No one wants ‘buddy’ syrup, something that happens to the sap if it’s drawn too late in the season. Bob Gray, volunteer Research Chair for the Ontario Maple Syrup Producers Association, says maple sap runs in the Spring, the idea is to get out there to tap your trees, collect your sap and boil it down to make your syrup. But he says the question is, when does the season stop?
Researchers are trying to isolate the chemical compound that impacts the quality of the sap in an attempt to create a test to help local producers determine when to pull their taps. When sap has a ‘buddy’ flavour, it depletes its commercial value, Gray says many producers stop drawing sap too early for fear of a ‘buddy’ taste.
