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Canada still has syrup despite reports in national media
Peter Gregg | December 1, 2021
LONGUEIL, Que—Don’t believe the hype.
A flurry of national news reports this week—including on NBC’s Today Show broadcast yesterday—proclaimed there is a shortage of Canadian syrup.
Not true, says the Quebec maple producers federation.
“There’s no shortage at all,” said Helene Normandin, spokeswoman for the Quebec Maple Syrup Producers.
That’s not to say that syrup hasn’t been moving. In fact, it’s selling like hotcakes.
The federation’s Strategic Reserve has been drained of 50 million pounds since the beginning of this year, most of it sold in the United States, which had its worst crop in 10 years.
But there is still another 50 million pounds left in the warehouses near Montreal that make up the Reserve, Normandin said.
[ MORE ]
Sugarmakers banned from using packing peanuts in New York
Peter Gregg | November 10, 2021
ALBANY, N.Y.—Sugarmakers who package and ship may have to make changes before the end of the year.
The New York State Maple Producers Association is advising sugarmakers that effective Jan. 1, no producer will be allowed to sell products that are packaged in containers containing polystyrene foam.
In addition, producers will prohibited from packaging their mail-order maple products in widely-used polystyrene loose fill packaging—commonly referred to as packing peanuts. [ MORE ]
Stock up now. DE filter aid in short supply for the season
Peter A Gregg | November 8, 2021
DERUYTER, N.Y.—Don’t wait. Stock up on your DE now.
Sugarmakers are being advised to buy their Diatomaceous Earth (DE) earlier rather than later with supply chain issues causing shortages of the valuable filter aid.
At the open house event at Countryside Hardware on Oct. 23 supplier representatives warned sugarmakers of a shortage of DE.
The Maple News has confirmed with DE manufacturers that the product is in limited supply.
“There is currently a shortage on flux calcined DE driven by supply chain issues domestically but mainly overseas and strong demand,” said John Polychronopoulos, sales manager for Dicalite Management Group, Inc. which manufactures the popular Dicalite brand sold by most maple supply houses.
[ MORE ]
Maplestitskin! Ohio sugarmaker turns bad syrup into not-so-bad syrup
Paul Post | October 29, 2021
EFFERSON, Ohio—Nate Bissell is the self-proclaimed Rumpelstiltskin of the maple industry.
Somewhat like the Brothers Grimm fairy tale imp, who spun straw into gold, Bissell in September turned a large supply of off-flavor, fermented syrup into a marketable product.
"We called the project Maplestiltskin," said this sixth-generation producer of Bissell Maple Farm in Ashtabula County, Ohio.
"Food companies (including well-known cereal brands) want cleaner labels with fewer ingredients,” he said. "They buy commercial syrup all the time. This market wants a maple syrup that will have a strong flavor, sweeten and add some color and texture. Most people don't even know it exists. That's what this is for."
"Would I put this on my pancakes? Heck no!" he said. "It's not going to be table grade that would win an award. But it would be great in granola. I know of a sausage company that buys $1 million dollars of commercial syrup per year. It's going into sausage, ham and bacon." [ MORE ]
Vermont sugarmaker re-purposing old sap buckets and looking for more
Paul Post | October 15, 2021
Mt. HOLLY, Vt.—Sugarmaker Adam Karle is preserving a key element of sugarmaking history by giving new life to old sap buckets.
The Mount Holly, Vermont producer uses them to make unique maple leaf-designed lights that are selling like hotcakes, coast to coast, since he first introduced them last spring.
"The original intent was for people to dress up their sugarhouse or shed, but people have taken these things to a whole other level, decorating their homes," Karle said. "Hey, whatever it takes, I'm all for it. That's awesome. I've already been shipping them to people from California and down South."
Galvanized sap buckets are no longer used for sap collection in the industry on a commerical basis, and discouraged to be used by hobbists because they are not considered food-grade. [ MORE ]
NYS Maple Association bringing back the Mid-Winter Classic
Peter A Gregg | October 15, 2021
SYRACUSE, N.Y.—It's back!
The biggest maple show in the industry will be coming back after a two-year absence on January 7-8, 2022 at the New York State Fairgrounds in Syracuse, N.Y.
The Board of Directors of the NYS Maple Producers’ Association met October 12 and decided that the Mid-Winter Classic conference, workshops and trade show will be safe to have in person this winter.
[ MORE ]
Maple syrup soda taps into early success
Stan Maddux | October 6, 2021
BROWNSVILLE, Ind.—Response at the Indiana State Fair could decide if a newly developed maple soda pop winds up on store shelves.
A maple syrup producer has teamed up with a craft beverage maker to create a recipe and gauging future prospects of the drink.
“It’s selling really well,” said the soda pop inventor Kevin Hart, who makes syrup from taps in a 110 acre woods outside Brownsville.
Hart is also President of the Indiana Maple Syrup Association.
Hart has been selling maple cream soda since the spring at farmers markets he works primarily in central Indiana. [ MORE ]
Natural gas evaporators a good option to consider
Stan Maddux | October 6, 2021
MERRILL, Wisc.—Great stuff if you can get it.
There’s nothing maple syrup makers shouldn’t like about using natural gas evaporators to boil down their sap unless it’s breaking from tradition.
Natural gas is much cheaper and easier to use than most other evaporator fuels and it’s always there whenever needed, said Joel Oelke, a Midwest Regional Salesperson for Leader Evaporator headquartered in Swanton, Vermont.
Oelke said evaporators running on natural gas are becoming more popular but holding back sales is lack of access to a pipeline carrying the cleaner burning fuel.
“A lot of sugarhouses are in remote locations where natural gas just isn’t available,” he said.
Oelke from his home office in Merrill, Wisconsin, is involved in sales for Leader Evaporator throughout the Midwest and as far east as New York and Pennsylvania. [ MORE ]
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