org/details/utilizationoftro0000unse/page/5 5]|url=https://archive.org/details/utilizationoftro0000unse/page/5}}</ref>