A much milder than normal winter has meant an earlier start to the maple syrup season in New York.
Helen Thomas, executive director of the New York Maple Producers Association, says her own farm south of Rochester has already produced 20 percent of its annual crop. That's a couple of weeks ahead of the typical yearly pace.
In a normal year, maple producers venture into the woods through heavy snow in early February to check trees for wind damage and to make sure their tap lines are intact. Thomas said this year, those tasks were “a delight” with milder weather and solid ground.
Thomas said some of the early sap has had disappointing sugar content, but she's not concerned about that.
"It won't make a difference in the end product. It just means we have to do more work to take the water out, because it's more dilute as it comes out of the tree."
Any maple product must meet certain state and federal regulations for sugar content.
New York ranks second in maple production nationwide. Thomas anticipates this year's crop will meet or exceed 2015's 600,000 gallons.
The NYS Maple Producers Association is sponsoring Maple Weekend March 19 and 20. About 160 farms and museums across the state will be offering sugar house tours, sampling and activities.
PETITION AGAINST FAKE MAPLE PRODUCTS
The New York Maple Producers Association is joining organizations in other maple producing states in a petition to the Food and Drug Administration.
It asks the FDA to review products that don't live up to their claims to be maple.
"And there are a number of foods we were able to give examples of that we were able to give examples of that have 'maple' right on the label - maple ice cream, maple oatmeal, maple flavored syrup - and there is no maple in the ingredient list at all, " Thomas said.
Thomas has sent the petition to all of New York's congressional representatives and senators asking that manufacturers either remove the word "maple" from products that don’t contain the real thing, or start adding maple to their ingredients.
