How Sweet It Is! Maple Sugaring in New Jersey

Growing up in South Florida amidst the palm trees, there were certain things that never crossed my mind; basically anything having to do with snow. Snow angels, sledding, snowball fights, snow shoveling…you get the picture. But one job interview, a moving truck and about 148 boxes later, my family and I became official residents of New Jersey. We braved our first winter last year - which I hear wasn’t even that bad, as Northeast winters go!

I also never thought much about maple syrup. Sure, I knew it came from trees, maybe up somewhere in the mountains of Vermont. But lo and behold, New Jersey actually has a maple sugaring industry and this is the perfect time of year to bundle up the family and take in a demo at one of our state’s many nature preserves.

The Great Swamp Outdoor Education Center in Chatham is once again holding their awesome maple sugaring demos and end-of-the-season festival this March. Read on for our family’s first-hand account from last winter and some great places around our state to learn about the sweet stuff!

The center is part of the Morris County Park Commission and holds maple sugaring demos from January through mid-March. I wasn’t sure what to expect as we trekked up to a cozy-looking wooden building situated on the edge of the Great Swamp National Wildlife Refuge.

After paying a $3/person admission fee at Great Swamp, we went inside and had a chance to poke around a bit before “class” started. My daughter was absolutely delighted to watch both a turtle and bright-orange snake in their aquariums and she also loved the indoor sandbox where you could “stamp” different animal paw tracks. There was even a section filled with books on nature for every different age group. When Naturalist Kristen Pakonis began the demo, she was cheerful and knowledgeable, and made sure to shape the discussion so both the adults and children stayed interested. She talked all about the anatomy of trees, how they produce sap and how to identify a Red Maple tree that would give us our coveted maple syrup.

After the 20 minute crash course (including step by step instructions on the actual tree tapping process) we all bundled back up and headed outside to one of the nature trails. It took our group about 4 wrong guesses before we finally spotted a Red Maple. Kristen let a few of the dads (and one very excited 8 year old girl) take turns drilling into the tree, then helped them attach a spout and sap bucket.  Next was the really neat part – we went over to an outdoor structure which housed what looked almost like wood-burning fire place and watched as the sap was heated to evaporate most of the water, leaving us with that sweet substance we all know as syrup. The fun continued back inside the nature center where Kristen let everyone blind taste test 3 types of syrup – one of the more rich Grade A varieties that’s produced from Sugar Maples (found up in northern New England only), a super-sweet store bought variety (Aunt Jemima is my best guess) and finally, the semi-sweet syrup that comes from our very own Red Maples here in New Jersey.

Families were then welcome to stay and ask questions, look around at the animals and rotating exhibits inside the center, or – like my husband, daughter and I decided to do – head back outside and hike one of the beautiful trails to enjoy some winter wilderness.

Jenny Gaus-Myers, Superintendent of Environmental Education at Great Swamp, is excited for families to drop by and take part in their 2013 programs: “Our center is open year round and we believe every month of the year is a good time to be outdoors. Our maple sugaring festival at the end of the season is going to be a really good time for families.”

Maple sugaring demos will take place most Saturdays and Sundays at 2pm through February 24th. If you’ve got wee ones, be sure and check out ‘Toddler Trek: Maple Sugaring for Seedlings’ on February 25th at 9:30am – the program will be geared towards 2 & 3 year olds, with a sweet breakfast treat at the end. Great Swamp’s Maple Sugar Festival is on Saturday, March 2nd from 12pm – 4pm ($4/person). They’ll be guided “Sugaring thru History” walks, maple syrup snow cones (yum!), crafts and games. Please call the Great Swamp Outdoor Education Center for more information at (973) 635-6629 or visit their website.  

Here are a few other places in Jersey where you can enjoy maple sugaring season:

Environmental Education Center (Basking Ridge, NJ)

Maple Sugaring Demos are held every weekend through March 10th. Saturdays at 10am, 12 & 2pm and Sundays at 12 & 2pm. FREE. Please call (908) 766-2489 for more information.

Tenafly Nature Center (Tenafly)
 
Maple Sugaring Demos are held every Sunday through March 17th at 12:30 & 2pm. $5/Member $10/Non-members (Children under 2 are free). Pre-registration required. Please call (201) 568-6093 for more information

Howell Living History Farm (Titusville, NJ)

Tree Tapping Workshops will be held on February 23rd and March 2nd at the farm. Workshops last 45 minutes and are offered at 11am and 1 & 3pm. FREE. Please call (609) 737-3299 for more information.