How sweet! Minnesota maple syrup (and a new addition to the family, too!)

October 18, 2019

It’s fall! The air is crisp and colors are changing all around, here in Minnesota. Some of the most brilliant trees this time of year is the Maple. It also gives us one of nature’s sweetest gifts – maple syrup! Did you know this tasty treat is only made in certain parts of North America and nowhere else in the world? Minnesota is one of 19 states in the U.S. where maple syrup is made, and we have many licensed producers as well as numerous hobbyists.

Maple syrup is basically made by boiling down the sap of the maple trees. It’s a natural food, containing nothing artificial, no additives, no colorings, or preservatives. The main sugar in pure maple syrup is sucrose. Small amounts of fructose and glucose are found in the darker grades of syrup.

Here are a few more fun facts:

Minnesota is the most northerly latitude and most westerly state that produces maple syrup.
Maple syrup is made in the spring, when the temperatures gets below freezing at night and above freezing during the day.
It takes about 40 gallons of sap (what comes from the tree) to make one gallon of maple syrup. The total solids in maple syrup are sixty-six percent [66%]. One gallon of maple syrup weighs 11 pounds.
Nothing is added to the sap, only the water is evaporated away to make maple syrup.
Once a tree is large enough to tap, it can be used year after year. Each tap can yield 10-12 gallons of sap during a season (about one quart of finished syrup).
Minnesota’s early governor in the mid-1800’s was James J. Hill. He was one of the railroad barons that moved the railroads west as the country expanded. After his years in government he cooked maple syrup on the “North Shore”.

For more information, check out the Minnesota Maple Syrup Producers’ Association’s website here, or the Minnesota Grown map to find maple syrup near you!

And guess what else is sweet? A new little addition to our family!
George Nicholas Hoese was born on October 3, 2019. He’s 8 lb., 12 oz and 20 inches long.
We’re in love with him & thank God for our little blessing!