LAKE ODESSA, Mich. — Freezing temperatures at night, and warm, sunny days are creating a perfect environment for Michigan’s maple syrup season.
The season typically starts around the beginning of March. Morris Maple Leaf Farm says their sugar bush has been up and running for a few days now. They first tapped their trees on Feb. 22.
“This year, we’ve tapped 800 trees,” said David Morris, part owner of the farm, “Our first gathering was just about 1,700 gallons of sap.”
Last year was a much later start to the season. Morris says it’s all up to the weather to decide when it begins, and how long the season will last. For now, he says they are off to a fantastic start.
“It’s going to be a good year,” said Morris, “It’s very light syrup. It’s turning out to be an excellent year.”
The Michigan Maple Association said this year is starting strong across the state. It’s rare to have sugar bushes from Southern Michigan, all the way to the Upper Peninsula, have their seasons start at the same time. But that’s what’s happening. This year, even locations north of the bridge have been producing syrup early.
The freezing temperatures at night draws water up from the ground. Then, during the day as it warms up, the tree lets the sugar out. That’s when the tree is tapped, and the sap collected.
“The hard maple trees, we drill a hole in about an inch and a half,” said Morris about the start of the syrup production. “And a spile goes in, then we hang a bag.”
Then the sap is off to the evaporator. There, the water is boiled out of the sap, leaving just the sugar. That’s basically how maple syrup is made.
“The sap looks like water,” said Morris, “and it’s just boiling the moisture and leaving the sugar behind. The farther it runs through this evaporator, the sweeter it is.”
Morris said they also run the syrup through a filter, to make sure it’s pure. Then it’s bottled and ready for purchase.
Not only is the year starting strong, but Morris said the quality of syrup is better too. That’s great news for his award-winning maple cream production. The farm creates the cream and candies from their syrup. In January, it won a blue ribbon for best maple cream in Michigan from the Michigan Maple Association.
“I feel like it’s a big goal for us,” said Patsy Morris, a family member who works on the farm. “Because we worked so hard just going through the process making all this and putting in the hard work. And seeing how awesome it comes out and seeing how great our products tastes.”
The maple syrup season runs until the trees start to bud. It’s too early to tell when that will be this year, but the Michigan Maple Association says the next week looks strong. Morris says he’s seen seasons range from one week long, to eight weeks. It all depends on the weather.
“As long as it stays cold and freezing at night,” said Morris, “we’ll keep running.”
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