In case you were wondering, yes, of course I did in fact jinx myself. A dock spider as big as a Buick has stationed himself (herself?) right in front of the dock ladder and refuses to budge, regardless of any dock stomping. I was reduced to walking into the water down the boat ramp, running the gauntlet of the prolific weed farm. But that is not the topic for today. Today’s topic is maple syrup.
I have been in the habit of buying maple syrup in cans from Farm Boy and then transferring the contents to an old maple syrup bottle that closes securely. Earlier in the cottage season, I noticed the bottle had started developing a crust of sugar on the bottom. I attributed this to the temperature of the fridge, which even on the recommended setting of four (seven is the coldest), still manages to freeze the lettuce if I’m not vigilant. Turns out, that was not the problem.
But allow me to share some fun maple syrup facts. Canada produces 75% of the world’s maple syrup, mostly from Quebec. I am very proud to say that Canada has a strategic reserve of maple syrup (as opposed to a strategic reserve of tomahawk missiles or Venezuelan crude) kept in four locations in rural Quebec. In my Gwyneth Paltrow cookbook (yes, I am not ashamed to say I have an entire Gwyneth Paltrow cookbook – it’s actually pretty good), she stipulates real Vermont maple syrup in one of her salad dressing recipes. Et tu, Gwyneth?
Anyhow, to digress further, you may or may not recall The Great Canadian Maple Syrup Heist (French: vol de sirop d’érable du siècle, or the maple syrup heist of the century) a theft over several months in 2011 and 2012 of nearly 3,000 tonnes from a storage facility in Quebec, valued at $18.7 million. Obviously, maple syrup is a valuable commodity. One that may show up on the black market. And, as it turns out, one that may be counterfeited.
In April of this year, Enquête, Radio-Canada’s investigative program, discovered that a major Quebec maple syrup producer was selling fake maple syrup in cans on store shelves. The syrup in question, labeled as “pure,” was in fact cut with up to 50% cane sugar. Bingo!
I grabbed a can from my pantry, and sure enough it had the smoking gun label: 9227-8712 Québec Inc. But that is not the end of the road. A class action suit has been certified and I could be on my way to earning the princely sum of $100 (plus the cost of the syrup – I would guess I have bought at least 1,000 cans. Honest!). I think I should also be compensated for the damage to my reputation resulting from having served ersatz boiled sap to countless cottage guests. And I may have thought I was defying Gwyneth by being loyal to Canada, but instead unknowingly besmirched her chive vinaigrette, causing irreparable harm to innocent lettuce.
Stay tuned as more fallout of this heinous caper unfolds. Meanwhile, I retrieved some non-bogus syrup from my fridge at home, so the waning weeks of pancakes and French toast can be enjoyed authentically. Thank goodness!