CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Cleveland Metroparks’ upcoming maple sugaring days at Rocky River Reservation promise a fun-filled outing to learn about the sweet treat -- without the ridiculously long drive to rural Vermont.
The free program takes place the weekends of March 6-7 and March 13-14 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the Maple Grove Picnic Area. The self-guided hike through the “sugarbush” allows visitors to enjoy the experience at their own pace.
Naturalists and volunteers will be on hand to answer questions. A visit to the sugar house provides a window into the process used to turn sap into breakfast syrup.
Although the event is outdoors, facial coverings are required.
The celebration of traditional maple sugaring, which has occurred at Rocky River Reservation for nearly 40 years, brings smiles to the faces of both young and old. (Photo Courtesy of Cleveland Metroparks/Kyle Lanzer)Kyle Lanzer/Cleveland Metroparks
Karen Lakus, naturalist at Rocky River Reservation, emphasizes just how fortunate the inhabitants of our corner of the world are to be able to enjoy such sweet rewards.
“We have a really special place here. It can only be done in certain places at certain times of year,” she said.
Lakus explains that maple trees, which require a fairly specific set of environmental conditions just to grow, need the freeze-thaw cycle associated with late winter and early spring to produce the pressure that causes sap to flow.
Of all the maple species, sugar maples produce the sweetest sap. The overachieving trees at Rocky River actually have a higher “brix” -- the measure of the sugar content in sap -- than their counterparts in other more well-known syrup-producing areas of Northeast Ohio.
Late winter and early spring in Northeast Ohio provide the temperature fluctuations required for sap to flow. (Photo Courtesy of Cleveland Metroparks/Kyle Lanzer)Kyle Lanzer/Cleveland Metroparks
It is a special place indeed, which may be why people tend to linger long after learning about the trees, the history of maple syrup, collecting methods in different eras and the cooking process.
“Maple Grove, if you have never been here, is just a lovely place. The river runs right next to it. Big trees and birds are all around. It’s just a magical spot,” Lakus says.
The program, first offered in 1982, has become something of a Greater Cleveland tradition. Visitors knowing little about maple sugaring will likely be surprised by just how much goes into making real maple syrup, a product that is both sweeter and more natural than the flavored corn syrup that too often ends up on grocery store shelves.
Steam rises from the sugar house. Because the sap is about 98 percent water, the process of converting it into a sweet treat involves considerable time and effort. (Photo Courtesy of Cleveland Metroparks/Kyle Lanzer)Kyle Lanzer/Cleveland Metroparks
A single quart of maple syrup requires 10 gallons of sap. At Rocky River, that means multiple trips lugging heavy buckets of sap through the woodland.
The Cleveland Metroparks food truck will be on hand to provide modestly priced treats. Peckish patrons can dip French toast sticks in genuine Rocky River Reservation maple syrup or try maple bacon sweetened with the same substance that is cooking in the sugar house.
Glazed nuts, hot dogs and hot chocolate are also on the menu. Maple candy will satisfy even the most demanding sweet tooth.
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February 27, 2021 at 09:01PM
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Rocky River Reservation’s maple sugaring days are a sweet experience for all - cleveland.com
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