Maple Syrup Recipes - Seasons and Suppers (2024)

FAQs

What is the best season for maple syrup? ›

The time for collecting sap from a maple tree is in early spring, when the temperatures are warm during the day and freezing at night. This is typically sometime between late January and early April, depending on the weather.

The five steps involved from start to finish are: (1) preparing for the season; (2) determining WHEN to tap; (3) identifying the trees to be tapped and tapping them, (4) collecting the sap and processing (boiling/evaporating) it; (5) filtering, grading and packing the syrup.

The entire sap collection season only lasts from three to four weeks. When the temperature remains above freezing, or when the maple trees begin to form buds, it's time to stop collecting sap from the trees.

Despite the variation on the outside, the syrup inside can only be one of four grades—Golden, Amber, Dark or Very Dark. Maple grades are made of two components, color and flavor, and the flavor corresponds with the color. The darker the syrup, the stronger the maple flavor.

As it turns out, maple syrup does have a shelf life once opened, and mold is not as uncommon as we thought. StillTasty.com indicates that 100 percent pure maple syrup should keep for a year unopened in the pantry, a year opened in the refrigerator, and indefinitely in the freezer.

The Jones “Rule of 86” was devised in 1946 by C.H. Jones, a scientist and educator at the University of Vermont. The gist of the rule is that ifone divides 86 by the sugar content of sap, you can estimate the amount of sap required to produce a gallon of syrup.

The sap should be stored at a temperature of 38 degrees F or colder, used within 7 days of collection and boiled prior to use to eliminate any possible bacteria growth. If there is still snow on the ground, you may keep the storage containers outside, located in the shade, and packed with snow.

This is the result of sugar sand (also called niter) and every sugarmaker has dealt with it in their syrup-making career. While it's not very appetizing and can sometimes affect taste, sugar sand is not a sign of spoilage or bad syrup.

Choose your own: Warming spices such as cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves pair well with the maple flavor. Common holiday spice mixes such as pumpkin pie or apple pie spice might be nice. I recommend starting with smaller amounts of the stronger spices such as clove or nutmeg.

What fruit pairs with maple? ›

In a bowl, put the maple spread, maple sugar or maple syrup. Gradually add the sour cream and stir until you have obtained a smooth mixture. Sprinkle with cinnamon and refrigerate until serving time. Try it with fresh fruit (apples, pears, pineapple, peaches, strawberries, orange, etc.), cookies, cake, etc.

The best sap flows come when nighttime temperatures are in the low 20s and daytime temperatures are in the 40s. The longer it stays below freezing at night, the longer the sap will run during the warm day to follow. If the weather gets too cold and stays cold, sap flow will stop.

But once opened, pure maple syrup should be stored in the refrigerator. This is less about safety (the heat packing process prevents contamination) than it is about quality, as leaving it out increases the likelihood of mold.

Maple syrup can go bad, though this only tends to occur after the bottle has been opened. A sealed bottle of pure maple syrup, stored properly in an airtight glass container, will last several years, while an opened bottle can stay in the fridge for between six months and a year.

Night temperatures need to drop to below freezing. Temperatures in the mid-20°'s are ideal so it doesn't take too long for the sap to warm up the next day. Day temperatures need to be in the 40°'s. If the temperature is too warm during the day or at night, the sap won't run.

When is Maple Syrup Season in Ontario. Maple syrup season generally starts in March and continues until the sap stop running; generally, the end of April. Many sugar shacks open in early March, while some open in late February, depending on the weather conditions of that particular year.

Weather conditions in the forest gradually change from winter to spring. The sugaring season generally occurs between late February/early March and the end of April to early May.

While maple syrup's harvesting time is actually in the spring rather than the fall, we still love the bounty of maple-flavored products that become available each autumn season. The flavor of maple syrup plays well with other fall flavors like squash, cinnamon, pumpkin, etc.