Ontario 2016 Maple Syrup Season ‘1 In 10’ Year

An Ontario Maple Syrup Producers spokesman says 2016 was a good year for the provincial crop.

Ray Bonenberg calls it a 1 in 10 year for the province’s producers.

“1 in 5 are sometimes below normal and 1 in 5 are highly above normal. I would say, again, this is a 1 in 10 year above-normal cycle with both volume, sugar content to the sap was high, and flavour.”

Bonenberg says the season got started early, as had been expected, and ran well into April.

While parts of the extreme southwest got too warm for good production, he says that didn’t hurt the crop’s flavour in that area.

“And you get a stronger, earthy flavour to the syrup because the trees literally are starting to wake up, if you wish. But that only happened in a few isolated areas. For the most part, the flavour remained with the rich maple bouquet to the syrup which lasted right into early April.”

Ontario maple syrup producers are starting to phase in their new labelling this year.