About Magwood Maple

We produce naturally delicious 100% pure maple syrup, made traditionally, and with care.

In the spring of 1998, we tapped 12 trees and boiled the sap in a steel pot on a propane barbecue to show our young children how it was done. The following year, we gathered sap from 123 taps and began selling maple syrup to the public at local retail locations and craft shows.

Today, Magwood Maple is truly a farm-family business. Our grown sons and daughter work with us to collect sap from more than 850 taps in our 50-acre sugarbush. We enjoy working together and crafting quality products for our customers near and far. Sap from the original 12 trees is still collected in metal buckets, while the rest is gathered using “drop lines” or plastic tubing that runs between trees.

Maple syrup is in our DNA! Jim’s grandfather boiled sap in an open pan over a fire in the bush and handed his skills down. When she was a child, Dianne’s family tapped trees around their home every spring. So what gives Magwood Maple products their rich, full-bodied, delicious flavour? Four generations of experience, the tradition of producing maple syrup the old-fashioned way – using only a large wood-fired evaporator – and family pride in producing top-quality products.

As a result, Magwood Maple has a loyal customer following across Canada. You can purchase our products on this website, in person curbside by appointment only, at local craft shows* and at these local retailers: Bentinck Packers, North Wellington Co-op (Hanover), West Grey Premium Beef, and Hanover Foodland.

* NOTE: Due to COVID-19 restrictions, all craft shows have been cancelled for the foreseeable future.

Did you know?

Learn more about Canada’s favourite naturally delicious sweetner...

Maple syrup is the first agricultural crop of the year. Sap runs from late winter to early spring when night time temperatures are between -3 and -8°C and daytime temperatures are between 3 and 8°C. The warmer temperatures thaws the frozen sap building a positive pressure which pushes some of it out of the trees through the tap spiles.

On  average, it takes 40 litres of sap to make 1 litre of syrup. It takes 12 to 14 hours to boil sap down to syrup outside over an open fire. At Magwood Maple, we reduce our sap in a wood-fired evaporator to retain its rich, full-bodied, delicious flavour.

The average maple tree produces 35 to 50 litres of sap per season, up to 12 litres per day. Trees can be tapped when they are 30 years old, and depending on their diameter, can support one to three taps.

Evaporation is the best way to make the richest, full-bodied and flavourful maple syrup. Some producers use reverse osmosis to quickly remove up to two-thirds of the sap’s water content before evaporating the remainder. Magwood Maple does not – we reduce our sap using only a large, wood-fired evaporator.

Maple syrup contains fewer calories than commonly used sweeteners. To compare, 60 ml (1/4 cup) of maple syrup has 217 calories, corn syrup has 241 calories, honey has 258 calories, and granulated maple sugar has 170 calories, while brown sugar has 211 calories and white sugar has 194 calories.

Pure, 100% maple syrup is good for you! It is a completely natural product with absolutely zero artificial ingredients or preservatives. This sweet superfood direct from nature contains 54 antioxidants and vital minerals – and as much calcium as milk!

There are four grades of maple syrup based on colour and the percentage of light passing through:
GOLDEN: more than 75% light passes through; has a smooth, delicate maple taste; best for whipped cream, maple candies, over fresh fruit
AMBER: 50–74.9% light passes through; has a rich, full-bodied maple taste; best for pancakes, poaching fruit, homemade granola
DARK: 25–49.9% light passes through; has a robust, pronounced maple taste; best for sauces and glazes; candied nuts, over ice cream
VERY DARK: less than 25% light passes through; has an extremely strong maple taste; best for baking, maple-caramel corn custards

All grades of maple syrup, regardless of colour, have the same sugar content. Magwood Maple produces Grade A Amber maple syrup for bottling, and Grade A Amber to make maple butter and granulated maple sugar as well as our candies and lollipops.