When Is The Wisconsin Maple Syrup Season?

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There is some variation for when the season starts and how long it may last.  Generally, the maple syrup production season here in Wisconsin usually starts in early March and ends in April.  Conditions need to be very specific in order to get sap to run, it must be cold enough at night for the sap to freeze and run up the tree, but warm enough during the day for it to flow back down.  Essentially as long as it is below 32 degrees at night and warmer than 32 degrees during the day, sap will flow from the trees.

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How Much Sap Does It Take To Make A Gallon Of Syrup?

Depending on the concentration of the sap, it can take anywhere from 20–80 gallons to make a gallon of finished syrup. On average it takes about 40 gallons of sap to produce 1 gallon of syrup.  Each tree tapped will yield about 10 gallons of sap per tap throughout an entire season.  If you're looking to try it on your own, each tap you place will likely produce about a  quart of finished maple syrup.

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Does Tapping Harm The Maple Trees?

Proper tapping does not harm the tree, it is important to move the taps about an inch from year to year.  The amount of sap taken does not effect the growth of the tree at all either.  The amount of sap taken from the tree is a small fraction of the sap in the tree on any given day. Trees should be roughly a foot in diameter before they can be tapped, and most trees can have one or two taps per season. Some larger trees may have even more.  As trees continue to grow you can add more taps and continue to watch it grow for years to come.

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What Is The Difference Between The Different Grades Of Syrup?

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As a general rule, the lighter the color, the more delicate the maple flavor is; the darker the color, the stronger the maple flavor is.  In recent years the grading system for syrup has changed.  All pure maple syrup is now considered to be Grade A. "Grade A - Golden Color and Delicate Taste" is the most delicate and the lightest colored syrup.  It is typically produced early in the season and has a very sweet flavor to it.  "Grade A - Amber Color and Rich Flavor" is slightly darker with a more pronounced maple flavor.  "Grade A - Dark Color and Robust Flavor" has a very pronounced maple flavor and is great for cooking and baking.  "Grade A -  Very Dark and Strong Flavor" is a very dark and strongly flavored syrup which is close to the consistency of molasses.  One is not better than the other, much like beer or wine, it's just a matter of personal preference.  When it comes down to it all pure maple syrup is better than the colored corn syrup you find at the store.

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What Makes Your Maple Syrup Different?

 

 The biggest thing that makes our maple syrup different from what you find in the supermarket is our ingredients.  The only ingredient that we have is maple syrup, directly from the tree, cooked down to perfection.  Most of the syrup you may be used to is actually corn syrup, that has been dyed to mimic the color of actual maple syrup.  What makes us different than other maple syrup producers is the time and effort we put into being an organic producer.  A lot of hard work goes into us keeping our organic certification, we have to buy organic certified tanks, lines, and taps and can only clean our equipment with organic certified cleaners.  We also get visited regularly to ensure that we are maintaining the same standards that go us our certifications in the first place.  Lastly, one of the things that truly sets us apart from other maple syrup distributors is that our syrup goes directly from our trees to you.  We tap, collect, cook, bottle, and label all of our products in house in order to ensure that we produce the best organic maple syrup on the market.