Maple Syrup in Ohio

Boot Camp Registration LIVE

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We are excited to announce that registration is live for Boot Camp, July 17-19th.  This year, we are basing out of northeast Ohio and utilizing Lake Metroparks Farmpark as headquarters.  Boot Camp is a 3-day workshop that starts at 12:15 on Thursday, July 17th, and goes through 3 PM Saturday July 19th.  Starting the first day we will learn how to assess a potential sugarbush, then build sequentially through all phases of maple syrup production from sap collection to boiling, bottling, and sales.  Participants will gain the skills necessary for the safe, efficient, and profitable production of maple products.

Classroom sessions will be held at Farmpark with at least 5 tours of local maple producers in the area.  We are excited to not only include so many field trip opportunities this year, but we will also have an evening of value-added maple products demonstration and tasting.  A maple syrup quality and grading session is another new addition to Boot Camp that we’re excited about.

Check out the website for more details and get your spot before they are all gone – space is limited!

Maple Syrup – Color vs Flavor Revisited

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Maple syrup has always been graded using a color standard.  Back in your grandfather’s day, color was the single most important characteristic.  The original research, conducted by C.O. Willits in the 1950s, tracked the change in color during the boiling process.  As the temperature and length of boil increased, the color moved from very light to dark.  Flavor was mentioned, but little was known about the chemistry that determined flavor.  One of the reasons for color’s importance was establishing the dollar value of the product with Light Amber syrup bringing the highest prices.  For the producer, there was little incentive to make darker syrup to sell at a lower dollar value.  Fast forward to today’s market – producers typically receive the same dollar amount for the top three grades of syrup.

When a consumer is shopping for maple syrup, they are immediately drawn to an attractive glass bottle of amber-colored maple syrup sitting on a shelf.  Nothing can ruin that image faster than opening the bottle and finding out that the syrup has little flavor or, even worse, an objectionable taste.  For decades we have been told that color and flavor are interrelated, yet when it comes to flavor, there must be more to the story than the standard color/flavor relationship.

Even though the current maple syrup grading standard includes a flavor descriptor, flavor remains one of the hardest characteristics to standardize.  We now realize that multiple factors come together to form the flavor of maple syrup.  It is a combination of microbes present in the sap that changes the liquid’s chemistry as it moves through the boiling process.  Maple sap coming from the tree is comprised of 2% sucrose sugar, minerals, and other compounds.  When microbes interact with sugar, fermentation happens.  The fermentation changes a portion of the sucrose into glucose and fructose sugar compounds.  These latter two types of sugar are called invert sugars.  During the heating process, color is formed through what is known as the Maillard Reaction.  Two things happen when sap boils, density (brix level) increases and the pH of the sap initially increases (more alkaline) and then decreases (more acidic). The color is set when the rising brix level crosses the declining pH level.  The closer this interaction is to a pH of 7, the lighter the syrup.  The higher the pH is above 7, the darker the syrup.  This process also releases a broad range of flavor compounds.  A 2009 report Maple Syrup-Production, Composition, Chemistry and Sensory Characteristics stated that “over 130 volatile flavor compounds have been identified in maple syrup.”  Many of the compounds are desirable; however, others have a negative impact on both color and flavor.  This leads to the belief that color and flavor are interrelated.  However, this is not always the case.

When we label a syrup by its color alone, the results can be deceiving.  A good example is the re-appearance of light color syrup at the end of the season.  The light color indicates that the grade is Golden or an Amber, but the flavor indicates that the syrup is sub-standard.  Dr. Tim Perkins, in a recent edition of Maple Digest, described the process.  Under normal circumstances, boiling sap is increasingly alkaline reaching a pH of 8 or 9.  As more water is boiled off, the density (brix) of the liquid increases and pH becomes more acidic. As syrup finishes, pH drops back to around 7.0.  However, this is what may occur at the end of a season where warm weather and poor sanitation has taken their toll.  Sap’s pH levels drop excessively, and the liquid becomes extremely acidic.  As a result, the pH level of boiling sap may never rise above 7.0, and the liquid reaches 66 brix before darkening occurs, causing the syrup to remain light in color.  Mother nature can easily deceive producers into thinking their season has just turned round, but the truth is syrup with light color but bad off-flavor that ultimately is not fit for sale.

This is just one of several effects caused by Sour Sap.  Sour sap/syrup is the result of excessive microbial buildup and poor sanitation resulting in the formation of a strong objectional flavor and sometimes a thick viscous syrup that is referred to as Ropey Syrup.  It can show up at any time during the season, but especially at the end of the season.  Sour Sap can be managed with proper sanitation.  However, if ignored, it can destroy the value of your product.  Producers often blame the end of the season on the emergence of buds when in reality it is the formation of massive microbial colonies in their system that is shutting them down.

Other natural off-flavors include Buddy Syrup, which appears at the end of the season when maple leaves start to emerge.  Buddy off-flavor is often confused with Sour Sap; however, the flavor is more of a tootsie roll flavor.  It is more readily identified by an overpowering smell caused by sulfur compounds formed in the tree and precipitated out during the boiling process.  Metabolism is a true natural off-flavor.  It is caused by environmental conditions that cause an increase in dimethylpyrazine amino acids in the tree.  There is very little that can be done to change the onset of metabolism, and it is often very hard to detect before the boiling process.

It is up to producers to eliminate the possible sale of syrups containing off-flavors.  Producers must realize that every time a bottle of their syrup is placed on a shelf, their reputation is on the line.  For the consumer, the choices are simple when it comes to buying a product off the shelf.  It comes down to complete product satisfaction and a repeat customer or fool me once and you will not have a second chance to fool me again.

Let the Sap Flow!

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We got tapped in a couple weeks ago with a blip of warmer weather, but we are officially in production mode now.  A bit of sun yesterday afternoon and temperatures nearing 40 got enough sap moving to start a system flush which we completed this morning.  7 hours of hunting leaks later and we’re in the green with sap filling up the tank as I type.

It is hard to know what the season will hold, but it sure feels more “normal” than the past several seasons.  Our growing degree days are still at ZERO, the 2-week forecast looks favorable, and we’ve got a good system that will be running even tighter after we search Line 3 for leaks in the morning.

John Berry Maple Contest – Submissions Accepted

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As part of the Ohio Maple Days event, Ohio Maple Producers Association is hosting the John Berry Maple Contest.  Awards will be presented at the December 7th Ohio Maple Days event, and ribbons will be given out to the top three places in each class – Golden Delicate, Amber, Dark, Very Dark.  The best overall score in the Small Sugar Maker will receive a plaque as will the Best of Show producer by winning the Hilton Farley Contest.

Click here for your Entry form and additional details on syrup submission.

Contest participants can send entries to or drop them off at the 5 following locations:

  • OMPA Winter Banquet
  • OMPA Table at Lake Erie Maple Expo
  • Richards Maple Products (7955 Euclid Chardon Road, Kirtland, OH 44094)
  • Gortner Maple Syrup (1222 Township Road 13, West Salem, OH 44287)
  • Galen Smith (12860 Henry Road, Mount Vernon, OH 43050)

All entries must be received by November 22 to qualify for the John Berry Maple Contest.  For any questions or clarification, please contact Galen Smith 740-398-3373.

 

Registration is LIVE for Ohio Maple Days

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Friday December 6th we will be offering a Legacy Planning workshop on transition and estate planning featuring Ohio State University’s own David Marrison and Robert Moore.  While this workshop is a part of Ohio Maple Days, it is open to any landowner who wants to participate.  So please consider registering yourself, but also please share this great opportunity with family, friends, and neighbors regardless of whether they are a maple producer or not.  Registration is available here.

Saturday December 7th is a day for everything maple.  Topics this year include an expert panel on filtering, cost share programs, managing a timber sale, marketing for producers and a grading and tasting session to name a few.  Visit with vendors and enjoy a maple themed lunch.  It is always a grand time – Registration is available here.

We’re Back!! NASS Maple Survey

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Several weeks ago, I received a phone call from a USDA Crop Survey NASS representative; NASS standing for the National Agricultural Statistics Service.  During the conversation, he asked if I made maple syrup.  I was very surprised to find out that NASS was once again conducting the annual Maple Syrup Production survey in Ohio.  We have not been included in the maple survey since 2019.  At the time, it was the opinion of the USDA that Ohio did not produce enough syrup to be included in the survey, in addition to 6 additional states that got lopped.  However, 5 years later we are back on the survey agenda.

Why did this happen?  I think it was due to the Buckeye State’s good showing in the 2022 Census of Agriculture.  I want to thank our producers who took the time to fill out the Census Survey.  I think the information that our producers sent to NASS was the number one reason that Ohio is back on the list of NASS-recognized maple producing states.  We showed improvement in almost all categories.  Over the last 5 years, Ohio has also been the recipient of two ACER Grants with a good majority of the research being done at the OSU-Mansfield Maple Research Facility.  The Ohio State University is now one of the few universities where maple syrup research is being conducted.  This may also have played a role in the decision.

Why is this important for those working in maple research and education?  A good source of statistical data is vital when presenting programs and writing articles about the Ohio Maple Industry.  Without numbers, we are just making educated guesses that rest on assumptions or making the leap of using data from other states and hoping that they also apply to our state.  Both approaches can be problematic.  That is not good enough when you are writing educational articles or doing research.

The International Maple Syrup Institute’s special NASS Survey Committee worked hard to improve the USDA NASS Annual survey and make it easier for producers to fill out.  The Committee was made up of representatives from many of the northeastern maple producing states and the USDA.  Ohio was the western most state on the committee.  They listened to what we had to say and that helped immensely.  My parting request to Ohio producers is to continue filling out the maple surveys.  We need your cooperation to stay in the system.  As always, the information you send is private and will not be given out to any other group or agency.  Thank you once again for your support!

~ Les Ober

2024 Maple Season Summary

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Thanks to Les for his take on the 2024 maple season. 

If you are an Ohio Maple Syrup Producer, how would you describe your 2024 maple season in one word? Early, different, weird, disappointing, average, surprising, long, short, exhausting, and the list goes on – perhaps even some words that cannot be printed here.  Many local producers experienced the earliest start in the history of their sugarbush.  This was followed by the earliest shutdown in the history of their sugarbush.  Early tappers (NEW YEAR’S DAY!) were the fortunate ones, producing three quarters to a full season crop.  There were some hardcore traditional sugarmakers that like to go by the calendar; it was a one run and done for them.

From a metrological viewpoint, this was as close to a record winter as you can get, and we are not talking about cold.  The climatological Winter – December, January, and February – was the warmest since 1931.  By month, December was the third warmest on record.  January was close to average except for the lack of snowfall.  You need melting snow to keep moisture in the ground, and sap flowing from the trees.  February was one of the warmest on record.  This was all predicted in NOAA’s three month forecast back in December 2023.  If you are a maple producer, it was fairly clear.  You were warned.  Waiting until the first week of February to tap was not a good move, but it was better than waiting until President’s Day or when the Moon was right or because Grandpa always tapped that weekend.  The middle of January saw the only extended cold period, but after that, it was game on.  Those that tapped in early January were ready to harvest the big runs that came at the end of month and into February.  This gave the early birds a running start at an average to above average season.  The downside was low sugar content in the sap.  Despite getting record volumes of early sap, the sap to syrup ratios were dismal.  50-60 to 1 ratios were common and widespread.

This is a very lighthearted overview of a very challenging year.  On the positive side, producers made some very good syrup that did not have quality issues.  Officials at the Geauga County Maple Festival Contest reported, “The overall grade color was darker than last year.  Flavor was decent and was representative of the color.  In a year like this with an abundance of warm weather, you would expect some off-flavor syrup to show up in the contest, but that was not case.”  Thanks to adequate crop being produced in Northern New England, there will be no shortage of maple syrup for US markets.

When you have higher than average seasonal temperatures, it is far more likely that off flavors will appear.  I have noticed that it is not uncommon to make Amber and even Golden syrup with an off flavor at the very end of the season.  The off flavor is the product of sour sap, or possibly buddy sap.  Most off-flavor issues are the result of warm weather leading to a massive buildup of microbes in the sap.  An indication of this quality breakdown is rust colored niter in your filter press that is very hard to filter out. Ignored, conditions will go to slime and end up as ropy syrup.  This is caused by bacteria in the families Bacillus and Micrococcus.

Now comes the real challenge!  How do we prevent the possibility of this poor-quality product from entering the market in a year when a large percentage of producers may be facing a shortage of syrup for their customers?  Do you bottle the syrup and hope no one notices?  After all it may have good color. The rationale of the past was that most customers would not pick up on the off flavor.  After all, they are used to high fructose corn syrup imitations.  The answer is clear – never compromise the quality of the syrup you sell.  Quality should always be the trademark of your maple operation.

In the end, what have we learn?  We added one more year to the string of abnormally warm maple seasons that we have experienced over the last 5 years.  Ohio producers need to be ready to tap earlier than they have in the past.  If you are an experienced maple producer, you know when the time is right.   This means that in 2025, when New Year’s Day rolls around, you may need to cut the party short and head to the woods.  In fact, it is not a bad idea to be ready before Christmas.  This is not a recommendation to tap in December, just an admonition to be ready.

Ohio Maple NPR Soundbyte

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You are never quite sure how a piece of media coverage will turn out after a couple of hours of interaction gets boiled down (yes, that’s a pun) to 4 minutes and 30 seconds.  But I’d say the NPR creative machine did a great job churning out something engaging that highlights work across the state from the past, present, and even into the future.

This is as good of a time as any to remind everyone of Ohio’s Maple Madness weekends on March 2-3 and March 9-10.  You can scan the following QR code off your monitor or visit the Tour Map to plot your own route.

At Ohio State Mansfield, we will be hosting our Maple Madness event on Saturday, March 2nd – we hope to see you there.  Come hungry!

Buckeye Teaching Evaporator: The First Boil!

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Exciting developments at the Ohio State University-Mansfield campus!  We installed a teaching maple evaporator under our new pavilion near the research sugarbush and just completed our first boil last night.  This step is fairly monumental for Ohio State Maple, and there isn’t anything quite like the feeling of seeing that first draw-off.  Somehow we’ve got a grainy image of that moment last night to commemorate the experience!

First things first – a formal thank you to Roger and Suzie Gortner for continuing to do our production sap processing.  They have made exceptional maple syrup from our OSU trees for the past 5 years and will continue to be instrumental in that regard.  We literally could not do it without them, and we’re grateful that it’s an arrangement that works for both parties involved.

But now for the first time ever, we have our own evaporator.  No, it is not sized to keep up with a production woods of almost 1,200 taps, but it is perfectly sized for demonstration boils on a teaching scale.  With help from local producer Galen Smith from Mount Vernon, OH, our team set up an 18” x 66” drop flue evaporator early in winter of 2023-24.  After a test boil to dummy out a few variables (or maybe to dummy out the dummies…us!?), we put fire under sap concentrate on Wednesday, February 14th – Valentine’s Day.

Four 5/16″ lines kept sap flowing from our larger sap tank into a holding chamber that our reverse osmosis unit was drawing off.  We adjusted the PSI on our RO to almost perfectly sync and match the raw sap movement with our RO processing speed.  After some adjustments to align the 2 processes, we were taking sap from 2.1 to 4.6 Brix concentrate.  6 hours later, we were halfway there…

Eventually, we crept up to 7 degrees F over the point of boiling water.  You know what happens next.

A teaching evaporator with small-scale RO unit allows us to now teach via-demonstration tree-to-bottle workshops and seminars on an Ohio State campus, provide more complete tours for events like the upcoming Maple Madness event on Saturday, March 2nd (more on that in a second), and sets the table for a new Sustainability Theme GE course debuting in Spring of 2025 – Maple: A Sweet Taste of the Past, Present, & Future.

So yes, come visit us on Saturday, March 2nd at the OSU-Mansfield Maple Pavilion.  We are excited to host folks for pancakes and syrup between 10 AM-1 PM, tours of the sugarbush and nearby vernal pool wetlands all day long until 5 PM, and good fellowship with one another for the Ohio Maple Madness Tour.  Once you are on campus, just follow the signs!

Welcome Jake!!

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We are excited to introduce Jake Nicholson, Ohio State Extension’s new Maple-Christmas Tree hire, to the Ohio State Maple site community.  This non-timber forest products position has been a long-time in the making, and we are thrilled to welcome Jake to the team.  Jake is a former student, and personally speaking, I was excited to see his name in the hat and enthusiastically supportive of his hire.  Recently, I was able to spend a couple days with Jake at the North American Maple Syrup Council in Massachusetts, and I tossed 5 questions Jake’s direction; below are his replies.

Tell us about your background.  I know you pursued a major in natural resources – what was that exactly and what drew you to that career?

My first job was working at Camp Lakota, a local scout camp back home in northwest Ohio as a staff member when I was 15.  It became such a transformative experience for me, both in helping me to grow personally and in learning how much I loved being outdoors.  From there I was hooked, I wanted to learn about conservation, preservation, management, all of it; but most importantly I wanted to share that passion with as many people as I could.

Not to get too personal, but do you a significant other?  Kiddos?  Pets?  Both?

I am recently married to my wonderful wife Maria.  We have two pets, a goofy golden retriever named Ryder and a very friendly, but judgmental gray cat named Jasper.

What excites you most about maple?

Oh, so many things, to start with I absolutely love the community I have met so far. Everyone is so welcoming and willing to share what they know; their generosity is overwhelming, and I look forward to visiting more sugar shack and bushes soon.

What your favorite talk from the North American Maple Syrup Conference in Massachusetts?

The Best Practices in the Sugarhouse practical skill workshop was my favorite talk. As wonderful as all the talks I attended were, most focused on the big picture of sugarbush management. Glenn Goodrich did an amazing job of presenting actionable advice to make the best syrup possible once the sap is in the sugarhouse.

If there is one thing you want maple producers to know about you, what would it be?

As steeped in tradition as this industry is, it must be strange to have someone in my position who was not brought up within it. I want to assure all the maple producers of Ohio, big and small, that I am determined to get up to speed with the realities of modern sugaring. I am already taking steps to do that and am incredibly grateful for the way that so many of you have opened your sugar shacks to me and taught me about how you do what you do. I look forward to many more visits in the future and creating programs and resources to promote this industry to future generations.

Now that you’ve gotten to know him here, go out of your way to introduce yourself at Ohio Maple Days on December 8th and 9th up in Ashland.  If you still need to register, visit the link for Saturday’s main event and Friday night’s banquet social organized by the Ohio Maple Producers Association.  Friday’s confections workshop is already sold out and at capacity, but keep your eyes open for additional offerings on that topic in the future.

Welcome Jake!!