Michigan Maple Syrup 

It’s sweet, it’s sticky, it’s literally sap! March and the surrounding months are maple syrup season in Michigan when producers and craftspeople tap sugar maple trees for sap, which is processed into syrup. Maple syrup has its roots in Indigenous American foodways and is traditionally processed by allowing the sap to freeze in cycles to remove the water. Today, many producers either boil the water from the sap to make the syrup, and increasingly, use a reverse osmosis process. 

Maple syrup is a practice in patience. Maple trees must be around 40 years old before they can be used for sap production, and it takes 40 gallons of sap collected over a 4-6 week season to make 1 gallon of syrup. So the next time you pour maple syrup over your pancakes, make sure to thank a local producer for their efforts! 

White and blue hoses run between maple trees of Mackinac Bluffs Maple Farms
A blue hose runs from a tap on a sugar Maple tree at Mackinac Bluffs Maple Farms.
Maple sap collection at Mackinac Bluffs Maple Farms

Local Maple Syrup

Find maple syrup producers in your neck of the woods using our Find Food and Farms Directory! Because maple products are an Indigenous traditional food, we also recommend considering an Indigenous-owned business as your source for maple syrup. 

Using Maple Syrup as a Substitute

You may be used to maple syrup in baked goods already, but did you know that it can help reduce your reliance on granulated sugar? Maple sugar is a 1:1 replacement for white sugar, and maple syrup can be substituted, as well, with a ¾ cup ratio to every cup of granulated sugar. 

Maple syrup is a baker’s pantry must-have; it’s also a 1:1 replacement for honey and vanilla extract! 

Grades of maple syrup against a light at Mackinaw Bluffs Maple Farms of Michigan.
Maple syrup grades at Mackinac Bluffs Maple Farms

What is Dark Maple Syrup?

According to Charlevoix’s Harwood Gold, dark maple syrup happens when there is lower sugar content in the sap at the end of syrup season. Because it needs to be boiled longer due to its sugar content, the color is darker and has a deeper, more caramel-flavored richness. While this used to be called Grade B syrup, that didn’t denote a lower quality. 

Maple syrup in maple leaf bottles lined up at the Petoskey Farmers Market.
Maple syrup at the Petoskey Farmers Market

Maple Syrup Festivals in Michigan

Ready to celebrate the joy of Michigan maple syrup? Head to a maple sugar festival or event to learn more about how producers create this sweet treat, sit down with neighbors over a pancake breakfast, or try unique culinary creations dedicated to all things maple! 

Ready to bring Michigan maple syrup into your home? Try our Maple Cream DIY, or find a trove of recipes on our MI Ingredient Guide!