Fairbairn
Maple Syrup

PURE ONTARIO MAPLE SYRUP

Locally Produced by us in Lanark County

All our maple syrup is produced here on our family farm. This syrup is of the highest quality and produced using a modern wood fired evaporator.

Maple syrup is a wholesome and nutritional food product with a wide range of uses. It is a pure natural product with no additives.  It is a good source of calcium, has a low glycemic index, and contains over 40 antioxidants.

All our maple syrup is made with 100% pure and natural sap obtained from maple trees grown in our sustainably managed 30 hectare (75 acre) maple forest. Nothing is added except time and the energy needed to boil the sap and process it into maple syrup.

You can easily enjoy locally produced maple syrup. We package our production in a variety of sizes and materials, as shown on our Buy Now page. We can custom package into containers of any type and size you prefer - just let us know the quantity, size and container style you need. 

How Maple Syrup is Made

Sap Collection

In the spring, when the temperature rises above zero degrees during the day and falls below freezing at night, the sap will begin to flow.  We drill a small 5/16" diameter hole into the tree and insert a tap to collect this sap.  Have a quick look at this short video to see the process of tapping a tree  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cIgSkSMg7MA .  We currently have approximately 2,800 taps that are installed each spring and removed from  the tress at the end of each sugaring season. The sap flows from each tap into our modern pipeline collection system which you can see in the video, and then into large stainless steel storage tanks.  It is then transported back to the sugerhouse in a tank hauled behind the tractor.

Processing

At the sugarhouse the sap is stored in a large stainless steel bulk tank, before being processed through a Reverse Osmosis machine which removes up to 2/3 of the water.  The concentrated sap is then fed into the wood fired evaporator where it is boiled down until it reaches a sugar concentration of at least 66% - then we have maple syrup. We find that most customers prefer a slightly thicker syrup - it seems to have a better flavour - so we usually finish off the syrup at about 67% sugar content.

Packaging

From the evaporator, we will test the syrup for sugar concentration (density), colour and flavour; and then filter it directly from our bottling unit for packaging and sale. Some syrup will be put into stainless steel barrels for later processing as needed.

Nutritional Benefits of Maple Syrup

Recent research has shown that maple syrup contains more minerals and vitamins then other common sweeteners. A ¼ cup serving of maple syrup also contains more calcium than the same amount of milk and more potassium than a banana. It is also a good source of magnesium, phosphorus, zinc and iron. Click on the Maple Nutrition Poster under "Useful Links" below to see a more detailed comparision between maple syrup and other sweeteners.

Some Interesting Maple Tree Facts

Maple tress will typically be about 40 years old (10" in diameter) before they can be tapped.

Most maple trees will live to be at least 150 years old.

A maple tree will yield about 40 litres of sap in an average season, enough to make about 1 litre of syrup.

Useful Links for Additional Information