The Sweetest Time of Year: Maine Maple Sunday

Maine is known for many things:

lobster, blueberries, and beautiful scenery, to name a few. But did you know that Maine is also a top producer of maple syrup? That’s right, the state’s sugar maples produce some of the finest syrup in the world, and Maine Maple Sunday is the perfect time to learn more about this sweet treat.

Every year, the fourth Sunday in March marks Maine Maple Sunday, a statewide celebration of Maine’s maple syrup producers. This year, on March 26th, sugarhouses across the state will open their doors to visitors, offering samples of fresh maple syrup, demonstrations of syrup production, and other fun activities.

Many of Maine’s sugarhouses are family-owned and operated, with generations of experience in producing maple syrup. These producers take great pride in their craft and work tirelessly throughout the winter months to tap their trees, collect the sap, and boil it down to make pure, delicious maple syrup.

Maine’s maple syrup industry is a vital part of the state’s economy, generating millions of dollars in revenue each year. According to the Maine Maple Producers Association, the state produced 675,000 gallons of maple syrup in 2021, making it the third-largest maple-producing state in the country.

One of the most exciting things about Maine Maple Sunday is the opportunity to see firsthand how maple syrup is made. Many sugarhouses offer tours of their facilities, allowing visitors to watch as sap is collected from the trees, boiled down in evaporators, and transformed into sweet, delicious syrup. The process is fascinating to watch, and there’s nothing quite like the smell of fresh maple syrup filling the air.

At our homestead, we’re proud to be a part of Maine’s maple syrup tradition. This year, we turned a 55-gallon drum into a double stainless steel pan evaporator to speed up our process from the previous years. We've already boiled down a considerable amount of sap and have a couple more weeks of the season left to go. We have been taking tons of pictures and videos of the entire process of making and using it and plan to make our own video showing the whole thing. We’re excited to share the details of the project and show how we built our evaporator, so keep an eye out for that soon!

Maine Maple Sunday is an excellent opportunity to learn more about the state’s maple syrup industry and to taste some of the finest syrup in the world. Whether you’re a lifelong resident or a first-time visitor, we encourage you to visit one of Maine’s sugarhouses this year and see for yourself what makes this sweet treat so special.

For more information about Maine Maple Sunday, visit MaineMapleProducers.com.

Learn more about tapping maple syrup for yourself with this short book: Start to Finish Maple Syrup