True Vermont maple syrup is more than a sweet treat-- it's an experience. And the best time to celebrate the wonders of maple syrup is in early spring, the only time when the real thing can be made. To learn more about how maple syrup is produced and enjoyed, plan on attending one of the Green Mountain State's annual maple events.
The maple sugaring season is usually from late February to early April. As with fall foliage, it is impossible to predict exactly when the maple sugaring season will start or peak. Maple production usually begins in the southern part of the state, where it is warmer, and ends in the north. To see maple produced firsthand, visit a Vermont sugarhouse during Vermont Maple Open House Weekend, which is held all over Vermont the first weekend of spring. Right before your eyes, maple farmers will harvest the maple sap and boil it down to make sweet maple syrup! Call the sugarhouse you are planning to visit before you go, since weather and local events can have an impact on small sugarhouses.
For people who just can't get enough maple syrup, there's the Vermont Maple Festival. St. Albans hosts this maple extravaganza every year at the end of April. There's something here for everyone: a pancake breakfast, a gourmet food sale, a craft exhibit, an antique show, musical performances, and various concessions and carnival rides. Kids and adults alike will love the big parade, which features the Maple King and Queen! Awards are given to the best maple products in many categories. More than 50,000 people go to the Maple Festival every year, making it the biggest annual event in the area.
Festival visitors will love watching prominent Vermont chefs demonstrate how to cook with maple syrup. Yes, it's true-- maple syrup isn't just for breakfast foods. It's also a versatile, all-natural sweetener. Maple syrup or maple sugar can be found in recipes for all kinds of things, including ice cream, apple pie, muffins, fudge, frosting, salad dressing, squash, baked beans, barbecue sauce, and chili. So don't just bring back maple syrup for your friends and family-- add a maple cookbook, or even a maple masterpiece for your own kitchen!
Click for more information on Vermont maple events
~Jenn for vtliving.com
| Vermont Sugarhouses by Region |
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Click Vermont map on region of interest.
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Champlain Valley Vermont Maple Producers
Burlington, Middlebury, St. Albans, the Islands of NW Vermont |
North Central Vermont Maple Producers
Montpelier, Barre, Randolph, Waterbury, Stowe, Mad River Valley |
Northeast Kingdom Vermont Maple Producers
St. Johnsbury, Newport, Barton, Lyndonville, Burke, Jay, Island Pond |
South Central Vermont Maple Producers
Rutland, White River Jct., Woodstock, Quechee, Brandon, Killington |
Southern Vermont Maple Producers
Bennington, Brattleboro, Manchester, Arlington, Newfane |
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