One sure sign of a Canadian spring is the smoky smell of maple sap being boiled down to make maple syrup and sugar. This year has been no exception. Hundreds of Woodstock residents got an early sample of this sticky sweet tasting treat at Jakeman's Pancake House recently.
The annual celebration always draws a crowd. Poster printing companies produced signage for the event, which tempted foodies from all over the area to come out and enjoy a delicious meal of pancakes, sausages and, of course, freshly made maple syrup.
The recent cold nights and warm days have made this an excellent year for those who harvest and boil down maple sap. While modern collection methods are often used, many producers still employ the traditional spigot and pail to collect the sweet liquid from the sugar maple trees. Each fully grown tree produces, on average, one liter of syrup during the collecting season, and according to maple products producer Bob Jakeman, he has already harvested nearly two thirds of this amount.
Jakeman harvests sap from almost 2,100 trees every year, and from this he creates a variety of maple products ranging from butter to sugar and candy. He’s even created a tasty ice wine syrup. He is hoping to be able to continue to collect sap for a few more weeks before it stops running for this year’s season. As long as the weather follows its current trend, the sap will continue to flow.
