Maple syrup season starting as warmer weather flows in

Not much is more Canadian than maple syrup, it’s an easy way to buy Canadian as another season gets started. The last Friday of February is typically reserved for the tree tapping ceremony that launches another year of sticky syrup production locally.

The “unofficial” tap is scheduled for Friday, Feb. 28 at Snyder Acres. The tree will get tapped at 11:30 a.m. and the community is invited to attend. It’s a chance to meet the people producing maple syrup in the area and get one of the first tastes of fresh sap.

It’s hosted annually by the Waterloo Wellington Chapter of the Ontario Maple Syrup Producers Association. The president, Kevin Snyder, is excited for another season.

He mentioned the cold weather and substantial snowfalls over the last 10 days have actually been good for the trees, keeping them dormant longer before warmer temperatures come in.

“We need the cold nights, -5 C, and warm days of 5 C to get that sap flowing. Typically the season can last five or six weeks. It’s all weather-related to see what we can actually get out of the trees as far as sap goes.”

Typically, the first few weeks of March are the start of the maple syrup season. But it depends on what the weather brings in.

Snyder mentioned some local producers have already started tapping trees.

“The last couple of years has been abnormally early, but then there’s sometimes I can remember in the past where it’s the middle to the end of March till we actually start the season.”

Last year was good for maple producers locally, some even set records.

“Most producers were very happy with what they produced last year,” said Snyder.

Another chance to buy locally made Canadian maple syrup is coming April 5 for the 61 annual Elmira Maple Syrup Festival.