Another maple season is in the books. It’s time to enjoy the delectable sweet treat that your local sugarmakers worked hard to source, so that you can have delicious Pure Michigan Maple Syrup on your pancakes.
The 2019 maple season, came a little later than normal and therefore, many sugarmakers in Michigan had a shorter run. This year averaged only 3-4 weeks throughout Michigan whereas the typical season is 4-6 weeks long. The cold temperatures in late February and early March delayed the sap flow.
Approximate starts for maple season in each region:
Southern Lower: March 12th
Northern Lower: March 14th
Upper Peninsula: March 26th
Although the sap didn’t run as long, what was collected had an average higher sugar content than the past couple of seasons. Some believe this was due to a wet fall or possibly the cold winter that arrived later than normal.
Syrup must contain between 66% and 67% sugar for it to be considered Pure Maple Syrup.
Sap with a high sugar content takes less time and fuel to make syrup, therefore if you start with a higher sugar content in the sap, you don’t have to remove as much water. This helped to make for a good season in most parts of Michigan.
