Hello everyone! Spring in Vermont means sugaring season – the time of year when maple syrup is made. Sugaring is huge in Vermont, and in my opinion Vermonters make the best maple syrup in the world (sorry Canada). There are tons of sugarhouses all over the state, and many farmers make hundreds of gallons of syrup throughout the spring. This March, before COVID-19 hit hard in Vermont, I visited a sugarhouse in Danville, part of the Northeast Kingdom. Below I’m sharing my experience visiting a Vermont sugarhouse!
The Northeast Kingdom is the most rural part of the state of Vermont. In this area, careers in agriculture and farming are common. Jacob Mills, the owner of the McDonald Farm sugarhouse and farmstand, is a sixth generation farmer. Currently he runs a vegetable stand in the Summer and Fall, and makes maple syrup in the Spring. He provides vegetables to local grocery stores and schools, and the community always looks forward to his fresh produce and syrup.
Below you will find information on how maple syrup is made! Additionally, if you are interested in buying syrup, you can message Jacob on Instagram at @mcdonaldfarmstand or on Facebook by clicking here. Jacob ships syrup across the country, so you can enjoy fresh Vermont syrup no matter where you are! Now, with the COVID-19 outbreak, it is more important than ever to support small, local businesses!
McDonald Farmstand Information
The McDonald farmstand is part of a seven generation family farm in Danville, Vermont. Jacob opened his farmstand 17 years ago, with the help of his parents, when he was just 8 years old. In the beginning, Jacob only sold corn, but over the years he began selling more and more types vegetables. He now grows greens and veggies year round, both in greenhouses and in outdoor gardens. In addition to his vegetables, Jacob and his family produce syrup in the Springtime. Each year Jacob’s syrup production grows. This year, 2020, he is on track to bottle over 200 gallons!
Vegetable Stand – Open in Late Summer/Fall
Who makes maple syrup?
Many farmers and families in Vermont make maple syrup. Some make maple syrup to sell, and others make it for their own personal use. Jacob has been making and selling syrup since 2010. However, before Jacob began his business, his family had been making small batches of syrup for many generations.
Every day during sugaring season, Jacob is at his small sugarhouse with his friends and family boiling sap and bottling the freshly made syrup. His business is small, and Jacob truly focuses on quality over quantity. Every gallon of Jacob’s syrup is made with extreme care.
When is maple syrup made?
Maple syrup can only be made during the Spring. The sap for maple syrup comes from maple trees, which are very common in Vermont. Sap will only run out of the trees when it’s below 32 degrees at night, and above 32 degrees during the day. Because of the temperature restrictions, sugaring season is often quite short – around a month and a half.
Sugaring season doesn’t start at the same time every year. Some years the sap will begin to run as early as mid-February. Other years it doesn’t begin until March. Normally, sugaring season ends around mid-April, but during warmer years the season can be shorter. In the photos below, Jacob has detailed his sap boiling dates since 2010. This year, the season started on February 27th, and is still going strong in late March.
How is maple syrup made?
During sugaring season, sap runs out of tapped maple trees and is collected in huge tanks. To tap a tree a hole is drilled into the tree trunks. Next, taps are inserted so the sap can run out of the tree. Trees have different numbers of taps, depending on their size. Some trees will only have one tap, while others can have three or four.
Nowadays, sap is harvested through lines that are connected to multiple trees that run to large tanks. Previously, Jacob, like many farmers, harvested sap the old fashioned way – with buckets connected directly to the trees that had to be collected by hand, one at a time.
Sap has the same consistency and color as water when it initially comes out of the tree. In the beginning, before boiling, sap is basically sugar-water. Once collected, the sap is transported to the sugarhouse and boiled over a wood fire into syrup. During this long boiling process, the water evaporates and creates maple syrup. It takes about 40 gallons of sap to make one gallon of maple syrup!
When making syrup, Jacob needs to continuously refill the wood fire so the sap can boil. He has tons of wood stacked near the sugarhouse for easy access.
Where can I buy maple syrup?
Vermont maple syrup is available nation wide in most grocery stores. However, maple syrup from small farmers, like Jacob, is harder to find. To purchase Jacob’s syrup in person, you can visit his farmstand in Danville, Vermont. Click here for directions. Also in Danville, Jacob sells his syrup at a local grocery store, Marty’s First Stop. However, Jacob also ships nationwide! Message him on Instagram (@mcdonaldfarmstand) to place an order!
What is the difference between real and imitation syrup?
Real maple syrup, is made only from maple tree sap. There are no additives. Imitation maple syrup, like Aunt Jemima and Mrs. Butterworth’s, is made almost entirely from high fructose corn syrup. These “syrups” are not natural, and they contain tons of preservatives, colorings, and artificial ingredients.
Does maple syrup have any health benefits?
Real maple syrup, like the syrup Jacob makes, has tons of health benefits! In moderation, maple syrup can help support a healthy heart and stronger immune system. Maple syrup also has lots of antioxidants!
Uses for maple syrup
- Maple syrup is delicious on many breakfast foods, like pancakes, crepes, waffles, fruit and oatmeal.
- It is also yummy on top of vanilla ice-cream!
- True Vermonters also love maple pie! Personally, it’s my favorite. Click here for my grandmother’s famous recipe! She was even featured by The Food Network.
- Maple syrup makes a great substitute for sugar and honey. For example, in coffee/tea.
- Maple syrup also goes great with vegetables, such as maple glazed carrots. Get the recipe here!
Vermont is filled with sugarhouses, and it’s super fun to visit them during sugaring season. Many local farmers welcome visitors, and are eager to share information about the sugaring process.
Every year in March, Vermont has a Maple Open House Weekend, when visitors are invited into sugarhouses across the state. Unfortunately, this year, 2020, the open house was canceled – but keep it in mind for next year. Click here for more information about the open house weekend! I highly recommend visiting a local sugarhouse during your trip to Vermont during sugaring season!
I hope you enjoy your trip to a Vermont sugarhouse! For information on what to pack for a trip to Vermont in the Spring, click here.
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