UVM Proctor Page

BACK TO HOME

Online syrup orders fail for quality

Peter Gregg | February 14, 2024

MORRISVILLE, Vt.—Onlne maple syrup orders continue to have quality issues, according to Vermont researchers.

“We saw twice as many flavor problems this year,” said UVM Extension maple specialist Mark Cannella, who along with UVM Extension maple specialist Mark Isselhardt, conducted an anonymous survey of online syrup purchases this summer, repeating a study they conducted in 2021.

Not much has changed.

The researches purchased online 91 samples each of Golden and Dark syrups from 30 different producers in nine different states, including Vermont, New York, New Hampshire, Michigan and Connecticut.

Samples were tested for clarity, color, density and flavor.

Three pints of each grade were bought in July and the testing was conducted in early August.

“The dark syrups had a much higher rate of off flavor” Cannella said, during a presentation sponsored by the Vermont Maple Sugar Makers Association on Dec. 6. [ MORE ]

Quick tips to achieve higher sap yield

Dr. Timothy Perkins, Director, UVM Proctor Maple Research Center | January 22, 2024

UNDERHILL Ctr., Vt.—Increasing the yield of sap from maple trees is the goal of most maple producers.

While getting there isn’t a matter of one simple thing, by following best management practices and paying attention to detail it is possible to increase sap yields, often quite dramatically.

Tubing System Design and Installation – To achieve good vacuum and sap transfer in tubing systems, producers should design and size their systems for peak flows.

Undersized mainline or systems installed without adequate slope or with sags will not perform well.

Optimal mainline installations have 2-4% slopes with lateral lines running uphill from mainline. Even small sags will impact air and gas flow negatively.

Lateral lines should follow the “strive for 5, no more than 10” taps per 5/16” lateral line recommendation. [ MORE ]

Spout deployment: Late fall, early winter, late winter?

By TIMOTHY D. PERKINS and WADE T. BOSLEY | December 20, 2023

UNDERHILL CENTER, Vt.—The influence of spout and dropline sanitation practices on sap yield has been widely studied over the past 15 yrs.

There are a wide variety of methods to achieving good sanitation in tubing systems.

The choice of which approach to utilize largely comes down to producer goals, economics, and personal choice.

In the United States, sanitation is largely achieved through the annual replacement of spouts (with regular or check- valve spouts).

This replacement approach is also employed by some producers in Canada, but is less common due to the wide- spread use of isopropyl alcohol, which is not permitted as a sanitizing agent in maple tubing systems in the U.S.

What is less well understood is the effect that other associated practices sometimes employed in the replacement strategy has on sap yield.

At the Proctor Center, Perkins, van den Berg and Bosley demonstrated that sap production is not significantly different when new spouts are deployed in the field in the late-fall preceding sugaring season, in January before the season, or during tapping time. [ MORE ]

Whatever happened to the 'sap cap' experiment?

Peter Gregg | December 5, 2023

UNDERHILL CTR., Vt.—Whatever happened to the sap cap experiment?

That is a common question asked about the program at the UVM Proctor Maple Research Center which studied the feasibility of collecting sap from saplings.

UVM researchers found that either a plantation of saplings or groups of young trees in a sugarbush needing to be thinned were appropriate to collect sap with this approach.

The problem? The method didn't catch on with equipment manufacturers. [ MORE ]

Sugarmakers are urged to focus on quality, especially for fair contests

Peter Gregg | July 11, 2023

BUCKLAND, Mass.—Sugarmakers are urged to focus on quality, and double check your syrup for fair contest entries.

“Quality sometimes takes a backseat to overall production,” said Mark Isselhardt, UVM Extension Maple Specialist and the guest speaker at the Massachusetts Maple Producers Association annual meeting.

Isselhardt, who is a frequent syrup tasting judge at various contests, made a point about the disqualification rates for entries.

He said at some recent judging contests there was a 62 percent rejection rate.

At the Chittenden County Fair in Vermont, 15 entries were rejected out of 24.

At the Vermont Maple Festival in St. Albans last year, Vt. 45 entries were rejected out of 91. [ MORE ]

Ewwww. Bent syrup

Peter Gregg | January 25, 2023

MORRISVILLE, Vt.—Ewww, bent syrup.

Producers are being advised to keep an eye on quality as a new maple season gets underway.

One of the things to watch out for are changes in the sap at the end of the season, or whenever warm temperatures strikes, which can cause nasty effects.

UVM Extension Maple Specialist Mark Isselhardt says the ropey syrup phenomena, sometimes so thick that you can bend it with your finger, is caused by a bacteria that produce exopolysaccharides (EPS). [ MORE ]

UVM offers a new contract template for sap sellers

Mark Cannella, University of Vermont Extension | October 5, 2022

MORRISVILLE, Vt.—What could be worse than a ten-page legal contract?

Perhaps an eighteen-page legal agreement is a “non-starter” and you would rather bear the risk if something goes wrong.

Educators at UVM were hesitant to publish a long version for the new Sap Non-Exclusive Supply Agreement knowing that the common practice is a handshake agreement.

The challenge we faced from legal professionals and maple producers we consulted with was that there so many different considerations that could not be ignored.

The result is a robust and inclusive educational document/legal agreement template that enables a sap supplier and sap buyer to negotiate and agree to important terms guiding the arrangement.

The Maple Sap Non Exclusive Supply Agreement and an Additional Clauses Supplement factsheet are available online in the Resource Library at www.maplemanager.org [ MORE ]

Syrup tasters sought for UVM experiment

Peter Gregg | July 6, 2022

UNDERHILL CENTER, Vt.—The UVM Proctor Maple Research Center is seeking participants July 19-20 for a maple syrup flavor experiment.

The experiment will involve tasting several samples of pure maple syrup and assessing their flavor.

To participate as a panelist, you must:

— Have experience tasting and evaluating the flavor of maple syrup (or have completed the IMSI Grading School or other syrup flavor training)
— Be at least 18 years old
— Be a healthy, nonsmoker [ MORE ]