{"id":170239,"date":"2025-02-18T14:14:55","date_gmt":"2025-02-18T19:14:55","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.farmboy.ca\/?p=170239"},"modified":"2025-02-20T12:03:14","modified_gmt":"2025-02-20T17:03:14","slug":"maple-season-in-ontario","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.farmboy.ca\/blog\/maple-season-in-ontario\/","title":{"rendered":"Maple Season in Ontario"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Few things are as quintessentially Canadian as maple syrup. First made by the indigenous peoples of North America, maple syrup has become a part of Canadian identity as well as a beloved food. The sticky, sweet substance is first harvested in March (sometimes mid-February) when maple season begins and continues until the sap runs out, usually around the end of April. Maple season or \u201csugaring season\u201d is a time when many Canadians like to hit up their local sugar shack and grab a taste of the sweet treat. Farm Boy customers can take a look at this page from<\/span> Destination Ontario<\/a><\/strong> for a list of events happening during maple season in the province.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

In addition to<\/span> our pure Canadian maple syrup<\/a><\/strong> harvested from a fifth-generation family farm in Woodstock, Ontario, customers can visit their<\/span> nearest Farm Boy store<\/a><\/strong> to discover more delicious maple products. (And don\u2019t forget to check out <\/strong><\/span>our flyer page<\/a><\/strong> for sweet savings!)<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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How is Maple Syrup Harvested?<\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

It would be nice if you could tap a maple tree and have syrup immediately flow out, but the harvesting of maple syrup is a little more time-consuming. At sugarbushes and maple farms across Canada, maple trees are tapped for their sap, which is collected in buckets that are attached directly to the tree. The maple sap is clear and only very slightly sweet. To become the rich syrup we know and love, about 40 litres of sap must be collected before it\u2019s boiled down into about 1 litre of maple syrup.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

After boiling, maple syrup is filtered to remove any sugar crystals that may have developed. This makes the syrup nice and smooth, rather than gritty. The finished syrup is then graded and packaged for selling.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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The Maple Syrup Grading System<\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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Maple syrup operates on a grading system that determines the colour, flavour, and translucence of the syrup. While maple syrup was previously graded on a scale of letters A to C, in 2016 all maple syrup was reclassified as Grade A. This is the only type of syrup sold in Canada. The new grades are: Grade A: Golden, Grade A: Amber, Grade A: Dark, and Grade A: Very Dark. The colour and flavour differs based on the time of harvest during the maple season, with Grade A: Golden syrup at the beginning of maple season and Grade A: Very Dark arriving at the end.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

These maple syrup variations simplify things for customers, with adjectives describing the syrup\u2019s colour and flavour. Additionally, categorizing all maple syrup under Grade A lets consumers know that all the syrup is equally enjoyable and excellent. Previously, former grades B and C might have been thought of as poor quality. The new grading system lets customers know that all Canadian maple syrup is delicious and high-quality, it simply has different flavours and preferred uses.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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How to Store Maple Syrup<\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n