The weather, while not ideal for sap production, is favourable and the sap keeps flowing. It is turning our to be a bumper crop but there is some uncertainty in the industry about the market. We continue to stockpile in the hope that Coved-19 will run its course and things will get back to normal.So far the syrup has all been of the lighter grades with very good flavour. Some sunshine and warmer weather should bring on darker syrup.

The  pick up of syrup outside the camp is working well and safe distancing can be maintained.  If  you are planning to do this call ahead to 613 256 5216 so your oder will be ready.

One of our clients called my attention to  an interesting article in the North Grenville Times about the earliest recorded information about maple syrup. Evidently there are records of the native people offering early explorers “a sweet and very pleasant liquor”. There is no mention of maple sugar as experiments have shown that it would have been almost impossible to raise the boiling sap to sugar temperatures in birch bark or clay vessels. It must have been a spring drink as there would have been no way to store the syrup without it going moldy. Later on when iron pots came into use there are reports of the production of large quantities of maple sugar, which can be stored. That still leaves the question in my mind as to how the natives cut enough wood to make all this sugar. Anyone who has made even a small quantity of maple syrup or  sugar on an open kettle cam attest to the amount of wood required.