The arrival of spring-like temperatures means the end of maple syrup producing season, and at least one Nova Scotia maple syrup farm says the 2019 season was a record-breaking one.
Tucked away in Nova Scotia’s Cobequid Hills, Sugar Moon Farm is a popular place for locals and visitors alike.
Sugar Moon Farm wrapped up their sugar season on Friday, calling it a record-breaking yield.
“Average yield is probably a half-a-litre per tap for us, and this year it was 0.87 litres, so it was nearly double what we usually get,” says Sugar Moon Farm owner Quita Gray.
The maple sugar producing season is short -- Sugar Moon Farm first tapped their trees on March 15 -- and Gray says it is important to have ideal weather conditions during these crucial weeks.
“A lot of people say cold night and warm days, but we say freezing and thawing, no matter when that happens. It could be at night as well, you just need a whole lot of freezing and thawing,” explains Gray.
This season’s weather conditions were pretty much perfect, and resulted in sap with a higher sugar content than usual -- welcome news for those who turn sap into syrup.
“The sugar content of the sap is typically 2 per cent on average,” says Gray. “This year it was around 3.5 per cent. So when that happens you need less sap to make the same amount of syrup, and less fire wood.”
As producers celebrate the season’s end, so too are visitors, savouring sweet maple treats with family and friends.
“My dad has some maple trees at his house, and they made maple butter, maple syrup, pancakes!” exclaimed one young boy with a sweet tooth.
“We drove up from Dartmouth earlier today, it’s a lovely way to spend Easter,” said another visitor.
While syrup season has ended at Sugar Moon Farm, they are open year-round and offer an educational experience about how maple syrup is produced.
With files from CTV Atlantic’s Suzette Belliveau.
