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Contestants Sought for Maple Royalty Contest
Contestants are now being accepted to compete for the opportunity to represent their county as a maple queen or maple princess at the New York State Maple Queen pageant in Croghan. The contest will be held May 15 at the American Maple Museum in Croghan, NY. MORE>>>
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NYS 2010 Maple Tour starts in Houghton June 6-7-8, 2010
The 2010 New York State Maple Tour will visit progressive sugarhouses in Allegany,
Livingston, and Steuben Counties. Houghton College in Houghton, NY will be the central venue of this year's tour, which is hosted by The Western New York Maple Producers Association and Cornell Cooperative Extension.
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NEW YORK MAPLE SYRUP PRODUCTION UP 10 PERCENT
USDA NASS Report
New York maple syrup 2009 production increased 10 percent from last year’s production. Syrup production is estimated at 362,000 gallons, up from the 328,000 gallons produced in 2008 according to Stephen Ropel, Director of USDA’s National Agricultural Statistics Service, New York Field Office. Vermont and Maine produced more syrup than New York. The number of taps, 1.51 million, increased 4 percent from last year. Syrup produced per tap averaged 0.240 gallons, up from 0.227 gallons in 2008. The final value of the 2008 crop is $13.9 million, 82 percent above the previous year’s value of production. The average price was $42.40 per gallon equivalent for all sales.
Maple Leaf Cookies highlighted in Martha Stewart Living
Visit Martha's recipe page for Maple Leaf Cookies
Martha's helpful hint: "Be sure to use pure maple syrup, not a lesser imitation".
Buy NYS Maple Syrup
Hubbell Award and Young Sugarmaker of the Year Award
Commissioner Patrick Hooker, left,
and Steve Childs, recipient of Hubbell award
& Cornell University Maple Specialist, on right.
Oliver Oswald, recipient of the
Young Sugarmaker of the Year award.
From the Tree to Your Table
As winter grudgingly gives way to spring, New York State maple syrup producers begin the work of making maple syrup. The temperature climbs to the 40’s in the day and eases back below freezing at night. Warm days and cool nights cause the sap to run through the trees. This is known as the “sugaring off” season.
A sugar maple tree is usually 30 years old or more and at least ten inches in diameter before it is tapped. Depending on its size, a tree can have up to four taps, each of which yields an average of ten gallons of sap per season.
A large number of New York’s maple producers have put away their metal spiles and buckets. They save time and collect more sap by connecting their maple trees, collectively known as a sugarbush, with a network of plastic tubing. The sap flows to collecting vats or, in some larger operations, is pumped directly to the sugar house. This is where the sap is transformed into syrup.
When the sap first arrives in the sugarhouse it is mostly water and bears little resemblance to the beautiful amber liquid we eventually use on our pancakes. The sap to syrup conversion happens when most of the water s boiled away. During “sugaring off” season, sap is evaporated continuously until the supply of sap is converted to pure maple syrup. It takes about 40 gallons of sap to make one gallon syrup.
This evaporation process, like the collection of sap from the trees, has been completely modernized. New York State maple producers use sophisticated equipment to control the evaporation process and make the most efficient use of the fuel used for this process.
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Open Sugar Houses Many sugar houses are open to the public during maple season and at other times of the year. Look for these signs like these along highways or on sugar houses. New York’s maple producers are very proud of what they do and are always willing to share their interest and knowledge. |
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Visit the American Maple Museum in Croghan, New York. Exhibits depict the history of maple syrup and sugar making techniques ranging from those used by the Native Americans to plastic tubing and stainless steel evaporators in use today. Audio tapes explain many of the exhibits. The Museum was founded in 1977 to preserve the history and evolution of the North American maple syrup industry. Admission charged. Call ahead for Museum hours (315) 346-1107. |
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©2010 New York State Maple Producers Association
Last updated March 3, 2010