If you’re impatiently waiting for spring and the launch of maple syrup season in Ontario, wait no more! Golden and delicious, maple syrup is too good to be enjoyed only in spring. Thankfully, in Ontario, you can enjoy the same delicious flavour of maple syrup all year long – in spring, summer, fall and winter.
So why buy Ontario Maple Syrup? As the second-largest maple syrup producing province in Canada, Ontario produces roughly 465,000 gallons of maple syrup each year. Ontario farmers work hard each spring to tap maple trees, harvest sap, and boil it down into the sweet, liquid gold that we Canadians love to enjoy so much!
If you’ve tasted Ontario’s Sweet Ontario-branded syrup and noticed how different it tastes from syrup produced in other parts of the world, you’re not imagining it. It’s actually Ontario’s unique terroir that makes our maple syrup taste so good! Just as with fine wines, it’s Ontario’s lush, rich soils, and ample Canadian shield regions, that contribute to the distinct flavour in Sweet Ontario syrup.
Each year, Ontario maple syrup producers also go above and beyond to produce some of the best tasting syrup in the world. Ontario maple syrup bearing the Sweet Ontario brand is guaranteed to contain no additives, no preservatives, and is made using nothing more than pure Ontario sap to create our favourite sweet, golden, maple syrup.
Make sure you look for the Sweet Ontario label when buying syrup so you can rest easy knowing your syrup is produced right here in Ontario, and you’re doing your part in keeping it local. Buying local helps the Ontario farmers who work so hard to keep supplying you with delicious maple products like maple syrup, maple sugar, maple butter, and maple candy.
Read on to find out how you can get your hands on Ontario-produced maple syrup, no matter what time of year it is!
- At your local farmers’ market
Farmers’ markets are where you’ll find plenty of locally produced products, from maple syrup to fruits, veggies, honey, and more! Visit your local market and you’re pretty much guaranteed to find at least one maple syrup producer selling their delicious, sweet products. While you’re there, stock up on all the ingredients you’ll need to create a maple-inspired culinary masterpiece – all in-season, of course!
- Visit your favourite sugarbush
When was the last time you visited a sugarbush near you and chatted with a local producer? Sugarbushes in Ontario aren’t only open in the spring months; Ontario maple syrup producers work hard all year long to make sure you can have delicious real maple syrup on your table anytime you want. Visit a sugarbush near you and spend a few minutes chatting with a local producer. Call ahead to make sure they will be available to answer your questions, to get the inside scoop on all the work involved in making syrup, from tree to table, and pick up a bottle or two to take home with you!
- Do your grocery shopping
If you can’t make it to out to a sugarbush, no worries, we’ve got you covered! Visit your local specialty store or grocery store and check out the maple syrup section in the breakfast aisle to find out if they are stocking pure Ontario syrup. Make sure you check the labels carefully to be sure the syrup you put in your basket carries the “Sweet Ontario” brand. If you don’t see the brand, stop at the customer service desk on your way out and let them know that you prefer to #ShopLocal when it comes to your syrup – you could be surprised what you find during your next visit.
- Enjoy maple-inspired dining
Dining out is the perfect way to enjoy pure Ontario maple syrup, anytime of the year, and you might be surprised at the restaurants near you that feature pure Ontario maple syrup in their dishes (and not just on pancakes!). Start making a list of your favourite restaurants that highlight the Ontario maple syrup used in their menu items and you’ll be able to get your maple fix no matter where you are in the world.
- Cook at home
Maple syrup isn’t just for pancakes anymore! Bring some Sweet Ontario syrup home from the farmers’ markets, stores, or sugarbush, and use it in your favourite recipes to make them that much sweeter. When baking with maple syrup you can substitute every cup of sugar with three-quarters of a cup of maple syrup. Of course, you’ll also want to keep some syrup on hand to enjoy with traditional syrup dishes like pancakes, waffles, or even hot cereal, but don’t underestimate how much maple syrup can enhance any dish on the menu!
- Make it a sweet gift
As the saying goes, it’s better to give than to receive, and any gift of maple syrup is one that will be appreciated! Stock up on bottles of Sweet Ontario syrup from local producers and give them as gifts for friends and family at Christmas, birthdays, and other special occasions. Your friends and family will thank you.
- Visit a maple syrup festival
Ontario maple syrup producers attend a number of events in the province each year, chances are good there is an event near you where you can purchase some local syrup. In Perth, Ontario, the annual Festival of the Maples draws more than 20,000 visitors and is a great place to explore Lanark County’s many maple producers. Similar events in both Elmvale, Ontario, and Elmira Ontario are great spots to score some syrup and have fun at the same time. In Midland, Ontario you can combine sweet treats at the annual Butter Tart Festival, for one delicious experience!
This project was funded by the government of Ontario.
Committed to the production of high quality maple products using the best management practices.