Working so closely with farmers and producers means we have a pulse on how climate change is affecting our forests and farmland. Maple water and maple syrup production are feeling the affects of climate change.
Flow of maple sap is controlled by alternating freezing and thawing cycles in the late winter. Unexpected, early thaws are one of the ways that we can weather patterns are impacting maple syrup production.
Maple Syrup Production & The Effect of Climate Change
Research has shown that the number of sap flow days may not change as a result of climate change, but the timing of peak production will shift earlier. Therefore, it's essential for maple syrup producers to adapt to an earlier tapping season to sustain their livelihoods.
This is why buying local is so important! The more robust our local food economy is, the better farmers and producers can adapt.
Speaking of the impact of climate change on maple syrup production, this year marks the earliest that Ennis Maple has tapped trees in thirty years! The early thaw took them by surprise, and they had to tap quickly before the weather turned cold again.
It typically takes about five days to get everything ready for tapping maple trees. With unexpected thaws, the pressure is on to make sure that you don't miss the short window of opportunity.
Owner of Ennis Maple Products, Martin Ennis, is a 5th generation maple syrup producer on the Ennis Family farm. He heads the maple syrup production operation. In fact, they're still able to tap some of the same trees that Martin’s great-grandfather was tapping during WWII!
Pictured below is his daughter Jessica, collecting and bottling the sap, an important part of the maple syrup production process.
Tapping for sap and boiling it into syrup and sugar is an intense process. It really requires all hands on deck and you need to move quickly!
From what I understand of tapping and boiling sap, timing is everything. Nothing can be left unattended even for a short time! That's how fast paced the flurry of activity is in maple syrup production!
Maple Syrup Production With Sustainability in Mind
Ennis Maple not only produces some of the best Canadian maple syrup, but they're also prioritizing sustainability in their maple syrup production methods.
Maple trees are able to heal over openings from tapping if they are done correctly. Over time, they form a clear glue/sap-like substance over the holes made from the taps. Ennis Maple makes sure to carefully tap their trees to ensure the maples can heal.
To ensure the longevity of their trees, they rotate the trees they tap every few years to relieve the older maples.
With climate change impacting maple syrup production, it is in the best interest of producers to reduce their carbon footprint.
The Ennis family also use specific production methods to ensure they have a low-carbon impact. They actually bought the first high-efficiency wood evaporator in Ontario for a mid-sized maple farm, pictured above!
This way they can use wood fuel from dead trees on their farm instead of using oil. They also have a reverse osmosis machine that removes up to 75% of the water from the sap before they boil it into syrup!
This handy machine means they only burn 25% of the wood they would use otherwise. This also means they can make up to 700L of syrup using only one cord of wood! They call this wood evaporator "The Beast" for good reason!
The grades of syrup they produce – Golden Delicate, Amber-Rich & Dark-Robust – contain the same sugar content at 66.5 brix.
Soon we’ll have a new batch of fresh Canadian maple syrup in from Ennis Maple for you to enjoy!
Sapsucker Maple Water
I remember well the first time the team at 100km Foods sampled Sapsucker organic maple tree filtered water. Paul stopped in at the warehouse office with a 1L carton and the taste was unforgettable!
We couldn't get over the fresh, smooth and delicate taste. It’s water, but it’s not just water. Our sales rep, Alicia, coined it as the “coconut water of Canada,” and that really rang true.
This 100% pure maple water has absolutely no additives or preservatives. It’s a mineral and antioxidant rich beverage that you can feel good about drinking. It's also the most sustainable packaged water on the market!
How to Enjoy Sapsucker?
Sapsucker makes a refreshing and unique drink on its own, but its uses extend far beyond that! Try it out in cocktails, desserts, and other dishes.
We all love learning about the creative ways chefs, bartenders, and mixologists are able to incorporate this quintessentially Canadian ingredient.
One example I heard of was brewing coffee with Sapsucker and then adding whiskey for a delicious drink (though perhaps save that one for the colder months!). It also makes a mean mojito!
The Lower Valley Beverage Company (whose flagship product is Sapsucker) was founded in 2014 by two families (the Chapmans and the McGlaughlins).
They were eager to return to a sustainably minded, rural way of life once they welcomed their families, and are now based in Flesherton, Ontario.
Like Ennis Maple, Sapsucker is keeping sustainability top of mind. In every facet of their operation, they strive to be as sustainable and low impact as they can be.
Unlike bottled water, Sapsucker is tapped from trees, not taken from fragile underground aquifers. Maple trees will continue to produce sap and water for up to a century once matured.
They work to get the newly tapped water into cartons within 36-48 hours to maintain freshness, and the packaging itself has a low carbon food print and made to be recyclable.
It’s also a remarkably shelf stable product lasting for 18 months before opening, and up to two weeks opened and refrigerated.
All three Sapsucker maple water flavours, lemon, lime and original, are available on 100km Foods.
