UMaine Extension publications offer advice for maple syrup season
Maine Maple Sunday is not until March 25, but the sap is already flowing in some parts of the state according to Kathy Hopkins, a maple syrup expert with the University of Maine Cooperative Extension.
A typical season for maple producers is a cold January and February, with trees being tapped in mid-to-late February or early March depending on where in the state a sugar bush is located, according to Hopkins.
After tapping, the nighttime freezing and daytime thawing of the trees produces a sap flow that can be boiled down into maple syrup. Daytime temperatures from 40–45 degrees Fahrenheit and nighttime temperatures in the mid-20s produce the best syrup, she says.
Recent favorable weather conditions have already allowed some Maine maple producers to begin making syrup, according to Hopkins, who says the state has about 450 licensed producers of maple syrup and syrup products.
UMaine Extension offers several maple-related publications and videos through its publications catalog, including: