Syrup Producers Getting Ready for Maple Weekend

With the warmer weather this past week, a number of maple syrup producers were getting out to collect sap and boil it to make yummy maple syrup.

One such producer is Karl Wiles, who runs Cedarvale Maple Syrup Co. on Pleasant Valley Road in the town of Onondaga.

"Today was our second day boiling," Wiles said Monday, Feb. 21. "I've already made 100 gallons of syrup."

Conditions need to be just perfect for collecting sap. Temperatures need to be about 40 degrees or a bit higher during the day to get the sap flowing. Then, temperatures must go down below freezing at night (but not too cold, in the upper 20s in best).

When those temperatures are right, the sap is forced out of the maple tree. The producer collects it, boils it down to get rid of the water in it and what is left is wonderful, sweet syrup.

It takes about 40 gallons of sap to boil down to one gallon of syrup.

There are about 10 maple syrup producers in Onondaga County. They are:

Cedarvale, 3769 Pleasant Valley Road, Onondaga
Skaneateles Sugar Shack, 2234 Benson Road, Skaneateles
Shute's Sugar Shack, 1525 Gunbarrel Road, Van Buren
Komrowski Maple, 7584 Tater Road, Lysander
Anthonson Hilltop Farm, 6392 Laird Road, Jordan
Next Generation Maple Products, 6018 Wilbur Road, East Syracuse
Beebe & Sons Maple Farm, 6630 Minoa-Bridgeport Road, East Syracuse
Paradise Farms, 5080 Palmer Road, Manlius
Bear Mountain Farm, 2288 Case Hill Road, LaFayette
Dutch Hill Maple, 1420 Dutch Hill Road, Tully

This year, Maple Weekends are scheduled for March 18 and 19 and March 25 and 26.

On those weekends, many producers throughout the state and in Onondaga County open up their operations so the public can see how trees are tapped, how sap is collected and how sap is boiled down to make syrup. Some producers even put on pancake breakfasts featuring their own fresh-made maple syrup.The producers also have their products for sale during Maple Weekend open houses. Some other products in addition to syrup include maple cream, maple sugar, maple cotton candy and maple candy.Go to http://www.nysmaple.com/maple-weekend-search/plan-your-maple-weekend/ to find a Maple Weekend site near you.


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