NEW YORK, Dec. 17, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Today marks National Maple Syrup Day, a perfect time to celebrate the all-natural  sweetener's culinary versatility and health benefits. Pure maple syrup from Canada is not only delicious in a range of holiday dishes from sweet to savory, but also offers great health benefits, perfect as an energy source for your daily workout. Whether you are hosting a festive meal or exercising to rejuvenate your holiday spirit, pure maple syrup can add warmth and depth of flavor to your favorite foods.

Some Fun Facts on How Maple Syrup is Made
Did you know 10.5 gallons of sap boil down to just one quart of maple syrup?  Every spring, when the nights are cold, water from the soil is absorbed into the maple tree. During the day, warmer temperatures create pressure that pushes water down the tree, allowing the collection of maple sap.

Maple Fitness Facts for a Healthy, Happy Holiday
A wonderful flavor booster in a range of dishes, pure maple syrup is also an energy booster for health enthusiasts, playing a vital role before, during and after workouts. The perfect wellness fix during the holidays, try pure maple syrup in homemade sports drinks or drizzled on toast with peanut butter and bananas. Maple syrup is a 100% natural energy source, providing your body with easily digestible, simple carbohydrates and a great workout fuel. An excellent source of manganese and zinc, maple syrup provides vital nutrients for muscle recovery and boosting the immune system. The only product in our diet sourced from a plant's sap, this vegan sweetener features over 54 antioxidants that may help delay or prevent diseases caused by free radicals. For tips and recipes supporting exercise nutrition, read our dietitian recommendations in this brochure (PDF)

Top 5 Reasons to Use Maple Syrup in Cooking
Is pure maple syrup delicious on waffles? YES, but it is so much more than just a great breakfast topper. To celebrate America's favorite breakfast ingredient, here are the top 5 reasons why you should use maple syrup.

1. Baking Buddy: Not just for pancakes, pure maple syrup is the perfect sugar alternative in a variety of dishes, including desserts and baked goods. Maple syrup serves as a simple, one-to-one substitution for other liquid sweeteners, such as honey, molasses and corn syrup. To substitute for granulated sweeteners such as white sugar, use a one-to-one substitution, reduce the quantity of liquid ingredients in the recipe (water, milk, juice) by one fourth of a cup, and reduce the oven temperature by 25 degrees.
2. The Pantry's Sweetest Staple: Pure maple syrup adds depth and complexity to a range of entrees, from savory to sweet. The sweetener can be used as an ingredient in glazes and rubs for poultry, meat, seafood or vegetables.
3. Holiday Happy Hour: Bartenders and cocktail connoisseurs know to substitute maple syrup instead of simple syrup to achieve an unexpected twist and deeper flavor in classic cocktails. Give it a try in your family's eggnog recipe!
4. Go for the Gold: Instead of pouring on sugar without added benefits, just a drizzle of maple syrup offers a subtle touch of sweetness to fresh fruit, cereal, tea, coffee and smoothies. Did you know that pure maple syrup has the same beneficial classes of antioxidant compounds found in berries, tea, red wine, whole wheat and flax seed?
5. Nature's Energy Boost: Pure maple syrup is a 100% natural energy source, and contains higher levels of beneficial minerals than other sweeteners, including calcium, potassium and copper.  Read here for more on using maple syrup to maximize exercise results.

For hundreds of delicious maple syrup recipes, visit our website and be sure to like us on Facebook at Canada Maple Syrup, and follow us on Twitter @PureCanadaMaple.

About the Federation and the Canadian maple syrup industry
The Federation of Quebec Maple Syrup Producers was founded in 1966 with the mission of defending and promoting the economic, social and moral interests of its 7,400 maple family farms businesses. These men and women are working together to collectively work on quality standards, create knowledge and market their products. Quebec is responsible for 93 percent of the Canadian production and close to 80 percent of today's global maple syrup output. Therefore the Federation is proud to lead scientific research in the name of the entire Canadian maple syrup industry. Ontario, New Brunswick and Nova Scotia contribute seven percent of the total Canadian production.

Maple syrup should be consumed in moderation.

For more information:
Laura Petrosky  
lpetrosky@crt-tanaka.com  
(212) 229-0550

SOURCE The Federation of Quebec Maple Syrup Producers