The basic process of making maple syrup hasn't changed much over the years. True maple syrup has nothing added. The Maple tree is cut so that the sap bleeds out into a collecting bin. The sap is then boiled to remove the water. These days the sugarmakers (syrup makers) can use a reverse osmosis filtration system which allows the water to be removed more quickly. Technically since there is heat in the process, it fits the definition of being, well, processed. But since there is nothing added to it, it stays on my edible list.
Hickory syrup is something I discovered at a flea market in Princeton, WI. I thought it was pricey but the sample was delicious. The man at the table explained to me the process originated from the Native Americans. He sore it was a long process but the basic idea was boiling the flavoring out of the bark of the tree and turning it into syrup. He said it was friendlier to the trees rather than the way maple syrup is made. It tasted amazing so I bought a bottle and spent beaucoup dollars. Now that I've done my research on it I've knocked it off my list. There is white cane sugar added to it. Bummer.
Honey is probably the most interesting to me. It's made by millions of cute little honey bees that buzz from flower to flower. They then drop off their nectar to the home base and the worker bees who "chew" it as the enzymes turn the nectar into honey.
Raw honey takes this product from the bees. It is not heated or filtered. Since it is not filtered it is likely to have little bee parts like wings or bits of the honeycomb left inside of it. The syrupy honey that is typically sold is filtered and heated.
So there you have it. If I'm missing any other options let me know. If any of you are curious what I'll be using for sweeteners it'll be either pure fruit juice, honey or maple syrup. If it really comes down to needing something granulated I might use Sugar in the Raw since that is the least refined out of all of them. I added this little chart below for reference.
RefinedWhite sugar Brown sugar Corn syrup Hickory syrup Splenda Truvia Nectresse Agave Nectar | Less RefinedSugar in the Raw Maple syrup Honey (heated) | UnrefinedRaw Honey Fruit |