A local expert on maple syrup says this week’s forecast is precisely what the Ottawa Valley’s producers have been waiting for.
Producer and International Maple Hall of Fame Inductee Ray Bonenberg says his preparation for syrup season at Pembroke’s Mapleside Sugar Bush has been underway for more than a month, ensuring the lines sending sap to their Sugar House are in top shape while he waits on Mother Nature to cooperate.
That prep work includes clearing frozen lines buried under the snow and repairing lines done in by strong winds, broken tree limbs, or pests like the red squirrel, who chew the lines for their salt content.
All of that buys Bonenberg and other local producers just a few weeks to cook and create syrup and other treats that begins once their trees thaw out and the sap starts to flow.
Producers in the Ottawa Valley have had to be patient as they deal with the region’s colder climate, which means a later start compared to producers in the southern part of the province.
The local environment does come with its benefits, however, as not only does syrup from colder areas tend to last longer, but Bonenberg says the Ottawa Valley’s unique soil makeup creates a subtle but distinctive flavour you can only get here.
Taps are going into trees at Mapleside ahead of Maple Weekend, where Bonenberg and other producers across the province welcome the public for tours, samples, demonstrations, and more on April 5th and 6th.
(written by Kasey Egan)