What Makes Vermont Maple So Good! Fun Facts about Tapping for Maple Syrup.

Photo by Lauzon Photography

The making of Vermont's pure maple syrup in The Shires of Vermont is a tradition that has been handed down generation to generation. Each sugarhouse has its own unique way of producing pure maple syrup to give it that great taste that we all enjoy.

We feel that sugarhouses located here in The Shires produce that great flavor because they are located in the Taconic Mountain range. The flavor and sweetness produced comes from the Taconic ranges bedrock and soil giving us a world class product.

All sugarhouses in Bennington County take great pride in the attention to detail we take in making pure Vermont maple syrup. Most sugarhouses are open during sugaring season for visitors to see first hand the quality and the passion that is put into each gallon of maple syrup.

Come and visit the multitude of Vermont maple houses during the months of March and April for guided tours of this Vermont tradition.

There are four grades of pure VT maple syrup to suit everyone’s taste! Golden with Delicate taste – formerly known as “Fancy”, Amber with Rich taste – formerly known as Medium Amber (most popular for gifts), Dark with Robust taste – formerly known as grade B, and Very Dark with strong taste – formerly Grade C.

A thank you to Sugar Shack’s sugar maker Rick Hawley of Arlington, VT for the above information. Their pure VT maple syrup is made by the Hawley family,  who has over 90 years experience in producing the sweet stuff. They take pride in making only the best quality, award winning maple syrup, in 4 grades! 

Things You Might Not Know About Maple Syrup

1). In cold climate areas, maple trees store starch in their stems and roots before the winter; the starch is then converted to sugar and rises in the sap in the spring.

2). North American Indians were the first people known to have produced maple syrup and maple sugar. According to their oral traditions, they referred to maple sap as “sweet water.”

3). A unique ingredient, smooth and silky textured, with a sweet, distinctive flavour - hints of caramel with overtones of toffee will not do - and a rare colour, amber set alight. Maple flavour is, well, maple flavour, uniquely different from any other.” once explained by British culinary expert Delia Smith