Maple syrup producers wait for Mother Nature as sugar season approaches
Social Sharing
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.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Winnipeg Free Press
2 days ago
- Winnipeg Free Press
Free Press Head Start for June 5
Widespread smoke. High 23 C. UV index 7 or high. While images of wildfires capture their ferocity, data can provide insight into how bad a fire season is. Such is the case with two graphics, powered by satellite data, that showcase a Canadian wildfire season off to a wild — and scary — start. Twice a day a NASA satellite sends images to the ground, giving a real-time view of where fires are burning. This is especially useful for remote areas where no sensors are stationed. The Associated Press has more here. What's happening today Toronto-based former Winnipegger and bestselling fantasy novelist Guy Gavriel Kay comes back to town to launch his latest novel, Written on the Dark , tonight at 7 p.m. at McNally Robinson's Grant Park location. Kay will be joined at the launch in conversation by Bruce Symaka. Ben Sigurdson has a preview here. Guy Gavriel Kay (Ted Davis photo) There's plenty of family-friendly entertainment to be found at The Forks this week during the annual KidsFest event hosted by the Winnipeg International Children's Festival. The party kicks off at 10 a.m. today with a showcase of Francophone performers, including local singer-songwriter Micah Baribeau, a.k.a Micah!, and Montreal theatre duo Les Soeurs Kif Kif. Today's must-read The NDP government has asked the provincial auditor general to probe Project Nova, the doomed technology project undertaken by Manitoba Public Insurance. In a letter to auditor general Tyson Shtykalo, which was obtained by the Free Press , Finance Minister Adrien Sala stated that after spending $165 million on Nova, most of the promised features — including full online access for Autopac customers — remain unfulfilled. Sala stated in his letter that an internal government review identified a number of 'concerns' about MPI's management of Nova. Dan Lett has the story. The NDP government has asked the provincial auditor general to probe Manitoba Public Insurance's Project Nova.(Mikaela MacKenzie / Free Press files) On the bright side An adolescent loggerhead sea turtle named Dilly Dally crawled into the Atlantic Ocean Wednesday morning, months after having a front flipper amputated at a Florida turtle hospital. The turtle was brought to Loggerhead Marinelife Center in January suffering from predator wounds to the front flipper. The veterinary crew at the Juno Beach facility assisted in Dilly Dally's rehabilitation and care. 'Every time we can release a turtle back into the wild is special and not just for us but for all the interns and volunteers and everyone that puts an effort to getting these turtles back out there. It's always a really special day,' said Marika Weber, a veterinary technician at the centre. The Associated Press has more here. An adolescent loggerhead sea turtle named Dilly-Dally crawls into the Atlantic Ocean after being released on Wednesday. (Rebecca Blackwell / The Associated Press) On this date On June 5, 1956: The Winnipeg Free Press reported city council told its public safety committee to draw up new specifications on boots for the Winnipeg fire department and call for tenders again; the decision was a victory for boot salesman William Gelfant, who a month earlier had caused an uproar at city hall when he charged the city was buying footwear that did not meet the city's own specifications. Read the rest of this day's paper here. Search our archives for more here. Today's front page Get the full story: Read today's e-edition of the Free Press .
Canada Standard
3 days ago
- Canada Standard
Wildfires force 25,000 to flee homes in Canada; US sends help
FLIN FLON, Manitoba: More than 25,000 people in three Canadian provinces have been forced to leave their homes because of wildfires, which were still burning on Sunday. Officials said the fires are also worsening the air quality in parts of Canada and the United States. Most of the people who had to leave were from Manitoba, where a state of emergency was declared last week. Over the weekend, about 17,000 people were evacuated from that province. In Alberta, around 1,300 people were evacuated, and in Saskatchewan, about 8,000 people had to leave their homes. Leaders in Saskatchewan warned that the number of evacuations could go up. Smoke from the wildfires is making it harder to breathe and see clearly in parts of Canada and some U.S. states near the border. Saskatchewan's Public Safety Agency warned over the weekend that "air quality and visibility due to wildfire smoke can change quickly over short distances and from hour to hour." They also said that the health risks get worse as the smoke gets thicker. Saskatchewan Premier Scott Moe said that help was coming from other provinces and U.S. states, including Alaska, Oregon, and Arizona. Firefighters, emergency workers, and aircraft were being sent to help fight the fires. "We are truly grateful, and we stand stronger because of you," Moe said in a post on social media.
Calgary Herald
3 days ago
- Calgary Herald
Calgary's record hailstorm still lingers over airport, WestJet
Article content Effects of Calgary's massive hailstorm last year are still felt at the Calgary International Airport, and for some of WestJet's fleet. Article content The August 2024 supercell storms battered northeast Calgary, causing an estimated $3.25 billion of insured loses — the second costliest insurance event in Canadian history. Article content At the Calgary International Airport, hundreds of flights were cancelled in the aftermath of the storm, and the B gates in its domestic concourse were damaged when water and ceiling tiles poured in. Article content Article content Cracks in the airport's roof caused by hail eventually allowed water to seep through after the stones blocked drains, according to Miles. They also measured 53 millimetres of rainfall from the storm. Article content 'It was an incredible storm, because halfway down our property . . . the south half, it fell as rain, and then the northern half, where all the terminal buildings are, it came down as hail,' he said. Article content Concourse B, which makes up about a third of domestic gates, has remained closed since. In the weeks following the storm, the airport said full repairs could take more than 18 months. Article content Article content Miles said they're still working towards that timeline, but speculated it may be longer as they plan to do more extensive work inside the terminal. Article content 'We had to take everything down to the proverbial studs, and now we're building it back,' he said, noting they plan to make improvements to concourse B, one of the older parts of the airport. Article content Damage was not confined to concourse B, but rather spread out across the entire domestic terminal, according to Miles. Article content 'In total we probably patched the better part of 12,000 holes, or 12,000 cracks on the roof,' he said — although the patches are a temporary repair until more permanent repairs can be done.
