Maple syrup in January? Hobbyist of 50 years says it’s a first for him
Maple syrup in January?
In Minnesota, maple sap typically flows around March when the nights are below freezing and the days are warmer. But with this unusual winter weather, the trees aren't working on their usual timetables. It's a January afternoon in Le Sueur County, although it doesn't look like it. And for Dave Hering, it sure doesn't feel like it.
WATERVILLE, Minn. (FOX 9) - In Minnesota, maple sap typically flows around March when the nights are below freezing and the days are warmer. But with this unusual winter weather, the trees aren't working on their usual timetables.
It's a January afternoon in Le Sueur County, although it doesn't look like it. And for Dave Hering, it sure doesn't feel like it.
"Last year, we were standing in probably two feet of snow when we tapped," Hering said.
Tapping trees to collect sap for maple syrup is something Hering, a hobbyist of five decades, knows well. His uncle taught him how to make maple syrup when he was young and he’s enjoyed doing it ever since, even winning prizes at the Minnesota State Fair.
But this year marks a first.
"I've been doing this for 50-some years, and I've never done it in January ever. The earliest was February 10th in (either) 2017 or 2019," he said.
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He's been paying attention to the weather, and on Sunday, he had the wild idea that maybe the trees near his home in rural Waterville were ready for him. His wife, Diana, said at first, she was skeptical, but she trusts his expertise.
"You got to be attuned to nature. And you got to be out there when Mother Nature is allowing you to collect that sap. Yes, the trees are sharing it," she said.
The normal sapping season for this area is March through the middle of April, but this winter has been anything but normal.
"In fact, I spoke with someone today, and she said, ‘You know I don't think there's anybody alive that can remember a January like this,’" Diana Hering said.
The couple tapped 100 holes in their trees, and only one of them didn't have sap come out right away.
"I thought it might run, but I didn't expect it to run that good," Dave Hering said.
It's a sign that Mother Nature works on her own schedule.
The sap they've collected just so far this week will make almost five gallons of maple syrup. After the excess water is boiled away, they'll put the sap in jars to share with family and friends.
"It's a lot of fun. And then, of course, the pancakes are really good because we made the syrup," Diana Hering said.