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Pandemic Prompts New Ways to Market Maple

Maple farmers experienced a difficult transition when the COVID-19 outbreak in North America resulted in the shutting down of sugarhouses to the public, particularly during some of the most crucial weekends for in-person maple sales. Sugarmakers had to quickly pivot in order to make up for lost sales in the sugarhouse as well as from wholesale restaurant and school accounts. This shift brought about some creative thinking and innovative solutions to reach customers and promote maple products. Some successful marketing, sales and agritourism strategies have not only helped producers recover lost sales, but have permanently enhanced their future sales approach and marketing plans.

Publication:
Maple Syrup Digest
Date:
December 1, 2020

Planning for the Future of your Sugaring Operation

With an aging farmer population, including maple producers, more attention must be paid to how farmers can successfully transition out of active farming. At the same time, burgeoning interest in farming from young (and not so young) folks – many of whom do not come from farm backgrounds – offers creative transition opportunities. Older farmers can arrange for the continuing productive use of sugarbush and other productive lands.

Publication:
Maple Syrup Digest
Date:
October 1, 2016

Potential Plastic Residues in Maple Sap and Syrup Following Isopropyl Alcohol Sanitation of the Tubing System

In recent years isopropyl alcohol (IPA) sanitation was proposed after the sugar season to significantly reduce the microbial load and start the next sugar season with a sanitized system. This study was conducted to evaluate the potential leaching of chemical compounds found in plastic polymers used in maple sap collection system tubing.

Publication:
Maple Syrup Digest
Date:
October 1, 2017

Proctor Maple Research Center Update: Investigating the Effects of Sap Processing Equipment and Techniques on Maple Syrup Chemistry & Quality

A new research facility designed and dedicated to the study of the effects of sap processing equipment and techniques on the chemistry and quality of maple syrup is being constructed at the UVM Proctor Maple Research Center. This facility will allow researchers to evaluate the differences in maple syrup due to changes in sap processing equipment, including reverse osmosis, evaporators, and other evaporation equipment (steam-away, air injection units, etc.).

Publication:
Maple Syrup Digest
Date:
February 1, 2006

Producing Syrup from Black Walnut Trees in the Eastern United States

Though it is not well known, all species of walnut (Juglans spp.) produce a sweet sap that can be boiled down into valuable syrup. There is a well-established resource of black walnut (Juglans nigra) trees throughout eastern North America that could be utilized for syrup production to complement existing sugaring operations.

Publication:
Maple Syrup Digest
Date:
December 1, 2014

Pure maple gaining on artificial syrups

Pure maple syrup is on the rise in a declining overall market for pourable syrups. We are moving in the right direction, but still have a long way to go.

Publication:
Maple Syrup Digest
Date:
February 1, 2015

Pure Maple Syrup Contains Medicinally Beneficial Compounds

University of Rhode Island researcher Navindra Seeram, who specializes in medicinal plant research, has found more than 20 compounds in maple syrup from Canada that have been linked to human health, 13 of which are newly discovered in maple syrup. In addition, eight of the compounds have been found in the Acer (maple) family for the first time.

Publication:
Maple Syrup Digest
Date:
October 1, 2010

Quality Control in the Sugarhouse: Knowing where things can go wrong, and making sure that they don’t.

The most helpful advice for producers concerned about damaging otherwise good syrup is the most basic; make sure to grade each batch carefully and don’t assume that just because everything went smoothly in the sugarhouse that the syrup doesn’t need to be checked. The following is a list of problems that can occur with the four primary qualities of syrup, and how to avoid them.

Publication:
Maple Syrup Digest
Date:
June 1, 2018

Relating Spectrophotometer Readings to Visual Grading of Maple Syrup

Color grading of maple syrup is based on placing syrup samples within four or more categories based either on visual comparison to color references or measurement of light transmission with a spectrophotometer. With a spectrophotometer, specific transmission values are used as break points to divide syrup samples into color grades. The purpose of this report is to describe the lack of agreement between existing light transmission break points and visual grading and how this problem can be addressed.

Publication:
Maple Syrup Digest
Date:
June 1, 2006