ALBION, Pa.—Value added products are the best way to make money in maple.

Damian Hill and Scott Reed of Shaver-Hill Maple in Harpersfield, N.Y. led a seminar on value added products at the Lake Erie Maple Expo on Nov. 10 in Albion, Pa. 

Hill offered some extremely useful tips, especially for maple coated nuts, a popular retail item.

Hill says the farm uses four types of nuts: peanuts, almonds, walnuts and cashews. They buy them in 4 or 5 pound bags and like to use raw nuts, as opposed to roasted. 

Use one quart of syrup to coat approx. 5 lbs of nuts. For syrup they recommend to use Amber syrup. 

Hill says to heat syrup to 257 degrees, which is the best temperature for coating. Important to keep defoamer on hand during the boil. 

When the syrup reaches temperature immediately do a slow drizzle—not a full-on pour—over the nuts as they are stirred in a saucepan or spaghetti pot.

“We find it’s best to use a wooden spoon for stirring instead of metal because the nuts won’t stick,” Hill said. 

Let the syrup have contact with the nuts for about 10 mins and then let them cool on a tray for 6-8 hours before packing in cellophane bag. 

Once packed, the nuts will have a three month shelf life, Hill said. 

But Shaver Hill sells a 4oz. bag for $7 and can’t keep enough of them on the shelf because they sell so fast. So shelf life not a concern.