Maple Festival 2024

County Maple Festival Countdown Continues

By Rose NemuNaitis editoR@kaRlovecmedia.com

Countdown clocks are ticking for the 93rd Geauga County Maple Festival in Chardon.

It takes a village of volunteers to put on the annual four-day event — which draws more than 50,000 attendees — on the last full weekend in April

As this year’s maple festival approaches, Director Jen Freeman is looking forward to continuing all its beloved traditions despite having to navigate some logistical bumps in the road with the courthouse expansion on Chardon Square.

“We can’t wait for this year’s maple festival,” Freeman said earlier this year. “We are working through some challenges of placing events and vendors with the expansion of the courthouse, but everyone is working hard to find great solutions. The City of Chardon has been tremendous. Although things may be in different spots this year, we are confident all your favorites will be found.”

Tappin’ Sunday runs from 12–4 p.m. and starts March 3 at 1 p.m. The official tapper this year will be Paul Newman, who served on the maple festival board.

“There has been such great support for the festival over the years,” Freeman said.

In the spirit of reciprocity, a new program called Maple Festival Gives Back was created to donate festival proceeds to local charitable causes.

Freeman, a fourth-generation syrup producer, serves as Richards Maple Products president, Ohio Maple Producers Association president, co-chair of the Geauga County Maple Festival’s lumberjack contest, delegate for the North American Maple Syrup Council and an alternate for the international Maple Syrup Institute.

“We (Maple Festival Gives Back) have a committee that would like to choose a couple of charities each year to help,” Freeman said, adding last year, they made a $1,000 donation to the Claridon Community Helps “Now

That’s What I’m Talking About!” Summer Lunch Program, which feeds children in need throughout Geauga County.

Registration for the popular program begins in April.

The committee’s recent donation was to the Geauga Veterans Food Pantry in Chardon, which began when Maple Festival Gives Back purchased animals, six chickens and one turkey from 4H kids at last year’s Great Geauga County Fair auction and had them processed into 50 pounds of ground turkey and chicken in one-pound packages that were given out to 50 veterans.

Lynn Algeri, GCVFP founder and director, is very appreciative of the generous donation.

“We are adding new veterans monthly as more people are becoming aware of this very unique pantry,” Algeri said. “We are seeing younger vets from Iraq and Afghanistan.”

The pantry, at 13211 Aquilla Road in Chardon, serves about 85 Geauga County veterans who must be registered and approved by the Geauga County Veterans Service Office.

“What a wonderful group,” Freeman said. “We are so blessed to have them in our community. They not only provide food for our veterans, but they also provide a listening ear and can be further resources for those who need it.”

Algeri appreciates every donation they receive.

“The donation is extremely important to us and ensures that the pantry can continue to serve our veterans of Geauga County,” she said.

A few of their current needs include flavor juices, instant rice and 13-gallon garbage bags with handle ties.

Freeman believes the new Maple Festival Gives Back program goes well beyond just dropping off donations for a group or organization.

“I would love to see us grow each year,” Freeman said. “It’s not just donating, it’s building relationships with other organizations that do so much for others.”

Sweet Steps to Making Syrup

Breakfast foods like pancakes or French toast just aren’t the same without delicious maple syrup. Not all syrups in the grocery aisle are the same. In fact, some do not contain any maple at all. Pure maple syrup is a marvel of nature, and involves a multi-step process of getting this rich liquid from tree to table.

Sugar maples and sugarbushes

Sugar maple trees are the species responsible for producing the maple syrup consumers know and love. Alternative maple trees can be used, but industry experts say sugar maples produce the most flavorful syrups. According to the Massachusetts Maple Producers Association, maple syrup starts off as tree sap. Sugarmakers, as maple syrup producers are called, rely on a cultivated group of maple trees that they use for syrup, known as a sugarbush or maple orchard. This is where the syrup-making process begins.

From tree sap to syrup

Maple sap is mostly crystal clear water that is roughly 2 percent sugar. Sugarmakers visit the sugarbush in late winter/early spring for a sugaring season that lasts four to six weeks. The State of Vermont Pure Maple Syrup says a pattern of freezing and thawing temperatures — with below-freezing temperatures at night, followed by 40 to 45 F temperatures during the day — produces the requisite pressure within a tree to enable sap to flow when trees are tapped. It takes around 40 gallons of sap to make one gallon of maple syrup. Each sugar maple produces about 4 cups of syrup per tree, so sugarmakers must gather as much sap as possible.

The process begins with drilling a tap hole into each sugar maple tree. Then spouts are inserted into the holes to direct the sap into buckets or tubes that will deliver the sap to a collection tank at a sugar house or another collection area. According to Fort Rose Farm, a maple syrup farm in Canada, the sap is then placed into a reverse osmosis machine. It delivers pressure to pump the sap through a membrane to extract the

sugar from the water in the sap. The sap then travels to an evaporator to boil off more water. As the water is removed, the product becomes thicker and more like syrup. The syrup is ready to draw off at 219 F, but it still needs to be filtered and potentially adjusted for density. It is then graded for flavor and color. Bascom, a maple syrup producer, says maple syrup made early in the season tends to be clear and have a delicate taste. As the season progresses, the syrup becomes darker and stronger in taste.

The MMPA says sap coming from the tree is approximately 98 percent water and 2 percent sugar. When the syrup is finished, it is only 33 percent water and 67 percent sugar. Maple syrup production is a labor of love, so a gallon of amber syrup generally retails between $35 to $45, states Bizfluent. Prices will vary depending on the grade of syrup and how well Mother Nature treated the trees that season.

Maple syrup is a product of nature. Although there is a short window of time for syrup production, the results are a sweet treat that makes breakfast, dessert and other meals that much more flavorful.

Inductee

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chairman to his numerous legal affiliations including Geauga County Bar Association president.

“Geauga County is a special county,” Newman said. “Everything about it is special.”

If you’ve ever spotted Newman at the maple festival, no doubt there’s a camera in his hands.

His 75-year-old home in Hambden Township also keeps him busy on 20 acres.

His wife, Merrilou, who he was married to for 51 years, died in December of 2022.

“The next chapter is the grandson I am raising,” Newman said. “He is 11 years old. He is a handful. I am taking him on a trip per year.”

Last year, Newman covered 11 states. This year, he hopes to cover 13.

“He loves to take photos and they are real good ones,” said Geauga County Sheriff Scott Hildenbrand, adding he has one of Newman’s photos in his office at the sheriff’s office and one in his office at the Hambden Township Fire Station.

“I always had to be careful of him taking a picture of me eating a sausage sandwich at the maple festival,” Hildenbrand joked. “When he wrote his book, published in 2014 — ‘Murder at the Maple Festival,’ a historical rendition of Chardon’s famous festival with a murder involved — and I started reading it, I could not put it down. The names were changed to protect the innocent, but I knew exactly who he was talking about.

“He definitely deserves this distinction (of maple hall of fame inductee) as he has worked tirelessly for the Geauga County Ma-

ple Festival and the people of Geauga County,” the sheriff added.

Newman called taking photos a creative chore.

“I have the history of Geauga County immersed in them,” Newman said. “I take photos of things I love and hate. Writing was a chore, but a wealthy chore. I document life in my books and photos. The last book was written in my malaise of a closed carotid artery. It was tough to write. Almost as much as coming out of the disease, which still exists.”

He said books are everything.

“I have been fascinated by books,” Newman said. “I read. I read. I read. Hemingway has his lessons to be learned. I keep a record of each book I read,” Newman said. “I entered the Geauga County library book reading of 100 books a year.”

He just finished “Last Girl Standing.”

“Interesting but complex book,” Newman said. “Not my normal read. I read westerns, war stories and an odd assortment of books. ‘Last Girl Standing’ was my 13th of the year.”

He said at 76, his bucket list has narrowed.

“We will see,” Newman said. “I won’t fly an F-4 phantom anytime soon. I don’t run anymore. Heart problems. I don’t play handball anymore. Heart problems. I do play pickleball. It is a fun sport. I don’t have to move too much for it.”

Hobbies aside, Newman is most looking forward to an upcoming trip with his grandson to Vicksburg, Mississippi to learn about the Civil War.

“And (a trip) to Carlsbad Caverns to learn about the bats, also to visit friends in Dallas, Phoenix and the most southern city in California,” he said. “(We are going) to the Grand Canyon, to San Francisco, to wherever the road takes us.”

Parade Grand Marshalls, Director Announced

From big trucks to small businesses, the Geauga County Maple Festival's parades showcase community spirit and fun.

Grab a seat on the square for two Grand Parades — one Saturday at 3:00 p.m., and the second Sunday at 3:00 p.m.

Saturday’s Grand Marshal Dr. Augustine J. Kellis

Dr. Augustine J. Kellis is a well-respected physician with over twenty-five years in his chosen specialties. He has performed over twenty thousand intraocular procedures, and well over one hundred thousand eyelid and facial plastic surgical procedures.

The president and managing partner of the Chardon Surgery Center, Dr. Kellis is well known for his exceptional medical and surgical expertise and his warm, personable bedside manner.

The doctor enjoys spending time with his wife, Mary, and his twin daughters, Marina and Evangeline. He also enjoys traveling, jet skiing, boating, and snorkeling.

Dr. Kellis founded the St. Michael's Eye Program, which provides eye care services to anyone in need at no cost. This program was established twenty-five years ago and has served the needs of thousands of patients in northern Ohio.

Recently, he was honored as the Eagle Vision Award recipient. This award is given by the charity Sight for All to the one eyecare professional in northern Ohio who has provided the most charitable services over the course of a year.

In addition, he serves on the board of the Geauga Hunger Task Force helping to organize over six hundred thousand free meals given to the families of Geauga County on a yearly basis.

Sunday’s Grand Marshal Natalie Herbick

Natalie Herbick has been an anchor and host at FOX 8 News for more than a decade, and began her time in Cleveland co-hosting the lifestyle, entertainment, travel show New Day Cleveland.

be seen co-anchoring FOX 8 News at 4 p.m.

Through her news career she has covered politics, medical, criminal and human-interest stories as well as sports.

One of her main passions is helping local charities raise funds for worthy causes. She emcees multiple events every month.

Some of her interests include local animal shelters, hospice care, homeless shelters, research for ovarian, breast and pancreatic cancer, congenital heart defects and research for rare diseases. After being diagnosed with breast cancer in 2022, she has become an avid advocate for awareness and early detection.

Natalie is also heavily involved with Playhouse Square, the nation's largest theater district outside of New York City.

A huge sports fan, you'll find her cheering on the local teams, checking out great restaurants, and getting involved in the community.

Parade Director Kathy Dufur

Kathy was born and raised in Chardon. She always liked going to the Maple Festival as a kid and would always stop to get the famous maple stir.

One of her fondest memories is meeting Gov John F. Kennedy & Jackie when they visited Chardon during the Maple festival. Her father was Mayor, and she got to meet the future U.S. President.

Kathy also drove her Sunbeam Alpine in the parade one year.

Kathy started helping with the parade in the late 80's and has been helping every year since. She is the parade director and has been for the last 15 years.

Kellis

Herbick

Dufur

2024 Maple Season Proves to Be Challenging for Producers

By les oBeR osu exteNsioN, GeauGa couNty

If you are an Ohio maple syrup producer and had to describe the 2024 maple season in one word, you would likely use terms like early, different, weird, disappointing, average, surprising, long, short or exhausting — with some words that cannot be printed here.

Many local producers experienced the earliest start in the history of their sugarbush. This was followed by the earliest shutdown in the history of their sugarbush.

Early tappers (New Year’s Day) were the fortunate ones, producing three quarters to a full season crop. There were some hardcore traditional sugarmakers who like to go by the calendar and for them, it was a one run and out.

In fact, December was the third warmest on record. January was close to average except for the lack of snowfall. You need melting snow to keep moisture in the ground and sap flowing from the trees.

February was one of the warmest on record. This was all predicted in the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s three-month forecast back in December 2023.

Others tapped in December and were still boiling in April, obviously not Ohio — we were done March 3.

From a metrological viewpoint, this was as close to a record winter as you can get and we are not talking about cold. The climatological winter — December, January and February — was the warmest since 1931.

If you are a maple producer, it was clear, you were warned. The middle of January saw the only extended period of cold weather. After that, it was game on. Those that tapped in early January were ready to harvest the big runs that came at the end of month and into February. This gave the early tappers a running start at an average to above average season, allowing many to produce one half-gallon of syrup per tap.

This has become the Holy Grail for modern sugarmakers. The downside was low sugar content in the sap. Despite getting record volumes of sap producers, the sap-to-syrup ratios were dismal, with 50 gallons to one

Producers

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being average and 60 gallons to one not uncommon.

Waiting until the first week of February to tap was not a good move, but it was better than waiting until after Presidents Day or when the Moon Sign is right, or because Grandpa did it that way (hardcore maple tactics).

This is a very lighthearted overview of a very challenging year. On the positive side, producers made some very good syrup that did not have quality issues. Officials at the Geauga County Maple Festival Contest reported, “The overall grade color was darker than last year. Flavor was decent and was representative of the color. In a year like this, with an abundance of warm weather, you would expect some off-flavor syrup to show up in the contest, but that was not case.”

Thanks to a bumper crop being produced

in New England, there will be no shortage of syrup for your pancakes this year.

In the end, what have we learned? We added one more year to the string of abnormal maple seasons. Ohio producers need to be ready to tap earlier than they have in the past. If you are an experienced maple producer, you know when the time is right.

This means that in 2025, when New Year’s Day rolls around, cut the party short and head to the woods. In fact, it is not a bad idea to be ready before Christmas. That is not a recommendation to tap in December, just to be ready to make syrup when the conditions are right. For many Ohio producers, tapping late was a hard lesson. Those that tapped after mid-February found out you cannot trust Mother Nature — she does not read the calendar.

Les Ober is an agricultural and natural resources extension educator and maple syrup consultant for The Ohio State University Extension

Welcome To The Geauga County Maple Festival Sap Run!

Join us on april 28th, 2024, at 8:00am for the 1 mile and 8:30am for the 5 mile. Packet pickup and race day. Registration will take place at the maple festival main stage. Awards will be done at the same location immediately following the race.

Pre-Registration: Day of Registration 5 mile: $30

Meet the Sponsors Who Keep the Sweet Sap Flowing

Maple Festival organizers are proud to announce their 2024 sponsors, whose contributions keep the event coming back year after year to delight crowds on Chardon Square.

“We are immensely grateful to Junction Auto for their generous support as our platinum sponsor,” organizers said. “We also extend our heartfelt appreciation to Chardon Smile Center for their valuable contribution as our golden sponsor.”

Earth Concepts LLC, a full-service landscaping company, was celebrated by organizers as this year’s spotlight sponsor.

“We sincerely thank each of these businesses for their unwavering generosity and unwavering dedication to our community,” organizers said.

Platinum Sponsor

Junction Auto

Geauga County will always be home, and we've always believed in being good neighbors and supporting our community. This year, it is as the main sponsor for the festival, but over the years, it has been everything from providing parade vehicles, working the maple stir booth, or even racing bathtubs.

We love the festival and look forward to seeing everyone there, or 3 miles south at Junction!

Junction Auto may not be as old as the Maple Festival... but we're close! Junction has been selling cars in Geauga County since 1931, and even started as a restaurant 4 years before that known as the "Junction Tavern."

In 2024 we sell new Jeep, Ram, Chrysler, Dodge, Buick and GMC vehicles, all kinds of pre-owned vehicles, with a full-service body shop, service departments, and parts business just 3 miles south of Chardon Square.

Our tagline has long been "service & dependability," and we feel the only thing more dependable is that it will snow until the Maple festival.

Spotlight Sponsor

Earth Concepts

Earth Concepts LLC was founded by Mike Tvergyak JR. in 2013. Since Mike was little, he has always had a passion for nature.

This passion grew, and all through high school Mike worked as a landscaper and also attended Auburn Career Center for horticulture. It has always been Mike’s dream to start his own business, and with a little hard work and a great crew to back him, his dream became a reality.

Mike, along with his wife, Krysta, and their two beautiful children, have supported the Maple Festival for many years.

Mike has been part of the Geauga County Maple Festival since he was a child, starting his festival volunteering as a pooper scooper in the festival parades. He outgrew that position and is now in charge of the concessions at the festival and serves on the Board of Directors.

Without Mike's support, dedication and

See Sponsors • Page 13

Platinum Sponsor Junction Auto

Golden Sponsor

Chardon Smile Center

Parade Sponsor

Dumpster Bandit, LLC

Queen’s Sponsor

Hometown Heating, LLC

Amber Sponsors

Heinen’s Fine Foods, Waste Management, Chardon Square Collision and Chardon Square Auto & Tire, Arms Trucking Co., Renewal by Anderson, Kinetic by Windstream, American Gutter Protection

Grade A Sponsors

Royle Insurance Agency, Trax Construction Company, Portman Electric, State Farm Insurance, Alvord’s Yard & Garden Equipment, Earth Concepts, Auctioneer Scott Mihalic, The Hairspace hair & nail salon, El Patron Mexican Grill & Cantina, Taylor Plumbing Contractors Inc.

Festival Patrons

Union Home Mortgage, Re/MAX McCaskey Team, NMS Accounting, radio station WKKY 104.7, Geauga County Maple Leaf, Second Sole of Mentor, Good News, Home & Business Storage, Cleats

Maple Flavored Sweet Potatoes

Makes 6 servings

• 6 medium sweet potatoes or yams

• ½ cup Ohio maple syrup

• 1 tablespoon melted butter or margarine

• ¼ teaspoon cinnamon

• ½ cup Ohio apple cider

• ¼ cup slivered almonds

Cook potatoes until nearly tender; peel and slice into a 10 x 6 x 1½ inch baking dish. Heat the maple syrup, margarine, cinnamon, and cider until just warm (do not boil). Pour over potatoes, sprinkle with almonds.

Bake in 350 degrees F oven for 45 minutes, basting occasionally.

Sponsors

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leadership, the Maple Festival would not be what it is today.

Parade Sponsor Dumpster Bandit

Honest. Professional. Affordable.

Dumpster Bandit LLC takes pride in being a local family-owned company. Our team serves Geauga County and surrounding areas, including include Painesville Township, Concord, Leroy, Windsor, Orwell, Hartsgrove, Garrettsville and Mantua.

At Dumpster Bandit, we make waste disposal simple, cost-effective and convenient.

Queen’s Sponsor Hometown Heating

Introducing Hometown Heating, your trusted local heating and air conditioning contractor, led by Joe Bolan Jr., a seasoned second-generation sheet metal worker with

over 47 years of expertise.

Proudly serving our neighbors and surrounding communities, we offer complimentary estimates on HVAC system installations and replacements. We are state licensed and insured, so you can rest assured you’re in capable hands.

As a Carrier Factory Authorized Dealer, we adhere to the highest standards while servicing various brands. Our specialties include new construction, heating and air conditioning replacements, geothermal systems, and duct cleaning.

Beyond business, we’re deeply rooted in community support — from sponsoring the HVAC on an upcoming Habitat for Humanity house in Chardon, to supporting the Maple Festival by sponsoring the Queen’s pageant for the second year.

Joe’s lifelong dedication to the Maple Festival includes festival visits and sponsorships over the years, to participating in the auction. Keep an eye out for our vans in the parade!

2023 Maple Queen Reflects on Experience

For the past year, Hannah Benesh has been representing Geauga County as its 2023 Maple Festival queen, at tending 24 total events to connect with her community.

As the 17-year-old junior at Buckeye Online School for Suc cess prepares to hand over the crown to the 2024 queen on April 24, she has been reflecting on the past year.

“I have been able to represent Geauga County in so many ways as your queen and I will be forever grateful for this experi ence,” she said in a statement. “I was able to attend 24 events in total, 12 being festivals/

fairs and the other 12 being local events. One of my favorite events I was able to attend was the Christmas re-shined competition with my queen coordinator, Jenn Vidmar, at Chardon United Methodist Church. In this competition, we were challenged along with other local Geauga County business owners to make a Christmas item out of recycled Christmas decorations.”

Hannah took home first prize in the category of “Best Geauga County Representation.”

“The reason I enjoyed participating in the Christmas re-shined competition was because all of the proceeds went to help fund the ‘Knight at Prom’ event,” she

Hannah Benesh, far right, winner of the 2023 Maple Festival Royal Pageant, pictured here with the rest of the royal court, will be crowning the next winner on April 24.

staff RepoRt

Construction Update

As many locals know, the Chardon courthouse is currently under construction. The festival grounds and concessions directors have worked hard to come up with solutions in regards to this. As a result, the following things have changed.

•We will be losing the two rides in the lawn areas north of the big tent.

•The Lumberjack Competition is being relocated to the east side of East Park Street between the library and Park School Auditorium.

As always, the craft show will also be taking place on Saturday the Sunday of the festival at the Park Auditorium.

Everything along Main Street will stay the same.

Meet The Director of Pancakes

according

For more information on the pageant and other festival events, visit www.maplefestival.com.

Hometown Heating LLC, is open to the public with a $10 entry fee at the door,

Brougher

Pulling for a Fun Time!

Looking for something your kiddos can do during the festival that doesn’t involve rides? Have them enter the Kiddie Tractor Pull on April 27. The contest is open to those aged 5-11 years old. At 10 a.m. registration opens on Main Street. Then at 11 a.m., the Kiddie Tractor Pull starts on Main Street. This event is being sponsored by Arms Trucking. This is a Buckeye State Sanctioned Kiddy/Adult Pedal Tractor Pulling event.

KMG FILE PHOTO

Selecting, Storing and Serving Ohio Maple Syrup

One hundred percent maple syrup is made by boiling and concentrating the sap from maple trees. Maple sap, as it comes from the tree, is a clear liquid with a slightly sweet taste. The characteristic color and maple flavor is developed during processing. It takes approximately 40 gallons of maple sap to make one gallon of finished maple syrup.

Selection

Maple syrup should never be confused with blended pancake syrups or toppings. These toppings are usually corn syrup or cane sugar based and are flavored with 1 to 3 percent maple syr up. Read the label care fully to make sure you are purchasing what you want. The label should read SYRUP.

Maple syrup is packaged in tin, plas tic, or glass. Each has advantages and disad vantages as to maintaining the quality of the syrup in storage.

The label on every container of maple syrup should specify the name of the producer, the volume of the syrup in the container, and whether the syrup is a blend or pure maple syrup.

Maple syrup is packaged in a variety of sizes. Select the size container that best fits your needs.

• Smaller containers—½ pint, pint, and quarts—are often purchased by first-time maple buyers, as gifts, or for the single person who enjoys an occasional maple

• GLASS maintains the flavor of the maple syrup indefinitely. It may darken slightly, especially if the syrup is not kept in the dark. Glass also allows you to inspect the syrup for cloudiness or sugar crystals. Glass containers are usually reserved for packaging small amounts—½ pints, pints, and quarts. It is a costly way to package and is often seen in gift packs.

• TIN maintains syrup quality for 11 to 12 months. Tin cans rust, so care must be taken as to where the container is stored. A tin flavor can be picked up if stored for long periods.

• PLASTIC is a popular packaging material. It is lightweight and easy to use. Syrup stored in plastic will usually maintain quality for three to six months. Plastic breathes, so a color and flavor change can be the result in long-term storage in plastic containers. However, new plastic containers have been developed to extend shelf life. The disadvantage to these, so far, is that the cost is more than the regular plastic jugs.

Larger containers—½ gallon and gallon—are for larger gifts or for the family sold on the pure maple flavor and high quality of the product. People who purchase maple syrup in larger containers often have a favorite “producer” or roadside market from whom they

The important thing to remember when selecting the container is to purchase the size that can be conveniently used within a year. Quality problems can develop after that time, especially if the syrup is not stored under suitable conditions. Plus, it is fun to purchase new syrup each year, visit with your favorite producer, and discuss the year’s “crop”!

The maple syrup you purchase may be voluntarily graded. Most producers or retailers will use the U.S. Department of Agriculture grades for table syrup. They are Grade A Light Amber, Grade A Medium Amber, and Grade A Dark Amber. Color is the principal grade-determining factor for syrup that meets the other requirements of density, lack of “off flavor” or cloudiness. When these factors are met, there is no difference in “quality” between grades of table syrup. There are definite flavor differences for each grade, but try all three grades to see which one you like best. All are good and are enjoyed by consumers based on personal preference.

• GRADE A LIGHT AMBER is a light golden syrup, with a delicate flavor and smooth texture. The USDA describes it as having a “smoky” taste.

• GRADE A MEDIUM AMBER has the characteristic “maple” flavor. Consumers describe it as “a medium-bodied golden syrup with a lingering maple flavor.”

• GRADE A DARK AMBER is a robust maple syrup. As the name implies, it is the darkest of the grades.

Storage

The three main enemies of maple syrup are air, time, and temperature. Therefore, the following storage practices are recommended:

• Immediately store your maple syrup after purchase in the refrigerator even if the container has not been opened. If this is not possible, consider freezing the syrup.*

• Maple syrup packaged in tin or glass can be stored for up to one year in the refrigerator

Maple from page 18

in its original container. However, some people who buy in large quantities often repackage and freeze the syrup and take it out of the freezer when needed.*

• Because plastic “breathes,” repackage syrup originally packed in plastic if you plan to store it for more than three months.*

• If excess water is present or if containers are not clean when filled, bacteria, yeast, or mold may grow during storage. Do not simply remove the mold and reheat the product. Some microorganisms produce toxins as they grow, and these toxins could make you sick. The product should be discarded.

Nutrition

One tablespoon of maple syrup has about 50 calories. Maple syrup is 67% sugar and 33% water. The sugar in maple syrup is sucrose with small amounts of glucose and fructose sugar. White sugar is sucrose. There is no direct scientific evidence that maple syrup is healthier than white sugar. Diabetics need to treat maple syrup and sugar as they do other sugar products.

Serving Ideas

• Use Grade A Light and Medium Amber syrups for pancakes, waffles, french toast, or on ice cream.

• Use Grade A Dark Amber syrup in cooking and baking. Its more robust flavor will come through in recipes. Some people also like this grade for pancakes, waffles, etc.

• Fill the centers of pared and cored Ohio apples with maple syrup and bake.

• Maple syrup is a delicious sweetener in baked beans, rice pudding, squash, or carrots.

• Make “maple snow.” Cook maple syrup to the hard ball stage (238 degrees F, using candy thermometer) and pour over finely crushed ice.

• Maple syrup can be substituted for granular sugar in almost any baked product with the following modifications to the recipe:

- Use 1½ cups of syrup for each 1 cup of granulated sugar.

- Decrease the liquid in a recipe by one-half.

- Add ¼ teaspoon baking soda for each cup of maple syrup used in substitution.

- Decrease oven temperature by 25 degrees F.

*The best way to repackage maple syrup to maintain its quality is to pour the syrup into clean ½ pint, pint, or quart glass freezer jars to one inch from the top and freeze. Heating and “re-canning” the syrup can cause it to darken and change flavor.

For more information on maple syrup, contact your local OSU Extension office.

This information is partially based on research conducted by Barbara Drake (former FCS Educator) and Randy James (former Agriculture and Natural Resources Educator).

Original author: Barbara H. Drake, Educator, Family and Consumer Sciences, Ohio State University Extension

Updated by: Julie Kennel Shertzer, Program Specialist, Human Nutrition, The Ohio State University

Geauga County Maple Leaf