It’s Maple Syrup Time So Where is the Best in Michigan?

It's maple syrup time in Michigan. Maple syrup lovers are tapping sugar maple trees and collecting as much sap as they can to make pure maple syrup.

It takes a lot of sap to make a little maple syrup, however. The ratio is 40 to one, so it would take an average of 40 gallons of sugar maple sap to make one gallon of syrup. That's a lot of work and a lot of trees to collect that much maple sap.

Many locals go up north to find sugar, black or red maple trees because a maple tree must be around 45-years old and at about ten to twelve inches in diameter to be able to produce enough sap to make it worthwhile for a "tapper" to collect the sap.

That's not the end of the process either, because then the "maple sugaring" begins, which is the boiling down all that sap.

I think I'll just buy it at the store or Farmers Market. So, the question is - is there a best maple syrup in Michigan? Opinions may vary because you can buy good quality, 100% pure maple syrup all over Michigan. But for good quality, make sure it is 100% pure.

We, however, don't produce that much maple syrup here in Michigan. Vermont is the largest maple syrup producer in the U.S., and second only to Quebec, Canada. They produce three quarters of the world's output.

So, let the syrup flow on my pancakes, and lots of it. Why? because it's also very healthy. It's filled with antioxidants, which are great for your heart, eyes and skin. It also contains zinc, manganese, calcium, magnesium, and potassium.

So, as the old saying goes, an apple a day keeps the doctor away; how about a spoon full of maple syrup? Sounds good to me!