Visiting a Maple Tree Farm

During my recent trip to Vermont, I was lucky to find my way to a local maple tree farm. With hundreds of acres of maple trees, the farm is one of the biggest maple producers in the United States.

Vermont is known for its production and sale of maple syrup-- and is proud to supply America's stomachs with tasty maple syrup for pouring on waffles and pancakes. The temperatures of Vermont make it the perfect state for producing maple syrup. Each winter/spring, the maple trees are tapped in order to collect sap. The sap, which looks like the consistency and color of water, is then boiled down to produce maple syrup. Surprisingly enough, it takes about 40 gallons of maple sap to produce one gallon of maple syrup. So, the next time you pour syrup on your pancakes in the morning, remember how that syrup got to your plate!

During my visit to the maple tree farm, I was fortunate enough to sample the different grades of maple syrup. While the different grades of syrups are made in the same way, they vary in color and sweetness. Grades Fancy and A are made with sap from the beginning of the harvest season, while the different grade Bs are made with sap from the end of the season.

After sampling the different grades, Grade Fancy was my favorite. Fancy was the lightest in color and the most subtly sweet of all the grades. It is the best for pouring on pancakes, while grade B is the best for baking and cooking.

If you get the chance to visit a maple tree farm in Vermont (or Canada, for that matter), you will definitely want to take a tour. Definitely request to walk through the tree orchards for the maple trees are quite beautiful. Unfortunately, I went on this tour during the middle of Vermont's winter, and snow and ice filled the trails. If you decide to visit during the winter, good snow boots are definitely needed.

Otherwise, fall is likely to be the most beautiful time of year at a maple tree farm-- just as the leaves are changing!