Maple Weekends are here: Northeast's Sweet Harvest

Sugar housePhoto byMike PetruccionUnsplash

Mmmm, Maple! Maple weekends are the time when sugaring houses in the northeast open their doors. The past 5 years or so have seen earlier sugar seasons as the climate warms. Sap can start to flow in February now, and new techniques have aided in keeping the supply of the sweet nectar steady.

Maple leafPhoto bySajad NorionUnsplash

Maple trees are tapped when sap begins to flow back into the tree, typically when temperatures are in the 20's at night and reach the 40's during the day. Sugar season lasts until the buds begin to come out on the tree and the taste of the sap changes.

If you grew up with ordinary pancake syrup from the grocery store, you are missing the subtle, wonderful maple flavor that only comes from genuine maple syrup. It takes about 40 gallons of sap to make one gallon of syrup, depending on the sugar content. It's a little pricier than the imitations, but nothing else tastes like it.

New York state, which ranks second to Vermont in production, produced 750,000 gallons of syrup last year. This year production is up due to warmer weather.

I'll have my waffles ready!