Maple magic: Places to try pure maple syrup, sugar, candy, coffee and more around Erie
Winter is losing its grip and we're heading into what maple producer Janet Woods of Hurry Hill Farm calls "mud season." The ground is starting to thaw, and wet precipitation will make a special kind of mud that might suck the boots right off your feet.
But put them on anyway to go see what these 18 regional magicians do with maple sap. Sugar houses are fired up, ready to boil sap down to every form of that pure sweetness: maple syrup, candy, sugar, cream and more. It's cause for celebration, and celebrate we can with a festival at Asbury Woods and a five-county tour of 17 producers dotting the rural landscape.
1. Asbury Woods Maple Festival
March 4 and 5, 10 a.m.-4 p.m.
Asbury Woods, 4105 Asbury Road
$6, free for children age 3 and younger; registration required
814-835-5356, www.asburywoods.org/events/maple-festival
Asbury Woods shares the tradition of tapping maple trees, then collecting and boiling sap into pure maple syrup. The festival includes an interactive and informative tour and demonstrations, with a stop in Asbury Woods working sugar shack where the magic of sap to syrup happens. The event also features samples from local vendors showcasing all kinds of maple products and a gift shop with hand-crafted pieces by local artists.
Maple Taste & Tour Weekend
The Northwest Pennsylvania Maple Syrup Producers Association has compiled a list of sugarhouses participating in the event on March 11 and 12 in Erie, Crawford, Mercer and Venango counties and in Chautauqua County, New York. The taste and tour runs 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. both days but check with individual locations to confirm hours.
Maple products will be available for purchase at participating sites; some might offer free samples.
For more about the event and the participants, visit pamaple.org/taste-tours.
Crawford County
2. Howles Maple Farm
27828 Patterson Road, Guys Mills
814-724-5296, www.howlesmaplefarm.com
In addition to maple syrup, the farm will have maple chili, milkshakes, lemonades, coffee, sundaes and beer available.
Natural sweetener:Maple season flavors beer
3. Riverside Brewing Co.
1 Fountain St., Cambridge Springs
814-720-9309, riversidebrewing.co
The sister company of Howles Maple Farm will offer a true maple brunch both days from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
4. Boyan Farms
26308 Crossingville Road, Edinboro
814-734-5078, boylanfarmsmaple@gmail.com
This site will feature tours, free samples, a kids activity, a free drawing for a gift basket and more.
Erie County
5. Almost Home Sugar Shack
10721 Eureka Road, Edinboro
814-460-5107, 814-923-1434, almosthomefamilyfarm@gmail.com
During the tour, this shack will have cream, candy and peanuts to purchase as well pure maple syrup.
6. Hurry Hill Farm and Museum
11424 Fry Road, Edinboro
814-572-1358, hurryhillfarm.org
The farm offers wagon rides and an interpretive walking trail while the museum has exhibits, kids' activities and information about "Miracles on Maple Hill," a book about making syrup in northwestern Pennsylvania. Items for sale include chocolate-covered maple bacon and maple cocktails.
On the map:Here's where you can find Pennsylvania historical markers throughout Erie County
7. Maple Lane Maple Products
9437 Phillips Road, Union City
814-739-9422, 814-881-2345, sibergirl@verizon.net
Maple syrup, coated nuts, candy, cream, mustard and crumb will be available to sample for free and also to purchase.
8. Shumake’s Sugar Shack
11401 Hilltop Road, Albion
814-602-9533, www.facebook.com/shumakesugarshack
The family collects sap from 400 taps and boils it on their grandfather's restored 3-feet-by-8-feet, wood-fired evaporator. Rum-barrel aged maple syrup will be for sale along with infused syrups, maple lattes and more.
9. Squirrel Creek Maple Products
9404 West Lake Road, Lake City
814-602-1689, farmallguy123@gmail.com
See a one-of-a-kind steam evaporator, collecting from approximately 500 taps. This site also will feature antique farm tractors and machinery on display. Taste the maple syrup, cream and buckwheat pancake mix, all available for sale.
10. Yatzor’s Maple Products
5860 Koman Road, Edinboro
814-450-4056, yatzormaple@gmail.comThis site uses 7,000 taps with both buckets and tubing. Taste the syrup along with free pancakes, sausage, and juice or coffee. Candy and syrup will be for sale.
11. Casbohm Maple and Honey
9750 Sherman Road, Albion
814-756-4781, www.mapleandhoney.com
Maple confections including maple cotton candy and drinks will be provided. Maple products available for sale will include new maple peanut butter and the farm's own honey.
12. Triple Creek Maple Products
9225 Fillinger Road, Cranesville
814-756-4500, www.triplecreekmaple.com
See a 2,100-tap operation using a tubing/vacuum system, reverse osmosis and a wood pellet-fired evaporator. Free samples of maple products and maple baked goods will be available. Free horse-drawn wagon rides on March 11.
Know before you buy:How to store pure maple syrup
13. Fort LeBoeuf Maple
2789 Dublin Road, Waterford
814-796-3699, phillipswf@aol.com
This site features a new Taste & Tour showroom adjacent to the sugarhouse. Inside the sugarhouse, visitors can see the evaporator; in the showroom they can see the finishing and bottling of the syrup. Samples of pure maple syrup and other maple products will be available.
14. Wildcat Maple
200 Harthan Way, Albion
814-490-7180, www.facebook.com/TheAlbionFFA
Observe the maple operation, maple products and student agriculture projects. Also, concessions and student projects will be for sale.
Chautauqua County, New York
15. Senita Maple
10750 Stateline Road, Clymer, New York
814-392-5200, 814-882-1531, senitamaple2015@gmail.com
This site will have a variety of items for sale including syrup, granulated sugar, peanut butter, fudge, all-natural raspberry maple syrup, as well as gluten-free items, hot beverages and chances to win a gift basket.
Mercer County
16. Uncle Bob’s Maple Products
668 Kinsman Road, Jamestown
724-932-5586, 724-699-2569, lllizka@yahoo.com
This site has a 3400-tap operation with a 3-foot-by-12-foot oil-fired D+G Champion evaporator. Pancake and sausage breakfast and maple products will be available for sale.
17. Coryea’s Maple Products
4304 Ivanhoe Road, Sharpsville
724-813-0394, coryeamapleproducts@gmail.com
This site features renovations, a children’s maple activity, sample of products, a chance at a maple giveaway and homemade maple apple dumpling, maple popcorn, maple lemonade and other refreshments
Venango County
18. Triple J Farms
315 Voorhees Road, Titusville
814-827-0198, www.triplejfarms.biz
Taste and purchase syrup, bourbon-barrel-aged syrup, coffee bean maple syrup, maple spices, peanut brittle and more at this site.
This article originally appeared on Erie Times-News: 18 places to try pure maple syrup and more at festival, taste and tour
