Pure Vermont Maple Syrup Flavors The keynote speaker at a Vermont Maple Sugar Makers Association conference recently stated that “every maple farmer makes a different tasting maple syrup ~ every day”. As a proponent of small-batch syrup, that sentiment resonates with me. The flavors of pure maple syrup do vary from day-to-day, season-to-season, and farm-to-farm. Whether it is floral notes, a butterscotch bouquet, or a hint of leather, the different flavors of pure maple syrup are truly a delight for the senses. As Rowan Jacobsen wrote in American Terroir, “When you do sip your way through a fe ..read more

Sampling Very Dark & Strong Maple Syrup We like to offer samples of many different syrups and ask folks which they prefer. Only about 10% of people pick the Very Dark & Strong maple syrup as their favorite. But I take this with a grain of salt.  It's true that the darker maple syrups don't rank as well when sipped side-by-side with the lighter syrups. The Very Dark & Strong is exactly that - strong. People may not want that poured over their vanilla ice cream; however, if I were serving samples of pie, the ones flavored with Very Dark would most likel ..read more

Old Growth Maple Trees While hiking in the Northeast Kingdom of Vermont last weekend, I came across a handful of old growth maple trees that were nearly five feet in diameter. Talk about standing out in the crowd! Since maples can live to 400 years old, I have no doubt that these trees were thriving when Vermont became the 14th state in 1791. They may have lost some branches and the centers are rotting out, but they are strong and standing tall. Note the five foot long walking stick for scale! Old growth trees are not common here in Vermont. By the late 1800’s, Vermont was mostly denuded of t ..read more

Prior to 2014, Golden & Delicate maple syrup was officially known as Vermont Fancy maple syrup. With a light transmittance of at least 75%, Golden maple syrup is the lightest grade of maple syrup. It is made early in the maple syrup season before the syrup begins to naturally darken. The flavor may be considered Delicate, but it is the pure essence of maple to be savored by the discerning palette. It’s a perfect topping for vanilla ice cream, but would be overshadowed in a marinade. The new Golden & Delicate nomenclature is fine, but like most Vermonters, I still call it Fancy. To be c ..read more

Maple syrup farmers, or sugarmakers, use the term “sweetening the pan” at the start of the season. The ‘pan’ represents the maple evaporator which is used to boil the maple sap over the fire. The ‘sweetening’ happens during the year's first boiling of the raw maple sap. Maple syrup evaporators may seem like mysterious machines made of stainless steel pans, dividers, flues, valves, levers, and floats. But they have one primary function: boil off water, and turn the watery maple sap (about 2% sugar) into thick maple syrup (66.9% sugar).  Evaporators are designed in such a way th ..read more

There are three types of markets for maple syrup: BULK, WHOLESALE and RETAIL. To simplify this discussion, I am using quarts as the unit of measure. Based on typical prices for quarts of maple syrup in Vermont, here is what farmers can expect to be paid: $7 per quart for BULK. In the bulk market, farmers sell barrels of maple syrup to commercial packers who then bottle, package, and distribute the maple syrup to retailers. Most of the maple syrup on the grocery shelves is sold by these large commercial processors. The profit margins are low because of all the middle men. The key to a via ..read more

When you hear the term wood-fired, you may start dreaming of a slice of rustic pizza, fresh from a stone oven with crispy edges and a slight smoky flavor. Unless your maple syrup was cooked in the backyard over a campfire, there shouldn’t be any smoke flavor or wood ashes in your wood-fired maple syrup. The term wood-fired, as it relates to maple syrup, does not refer to an imparted flavor. Instead, it denotes the type of fuel used to create the fire that boils the maple sap. Wood-fired maple syrup is cooked over a wood fire. This has been the historical maple sugaring process for decades; how ..read more

We're really excited to start sharing. Sign up to learn about small maple farmers and how they make real maple syrup. Get some delicious maple recipes to try. Read some entertaining stories of life on a maple farm. Look for posts coming soon! We just had to start with a picture of our new puppy - Maple. She's pretty sweet ..read more