1. It is not a coincidence that Canada has a maple leaf on the nation’s flag. Canadians produce 85% of the world’s maple syrup.
2. The highest quality maple syrup is found in Lanark County, also known as the “Maple Syrup Capital of Ontario”. Lanark County is located in Eastern Ontario, Canada between the cities of Kingston and Ottawa. The historic town of Perth is the county seat, and hosts an annual maple festival each year featuring award-winning maple vendors.
3. Maple syrup is naturally ‘Organic’, because it is produced from natural trees in a wild environment.
4. Maple syrup has tremendous health benefits. This natural sweetener contains over 54 antioxidants that may help delay or prevent diseases caused by free radicals such as cancer or diabetes. Pure maple syrup has the same beneficial antioxidants found in berries, tomatoes, green tea, red wine and flax seeds.
5. A tablespoon of maple syrup has only 40 calories, versus honey with 64 or corn syrup with 60. Maple syrup contains more calcium than milk and more potassium than bananas.
6. Long before the Europeans arrived in North America, natives were collecting sap from maple trees, heating it in hollow logs until it was syrupy, and called it ‘sweet water’.
7. The sap which runs from the ‘tapped’ maple tree is 97 percent water, and forty gallons are evaporated to make one gallon of syrup.
8. A maple tree is normally 30 years old and 10 inches in diameter before it is tapped. As the tree increases in diameter a maximum of four taps can be put into the tree. The tree is not damaged from the tapping process.
9. Maple syrup is graded according to colour and flavour. Lighter syrup is produced earlier in the season when it is colder. As the weather warms up the syrup becomes darker, with a more robust flavour.
10. Warm spring days with temperatures above freezing, and cold nights below freezing is ideal weather for maple syrup production. The season varies, but normally lasts four to eight weeks depending on the weather.
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Discover some of the finest maple syrup in the world at the yearly maple festival held in Perth, Ontario – in the heart of Lanark County.
Be sure to visit the Annual Festival of the Maples in Perth!
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For details on the nutritional benefits of pure maple syrup: Powerful Antioxidants in Maple Syrup
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Easy, mouth-watering recipes for Maple Butter and Maple Fudge at the conclusion of this article.
Contact information listing vendors known for their premium quality maple syrup; many are award winners:
Fulton’s Pancake House and Sugar Bush
Address: 291 6th Conc Rd., Pakenham, On
Phone: 613-256-3867 Email: info@fultons.ca Website: http://www.fultons.ca
McFarlane’s Maple Syrup
Grant & Gail McFarlane
1550 Prestonvale Rd
Lanark, ON K0G 1K0
Phone – 613-259-5410
Email – grantandgail@storm.ca
Fortune Farms
Jamie Fortune
2442 Wolf Grove Rd., Almonte, ON
(613) 256-5216
info@fortunefarms.ca
Paul’s Maple Products
Nathan Paul
267 Sugar Bush Way,
Lanark, ON K0G 1K0
Phone – 613-259-5276
Email – info.paulsmapleproducts@gmail.com
Coutts Country Flavours
Address: 1230 Port Elmsley Rd. RR5 Perth, Ontario K7H 3C7
Phone: 613-267-0277
Website: https://couttsmaple.com
Jameswood Maple
3231 Wolf Grove Road
Dwight James
249 Purdy Rd,
Lanark, ON K0G 1K0
Phone – 613-256-4466
Email – jameswood@storm.ca
website: https://jameswoodmaple.ca/
Temple’s Sugar Camp
Address: 1700 Ferguson’s Falls Rd. Lanark, On
Phone: 613-253-7000 Email: info@templessugarbush.ca
Website: http://www.templessugarbush.ca/
Dorian Heights Maple Products
3631 Watsons Corners Rd,
RR 1 McDonalds Corners, ON K0G 1M0
Phone – 613-278-2177
Springdale Farm
Stephen Dodds
Home – 1790 Galbraith Rd, RR 2
Clayton, ON K0A 1P0
Sugar Shack – 1699 Galbraith Rd.
Clayton, ON K0A 1P0
Phone – 613-256-4045
Email – info@springdalemaple.ca
Web site – http://www.springdalemaple.ca
Thompsontown Maple
info@thompsontownmaple.ca
613-256-1826
780 Black Rock Lane,
Clayton, Ontario KOA 1P0
Fairbairn Farm
1827 Wolf Grove Rd,
Almonte, ON K0A 1A0
Phone – 613-256-5047
Web site – http://www.fairbairnmaple.com
Wheeler’s Pancake House & Sugar Camp
Address: 1001 Highland Line Lanark Highlands (McDonalds Corners), On
Phone: 613-278-2090 Email:webinfo@wheelersmaple.com Website: http://www.wheelersmaple.com
(Wheelers Pancake House and Maple Sugar Camp, has also gained worldwide recognition for achieving the Guinness World Record for “largest collection of maple syrup production artefacts.” In 2000, the collection opened to the public at Wheelers Maple Heritage Museum, and on Jan. 17 the collection of 5,228 items earned the Guinness World Record. The artefacts include 1,325 maple sap spouts, 507 maple sugar molds, 694 maple syrup serving jugs, 100 Native sugaring artefacts, 37 syrup dippers and 263 sap buckets.”
Ennis Maple Products Ltd
848 Ennis Rd,
Balderson, ON K0G 1A0
Phone – 613-267-3491
Email – ennismaple@gmail.com
Web site – http://www.ennismaple.com
VanAlstine Maple Products
Mark and Kathy VanAlstine
472 Maberly Elphin Rd, Maberly, ON K0H 2B0
613-812-0334
kathyvanalstine@hotmail.com
Ryan & Glenn Stead
5692 Hwy 511,
Lanark, ON K0G 1K0
Phone – 613-259-2704
Email – steadmaplesyrup@gmail.com
2013 Ontario Maple Syrup Producers Association Winner,
President’s Awards to Bryan Exley, Don Dodds and the Chant Family
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Jeremy Adams – Maple Products and Firewood Sales, McDonald’s Corners 613-278-0082
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Oliver’s Mapleworks
Located at 158 Lakewood Lane, Perth, Ontario K7H 3C7. http://www.oliversmapleworks.com
Email: tree.mapleworks@gmail.com
Phone: 613-264-8612.
Grand Champion Winner 2016 at Perth Festival of the Maples
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Tressa and David Oliver 2016 Winners – Sugar Maker of the Year
photo: courtesy of the Lanark & District Maple Syrup Producers Association
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2017 Award Winners
photo: courtesy of the Lanark & District Maple Syrup Producers Association
Lanark & District Maple Syrup Producers Association
2017 Sugar Maker of the Year Award:
George and Linda Horton
(presented by Dwight James and Ray Fortune)
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Lanark & District Maple Syrup Producers Association
2018 Sugar Maker of the Year Award:
Dwight James
(presented by Harold Walker, LDMSPA President)
photo: courtesy of the Lanark & District Maple Syrup Producers Association
Previous recipients of the Award:
2018 – Dwight James
2017 – George and Linda Horton
2016 – Tressa and David Oliver
2015 – Wheeler Family
2014 – Charlie Temple
2013 – David & Paul Chant
2012 – Ray Thompson
2011 – Bill Gibbons
2010 – Don and Marion Dodds
2009 – Ray Fortune
2008 – George Ennis
2007 – Marion Paul
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Two of our family’s favourite Maple Recipes:
Maple Butter
Ingredients:
• 1/2 cup softened butter
• 1/4 cup maple syrup
Preparation Time 5 minutes:
Mix butter and maple syrup with electric mixer until blended. Serve on toast, cracker or warm muffins. This is so tasty, and could not be easier to make. Use this creamy maple butter spread on bread, pancakes, muffins, toast, and biscuits.
Yield: about 3/4 cup
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Maple Cream Fudge
1 cup white sugar
1 cup brown sugar
1 cup cream (I use Heavy cream/whipping cream)
1/3 cup of butter
1/4 cup of maple syrup
pinch of salt
vanilla
Add the two sugars, butter and cream, maple syrup, and salt into a sauce pan. Place over medium heat. Stir while bringing to a boil. Lower the heat and continue to stir slowly while the mixture cooks. After about 7 minutes, test by pouring a small amount into some cold water. You want it to form a soft ball. You might need to cook it for another minute or two. Remove from the heat, add a couple of teaspoons of vanilla and start stirring. It takes about 14 or 15 minutes for the fudge to cool and thicken. Pour into buttered dish. TIP: If you let the fudge sit for 10 minutes after removing from the heat and allow it to cool slightly this will reduce the stirring time. Option: Replace the cream and cup of white sugar with one can of Sweetened Condensed Milk and increase the maple syrup to 1 cup
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Whether you prefer maple fudge, maple taffy, or maple syrup ‘straight-up’, take some advice from this Lanark County ‘kid’, and enjoy the unforgettable tastes of our spring harvest – all year ’round!
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photo credit: maple bush – Jane Southren
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To discover more about the history and local maple producers in Lanark County, “Lanark County Chronicle” features a chapter ‘Taffy on the Tay’, recalling the ‘good old days’ of maple syrup production.
Arlene Stafford-Wilson
Member, Association of Professional Genealogists
Honorary Life Member, Lanark County Genealogical Society
Author of : “Lanark County Christmas”, “Lanark County Comfort”, “Lanark County Collection”, “Lanark County Calling”, “Lanark County Classics”, “Lanark County Connections”, “Lanark County Calendar”, “Lanark County Chronicle”, “Lanark County Kid”, & “Recipes & Recollections”
available at local stores or email: lanarkcountybooks@gmail.com
Arlene Stafford-Wilson
arlene stafford wilson 
I believe you forgot to ad Sugar Maple Farms run by the Chant Family! Also an award winning syrup.
🙂
Thank-you for pointing that out Greg! I have added Sugar Maple Farms to the list and also mentioned that they were among the winners of the President’s Award from the Ontario Maple Syrup Producer’s Association.
I have 2 comments. You seem to have also missed Jeremy Adam And Family Maple Products. He is also a large producer. My second comment is on your recipe for maple butter. Real original multi generation maple butter is made with only one ingredient and that of course is maple syrup. Maple fudge, maple candy, maple taffy and maple sugar are originallly all made with this one ingredient as well. The recipe is in the temperature the maple syrup is heated to and the mixing process. It is all in the preparation, not added ingredients.
Hello Joan – I would be happy to post some information about Jeremy Adam and Family. Could you please send me an outline with a bit of history of their maple production. Yes, maple butter is a delicious treat this time of year and every family seems to have their own unique recipes – all equally delicious. Thanks for stopping by.
Don’t forget Oliver’s Mapleworks! Located at 158 Lakewood Lane, Perth, Ontario K7H 3C7. Website: http://www.oliversmapleworks.Com
Email: tree.mapleworks@gmail.com
Phone: 613-264-8612.
Grand Champion Winner 2016 at Perth Festival of the Maples for our products.
Hello Peri-Ann – Yes, indeed and thank-you for sending the links to Oliver’s Mapleworks. I will add those to the list of maple producers. Congratulations on your family’s achievements in winning the title of Grand Champion at the 2016 Perth Festival of the Maples!
I don’t see any mention of Leggetts maple syrup business 6378 Crosby Road, Elgin , Ont. we love their maple products & buy from them every year
Thank-you Mary. I’ve added them to the list.