NYS maple syrup producers | The Finger Lakes Travel Maven

Looking for information on the 2012 Maple Sugar Weekends? CLICK HERE to read “A Sweet Time at NYS Maple Sugar Weekends 2012” on our new Finger Lakes Travel Maven blog.

Warming weather causes maple sap to flowWhen I was a kid, my family occasionally vacationed in Vermont. A treat I always looked forward to were the little packages of maple sugar candy found in most gift shops that were formed into shapes. The heavenly taste melted on my tongue, all too fast. Fast forward many years, and I realize we could as easily have purchased the candy here in New York State, since we're the third largest producer of maple products in the U.S., following Vermont and Maine.

Thinking about maple products, who would imagine you could get a sweet tasting liquid from a tree? According to Iroquois legend, it happened by accident one spring when Chief Woksis planted his tomahawk in a tree above a spot where the family always left a container for water. Sap from the gash dripped into the bucket and when his wife retrieved it, she thought the liquid it contained was water. When she cooked with the unsuspected ingredient, the family discovered the delightful sweet taste of maple sap.

Now, maple producers across New York State celebrate the arrival of spring and maple sap collecting season with Maple Weekend, which will be held this year on March 19-20 and March 26-27. The event is free, fun and educational for the whole family because at each participating producer, you’ll have a chance to watch the process of maple sugaring, from tapping the tree through to boiling the maple sap down into syrup. This is a long process because it takes 45 gallons of sap to make just one gallon of maple syrup! You’ll discover that some producers continue to use the traditional method of bucket and spigot, called a “spile”, while others have adopted more contemporary and efficient methods involving vacuum pumps and plastic tubing that leads to a central collection location.

Many of the locations also offer traditional pancake breakfasts with prices varying by location.

Because there are over 100 participants across the state, I won’t list them here, but you can discover the maple syrup producers nearest you by clicking on the following link and looking up participants in your county: Maple Weekend Participants by County.

Click on the following link to discover the closest pancake breakfast: Maple Weekend Pancake Breakfasts.

The event runs on March 19-20 and March 26-27 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. both days, but times for some participants may vary, so be sure to confirm hours for the destination you plan to visit.

When I was young, I loved reading the section in Little House on the Prairie where Laura’s family would tap the maple trees, collect the sap and make maple syrup. After it was boiled down, they’d collect clean, fresh snow and pour the syrup on it, making maple sugar candy. It makes my mouth water just to think about it.

Today, at hundreds of locations across New York State, maple syrup is still made that way. New York State uses 1.48 million taps to produce about 20% of the syrup made in the U.S. Only Canada and Vermont produce more.

Anyone who loves maple syrup will want to join in the festivities when, on March 21-22 and 28-29, over 100 Maple Syrup producers across the state will celebrate the season with their Annual Maple Weekend, held from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. each day. Most will be demonstrating how they tap the trees and collect the sap to produce maple syrup and other products. Some will be holding pancake breakfasts and offering other fun activities such as hayrides, and all should have delicious maple syrup for sale!

CLICK HERE for a list of participating maple syrup producers located near you.

CLICK HERE for locations offering pancake breakfasts.

Not included in these lists is the Annual Maple Weekend Event offered at Genesee Country Village and Museum which runs the same weekends and which also offers activities and a pancake breakfast. Admission is: family $25/$15 members; adults $7/$6 members; youth ages 4-16 $5/$4.25; children 3 and younger are free. The pancake breakfast, which will be served at the Meeting Center, is $7 for adults, $5 youth ages 5-10; and $1 for children 2-4.