
When you enter the tenth largest city in Vermont, St. Albans, you’ll notice a sign that reads “maple syrup capital of the world.”
St. Albans is famous for its maple syrup production and annual maple festival that takes place every March. Vermont produces about 40% of the maple syrup in America, about 2 million tons.
Canada does produce more maple syrup than anyone in the world. However, St. Albans neighbors the Canadian border, adjacent to Quebec, the producer of about 90% of the world’s maple syrup, not too far from this Vermont city which thrives during sugaring season.
What is maple sugaring?
The process of transforming the runny maple sap found in maple trees into an edible golden liquid syrup is known as “maple sugaring.”
In order for sap to run from the trees, temperatures need to reach below freezing at night and be much warmer during the day. This is essentially springtime here in New England, where nighttime temperatures might be 25-30 degrees and daytime temps could be in the 50s or 60s.
The greater the differentiation between the night and day temperatures, the better the sap output. Sap is collected in buckets attached to the drilled-in tree spouts. This sap is then boiled and becomes the Vermont maple syrup we all know and love!
Must try: maple creemee
There are a million ways to utilize maple syrup, and the three-day Vermont Maple Festival from Friday, April 26 through Sunday, April 28 introduces you to dozens of them. Vermonters love maple syrup on pancakes, in pie, turned into lollipops, or whipped into a delicious soft serve known as a maple creemee.
With over 700 dairy farms in Vermont, this beloved concoction is whipped up with fresh New England milk, local maple syrup, condensed milk, and sometimes sugar. The mixture is aerated and whipped into a fluffy soft serve that can be found at one of the over 400 male creemee stands across Vermont!
Make sure to visit St. Albans for everything maple this sugaring season or visit a local Massachusetts farm, where the sugaring season lasts until the end of March.