Sugarhouses across the state celebrate Maple Weekend

ABOVE: Sunnyside Maple owner Mike Moore checks for the buildup of foam at the evaporator on March 6. With the cold nights and warm days, plus with a blanket of snow, the sap is running at Sunnyside Maple in Loudon ahead of Maple Weekend coming up on March 18 and 19. TOP: Steam escapes the roof of the sugarhouse. GEOFF FORESTER photos / Monitor staff
With the cold nights and warm daysâplus with a blanket of snowâthe sap is running at Sunnyside Maple in Loudon ahead of Maple Weekend coming up on March 18th and 19th throughout the state. GEOFF FORESTER—Monitor staff
Sunnyside Maple owner Mike Moore checks the density of the sap at the evaporator on Monday, March 6, 2023. With the cold nights and warm daysâplus with a blanket of snowâthe sap is running at Sunnyside Maple in Loudon ahead of Maple Weekend coming up on March 18th and 19th throughout the state. GEOFF FORESTER—Monitor staff
With the cold nights and warm days, plus with a blanket of snow, the sap is running at Sunnyside Maple in Loudon and collected in the traditional metal buckets.
Sunnyside Maple owner Mike Moore checks the density of the sap at the evaporator on Monday, March 6, 2023. With the cold nights and warm daysâplus with a blanket of snowâthe sap is running at Sunnyside Maple in Loudon ahead of Maple Weekend coming up on March 18th and 19th throughout the state. GEOFF FORESTER—Monitor staff
Sunnyside Maple owner Mike Moore checks the density of the sap at the evaporator on Monday, March 6, 2023. With the cold nights and warm daysâplus with a blanket of snowâthe sap is running at Sunnyside Maple in Loudon ahead of Maple Weekend coming up on March 18th and 19th throughout the state. GEOFF FORESTER—Monitor staff

Monitor staff

Published: 3/16/2023 2:12:11 PM

This week’s snowstorm is proving a blessing to maple syrup producers, who hope it will extend what already looks like a good season.

“Snow helps keep the temperature cooler,” said Michael Moore, owner of Sunnyside Maples in Loudon. “The sun in March is getting pretty high in the sky. Without the snow on the ground it warms up too fast … The sap gets really dark, the buds start coming out, but we don’t want that too quickly.”

The recent Nor’easter comes on top of a warm January and February, which saw sap begin running much earlier than is traditional.

“It was a February bonus, getting that much sap that earlier in the year,” s aid Moore. “I’ve only had one year that I’ve made more syrup at this date.”

New Hampshire Maple Weekend is this weekend, March 18-19. Many syrup producers are open for tours.

For information, check with the New Hampshire Maple Producers Association at nhmapleproducers.com/directory/categories/2023-maple-weekend.

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