Maple syrup producers wait for Mother Nature as sugar season approaches

While it may not look like it just yet, spring is coming.

With the warmer temperatures comes another yearly event — maple sugar season in New Brunswick.

Sugar shacks around the province are busy tapping trees and getting ready to welcome scores of visitors looking to indulge their sweet tooth.

Joy Trites of Trites Maples in Stilesville said her operation will be open to the public starting next weekend, but she can't say for sure the sap will be running by that time.

"That's entirely in Mother Nature's hands, really," said Trites.

"We're ready. We're all tapped in. All our equipment is ready. We're ready. But Mother Nature isn't yet." 

Trites said maple syrup producers are generally looking for two things — days with temperatures above freezing and nights below.

Eric Haché of Château Scoudouc in Scoudouc is also keeping a close eye on the temperatures.

He says he's already seen the sap running a couple days, but is waiting for the season to begin in earnest.

"Last year it began February 28," he said. "That was very, very early."

Haché said they expect about 1,500 litres of maple syrup in a season, coming from over 100,000 litres of sap.

Advancements

While the harvest is seen as a traditional Canadian activity, with picturesque scenes of steel buckets hanging off maple trees, it's taken on a new dimension with technology.

Operations now use vacuum pumps and reverse osmosis machines, which separate water from sugar, to make the process quicker and more efficient.

"Years ago they used to burn 30 cords of wood," said Trites, referring to the amount of wood it takes to run the boilers that turn the sap into syrup.

"With the reverse osmosis, I think we're doing seven cords of wood."

That doesn't mean the old ways have completely gone out of style, at least for show.

"We have about 50 buckets that we put just around," said Haché. "It's more for the show to see the sap going and drip in the bucket."

Trites offers weekend breakfasts with pancakes, sausages and of course maple syrup throughout the season. As well as several sweet treats to take away.

"We make a lot of our syrup into maple butter and maple cream," said Trites 

"And we have little cones that we fill with maple cream as little treats for children."

Haché also offers all the traditional maple concoctions, plus some more unorthodox maple treats.

"We even go a little bit further with the salsa, the BBQ sauce, the vinaigrette and all kinds of stuff," said Haché.