Maple Syrup Festival

Fun Facts About Maple Syrup

in , , / By York Durham Headwaters
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10 Fun facts about Maple Syrup in Ontario

Maple Fest Pefferlaw Creek Farms
Tapped Maple Tree
  1. Ontario is a Major Producer – Ontario is the second-largest producer of maple syrup in Canada, after Quebec. The province has thousands of maple syrup farms, mainly in southern and eastern regions.
  2. It’s Healthier Than You Think – Pure maple syrup contains over 65 antioxidants, plus minerals like zinc, calcium, and potassium. It’s a natural alternative to processed sweeteners.
  3. It Takes a LOT of Sap – It takes about 40 liters of sap to produce just 1 liter of maple syrup! The sap is mostly water and needs to be boiled down to concentrate the sugars.
  4. You Can Try Cider Sweetened with Local Syrup – Using maple is a delicious and natural way to sweeten ciders. Visit Slabtown Cider in Uxbridge for their seasonal maple cider or Heartwood Farm & Cideries Forst Floor cider, sweetened with their own maple from the farm.
  5. Maple Syrup Season is Short – The sugaring season in Ontario typically lasts 4 to 6 weeks, from late February to early April, depending on the weather. Cold nights and warm days create the best conditions for sap flow.
  6. There’s a Maple Weekend! – Every year, the first weekend of April is Maple Weekend. Every year in YDH Sunderland hosts the regions biggest maple syrup festival. The streets of this small-town fill with vendors and visitors every year to try the syrup, shop, pet adorable animals, watch the bathtub races, and get that home town community feel. Check out Sunderland Maple Syrup Festival April 11 – 12.
  7. First Nations Origins – Indigenous Peoples, including the Anishinaabe, were the first to discover and harvest maple sap. They used hot rocks to boil the sap into syrup and even made maple sugar cakes for easy storage.
  8. You Can Visit Ontario’s Maple Syrup Museum – Elliott Tree Farm is the proud home to the official Ontario Maple Syrup Museum. After you are done your maple tour and pancakes head on over to the museum and learn about the history of maple syrup and see amazing artifacts.
  9. There Are Different Grades – Maple syrup is classified into four color grades: Golden, Amber, Dark, and Very Dark. The lighter the syrup, the more delicate the flavor, while darker syrup has a stronger, richer taste.
  10. Sap Sucker – All the sap from this popular drink comes from Pefferlaw Creek Farm. One of the biggest maple farms in #VisitYDH and located north of Uxbridge.

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