Vermont Maple Trees: The Making of and Types of Natural Maple Syrup

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The state of Vermont is the largest producer of pure maple syrup. It has this feature because the climate and soil conditions of the sugar maple (Acer saccharum) are the best for producing maple syrup from the sap of the maple trees that grow there.

The Making of Maple Syrup

Maple syrup making, known as “sugaring“ takes place all over the Northeastern U.S. and Canada, but primarily in Vermont, just as winter is fading. The maple producers, or “sugarmakers,“ wait for weather that alternates between freezing and thawing. The normal maple sugaring season lasts 4 to 6 weeks, sometimes starting as early as February in southern Vermont and lasting into late April in northern Vermont.  Sugarmakers have to be ready to get their sap during this time. With the weather playing an important role, production varies from year to year.

Maple syrup production starts with the maple sap. Sap is collected by drilling one or more holes into the trunk of the maple tree. To ensure the well-being of the tree, there are limits to the number of holes drilled in each. The holes are called “tapholes,” and they are only about 2-inches deep.

A sugar maple takes about 40 years to reach 10 to 18 inches in diameter, and when it does, one taphole can be made. With the larger trees, two or three tapholes are typical. A single taphole on a sugar maple will produce about 10 gallons of sap or about one quart of syrup.

The holes are fitted with a plastic or metal spout so that the sap doesn’t just run down the bark of the tree. When the wood thaws from a freeze, the sap is under pressure, and it comes out from the taphole. If treated properly, the holes that are bored into the wood to obtain the sap will heal. A hole must be drilled in a new location each year, as the old hole will produce sap for only one season due to the natural healing process of the tree.

Once the maple sap is collected, it is evaporated into syrup. The dilute raw material is reduced to remove excess water; nothing is added. As the water is steamed off, the sap becomes concentrated and develops its characteristic flavor.

Once the sap arrives at the sugarhouse, it must be boiled as soon as possible or the sap will begin to spoil. After a time, the syrup is taste tested and color graded to determine which of the Vermont grades (Fancy, Medium Amber, Dark Amber, or B) will be on the label.

 Types of Maple Syrup

There are four U.S.D.A. approved grades of maple syrup: Fancy and Medium Amber, Dark Amber, and Grade B. Earlier in the season, between frost and warmer weather, the sap generally produces the lighter grades–Grade A Light Amber and Grade A Medium. These lighter grades are mild in taste, sweet, and with less mineral content than the darker grades. Fancy is the lightest in color and has a very light, delicate maple taste. Medium is a little darker in color than Fancy and has a slightly heavier maple taste.

The mid-season runs generally yield mostly Grade A Dark Amber, which has more mineral content and more “maple” taste. Dark Amber is a little darker in color than Medium Amber, and it has a more robust maple flavor. The end of the season brings mostly Grade B, which is the darkest of the four table grades and has the strongest maple taste.

This grading system is based purely on the relative deepness of the amber coloring, and has nothing to do with the quality of the syrup, which is generally about the same for all organically produced maple syrup.

A  Pure and Natural Product

Vermont produces about 37 percent of the total U.S. crop. Every county in Vermont produces some maple syrup.

You can be sure that the maple syrup you get from Vermont trees is 100% natural. In fact, the product is so important to the state and to those who indulge in their syrup, that Vermont started a law for purity and quality regulations. All Vermont maple syrup is essentially organic, made by boiling the sap of maple trees, with nothing added. Pure Vermont maple syrup is also an excellent source of organic sugar.

Sugar bushes (groves of maple trees) help Vermont to maintain its rich agricultural heritage and beautiful landscape.

If you travel to Vermont, be sure to include time for visiting the sugarhouses. You can visit traditional sugarhouses deep in the woods, to large sugarhouses that use equipment with the latest technology. All take pride in their finest agriculture product.

Resources about Vermont Maple Trees and Maple Syrup

Official site for maple trees and syrup

Production of Maple syrup

Definition of maple syrup

Information  for the classroom

Resource by L.Brown

Leslie Brown is a writer and editor with over 20 years of experience in book publishing, information technology, and web content. She has edited books of fiction and non-fiction and is currently providing web content for two web sites. Leslie has a B.A. in Creative Writing, and she has also done some graduate work in technical documentation. She lives near Seattle, Washington, across from a lake, where she often plays in the water with her rescued golden retriever.

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