Maple Syrup: Fruit of a Long Winter

The month of March is not only the beginning of spring, but also the start of maple syrup tapping in Wisconsin! Read more about maple syrup…

Governor Doyle has declared March 15th through April 15th as Wisconsin Maple Syrup Month, and rightly so. Wisconsin’s maple syrup industry was 8th largest in the nation during 2005, producing 50,000 gallons in 2005 from a reported 400,000 set taps.

Maple products are made from the sap of sugar maple trees. As the seasons change from winter to spring, temperatures in the day push above the freezing mark while nights are still below freezing. The freezing and thawing process creates pressure that causes the sap to move upward within the maple tree during the day.

Maple trees are tapped by drilling a hole in the bark of the sugar maple tree and a metal or plastic spile is inserted into the hole. Traditionally, a bucket was hung on a metal spile to collect the sap, but modern maple syrup operations use a system of plastic tubing. The sap is evaporated, or boiled down, after collection. The evaporated sap is what is used to make maple syrup and maple sugar.

Maple syrup is usually connected with a hearty breakfast, but this Wisconsin food has more uses than for pancakes alone! Maple syrup is used to dress up vegetables like sweet potatoes and carrots, add some extra flavor to a favorite barbeque, and can even help mellow a grapefruit’s bitter taste. Add maple sugar to coffee cake or try it on a favorite cereal.

Some sugar bushes, or groves of sugar maple trees, are open to the public during maple sugaring season. Growers can contact the maple syrup producer nearest them to see if tours are available.

Click here to see the list of maple syrup businesses registered on SavorWisconsin.com.

SavorWisconsin.com is a joint effort of DATCP, the Wisconsin Apple Growers Association and the University of Wisconsin-Extension and was funded in part by a USDA grant. Businesses needing more information about registering may contact Ross Retzlaff at DATCP, 608-224-5120.

Info provided by Wisconsin Agricultural Statistics Service, Wisconsin Maple Syrup Producers Association, and the Ontario ( Canada) Ministry of Food and Agriculture.