Maple Syrup Fun
These three maple syrup experiences celebrate this sweet Canadian treat. Often seen as a harbinger of spring, the maple syrup season usually starts in late February. Ideal temperatures of +5° Celsius (41° Fahrenheit) during the day and -5° Celsius (23° Fahrenheit) during the night start the sap running through the trees. It takes 40 litres of sap to reduce down (by boiling) to one litre of maple syrup. It’s definitely worth the wait!
Family-run businesses such as Fulton’s Pancake House and Sugar Bush have branched out beyond simple maple breakfasts and horse-drawn sleigh rides through the woods. Check out their new maple-themed spa products (from scrubs to lotions—even a men’s line) and gourmet maple products that include traditional sweet candies but also include mustards, salsas, spices and rubs. This year’s season runs February 18 – April 22, 2012.
Stanley’s Olde Maple Lane Farm also offers a fun maple experience on the eastern edge of the city, weekends between February 25 – April 8, 2012.
And North America’s only urban sugarbush is wedged into 14 acres of land in Ottawa’s Vanier neighbourhood, just 10 minutes from Parliament Hill. Their annual Maple Sugar Fest runs March 25 – April 1, 2012.
