Wisconsin Gourmet Maple Syrup Producer Roth Sugar Bush Reports Above-Average Season

"This spring Wisconsin's maple trees have produced above-average quantities of syrup with above-average sweetness," reported Dawn Roth of Roth Sugar Bush. The Roth family in Cadott, Wisconsin has tapped maple trees since 1953 and produces some of the state's finest-quality maple syrups. When asked why this year's harvest was so outstanding, Dawn laughed that you could line up 10 different people who've been harvesting maple syrup for 70 years each and you'd get 10 different answers. "No one really knows why some years are better than others, but everybody's got a pet theory," she said.
The Roth family attributes this year's success to the heavy snowfall that fell in Wisconsin during November and December. Dawn believes that the several feet of snow which stayed on the ground through February protected the maple tree roots from January's below-zero temperatures. The ground frost didn't creep down as deeply this year as it has in the past. That meant the roots didn't take as long to thaw and were ready to produce sap as soon as day-time temperatures warmed. March's warm, day-time temperatures got the nutrient-rich sap running upwards fast from the roots to the tree buds. The freezing temperatures at night caused the sap to drop back down. This year's consistently-repeated, daily rise and fall of sap began early, -the Roths started tapping trees on March 1st, -and has lasted well into April, thus making the sap more abundant and the season longer.
The grade of syrup refers to the concentration of minerals within the sap. At the beginning of the season, the sap is more dilute and referred to as grade A light amber. The light amber is best for making candies and cremes. As the mineral concentration increases, the sap produces Grade A medium amber then dark amber syrups. The Roth family sells the grade A medium amber which is best for general baking and table use on pancakes and waffles. Now at the end of the season, the mineral concentration is highest and the resulting syrup is used as an industrial flavoring agent.
Dawn compared the 100% pure maple syrup produced by her family with mass-produced, cheaper maple syrups. The big, brand-named syrups will list pure maple syrup as an ingredient, however she's been told that these companies typically use one barrel of pure maple syrup to flavor a semi-truck full of corn syrup. The pure maple syrup produced by the Wisconsin families comprising the Wisconsin Maple Syrup Producers Association is truly 100% pure - NO additives, NO corn syrup, -nothing but maple sap boiled down into delicious maple syrup.
"As a result, an unopened, correctly-packaged bottle of pure maple syrup will never go bad," said Dawn. And that's why the Roth family can sell their pure maple syrup year round. "Once opened," Dawn added, "store the maple syrup in the refrigerator." Of course it's so good, that after a few hearty breakfasts, there may not be much left to store.