By Insider Staff - Mar 17, 2022 | 1 comment

Bourbon Barrel-Aged Maple Syrup

The sugar house at Beaver Brook Maple run by Andrew Mattiace.

Kaisons Sugar House in Weare

Ridgeland Farm in Loudon

Jeff Moore taps a tree at Windswept Maples in Loudon.

Ice Mountain Maple in Boscawen

North Family Farm in Canterbury

Beaver Meadowbrook Farm in Warner

Kearsarge Gore Farm in Warner

Visitors to Mapletree Farm have been learning about making maple syrup from owner Dean Wilber.

Richard Anthony brings in a load of wood to put into his father-in-law’s evaporator at Red Roof Maples in Loudon on Saturday, March 13, 2021. Anthony loaded wood every four minutes to keep the fire going at the maximum heat. GEOFF FORESTER

Russell Lampron of Red Roof Maples in Loudon looks at his hydrometer as the steam rises from his evaporator as he boiled sap at his farm operation on Saturday, March 13,2021. Lampron is retiring after this maple season and moving to North Carolina. GEOFF FORESTER

A seasoned maple syrup pro can tell a lot about the temperatures of a given season by looking at the color of the syrup. Darker syrup correlates to warmer temperatures, and vice versa. In this shot taken at Mapletree Farm in Concord, the first two bottles on the left are from this year -- one for each boil owner Dean Wilber has done so far. After those two, the rest are bottles from last year's season, in order. By looking at this photo, we can tell that last year started off a little warm (the first bottle sap is on the darker side), then it cooled off for a little while, which is why you see the very light colors in the middle. Then, at the end of the season when it was the warmest, the syrup was the darkest. (JON BODELL / Insider staff) JON BODELL / Insider staff

Andrew Mattiace checks on the evaporation process for a custom syrup operation at his Bow home on Saturday, March 2, 2019. GEOFF FORESTER

Mike Moore, owner of Sunnyside Maples in Loudon, checks on the foam buildup in his evaporator on Thursday, March 21, 2019 as he prepares for the Maple Weekend. GEOFF FORESTER

Andrew Mattiace pours out some sap for his syruping operation at his Bow home on Saturday, March 2, 2019. GEOFF FORESTER

Andrew Mattiace drills a hole in a tree in his back yard to collect sap for his syruping operation at his Bow home on Saturday, March 2, 2019. GEOFF FORESTER

Despite the weird maple season we've had so far, Dean Wilber was still able to show us the process of bottling the finished product at Mapletree Farm last week. He does the packaging right in the same shack he makes the syrup in. (JON BODELL / Insider staff) JON BODELL / Insider staff

Patrick Colby taps a maple tree at Maple Ridge Sugar House in Loudon on Wednesday, Feb. 14, 2018. In total, the family owned and operated business will tap about 6,000 trees and repair miles of plumbing to prepare for the 2018 maple season. (ELIZABETH FRANTZ / Monitor staff) Elizabeth Frantz

Since Mother Nature didn't exactly cooperate with our idea for a maple syrup issue, we stopped by Mapletree Farm last week to actually see the sweet stuff being made. Tim Goodwin

Expect to see lots of syrup boiling if you take part in Maple Weekend. Tim Goodwin

Sometimes Mapletree Farm will dispense syrup into these maple leaf-shaped glass containers, although these glass bottles are smaller and more expensive than the traditional plastic jugs. These glass bottles are good to give as a gift or a party favor. (JON BODELL / Insider staff) JON BODELL / Insider staff

In need of a sugar rush this weekend, head over to your local maple syrup maker as Maple Month peaks with Maple Weekend, March 19 and 20. Contact sugarhouses before you go to confirm hours and programs. Many will be hosting additional activities from pancake breakfasts to horse-drawn rides.

Here’s a sampling of where you can find New Hampshire Maple Producers Association members around the capital area:

Concord

Mapletree Farm

105 Oak Hill Road. 603-224-0820, mapletreefarmnh.com.

We make syrup with lead-free and chemical-free equipment and pay particular attention to high quality, cleanliness and food safety. Your family deserves the best. Syrup, cream, candy, crystals and more at the farm or by mail order. Now featuring Barrel- Aged Bourbon Maple Syrup. We have a state-of-the-art sugarhouse, which is ADA and FDA compliant, with an adjacent planted maple orchard. Educational maple orchard tours are set up for our socially distanced event. This is our 46th year of operation at this location and the 74th for the old sugarmaker of making maple syrup.

Bow

Beaver Brook Maple

1 Beaver Brook Drive. 603-491-0500, facebook.com/bbmaple.

We are local family-operated hobby-sized sugar makers. We do it purely for fun. Our mission is to bring people closer together. Stop by on your N.H. maple tour for some boiling. Take a walk in the woods in our sugarbush.

Hopkinton

Gould Hill Farm

656 Gould Hill Road, Hopkinton. 603-746-3811, gouldhillfarm.com.

Located on a working apple orchard with 80 miles of views reaching to the White Mountains. Ther is a hard cider tasting room onsite with our maple hard cider available! Our sugarhouse will be open to the public on March 20 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. The Contoocook Cider tasting room will have live music from 1 to 4 p.m.

Chapin Sap House

331 Maple St., Contoocook. 603-545-9628.

Crow Valley Farm

1038 Hopkinton Road, Hopkinton. 603-224-7520

Loudon

Meadow Ledge Farm

612 Route 129, Loudon. 798-5860

Ridgeland Farm

736 Loudon Ridge Road. 520-4337. ridgelandfarmnh.com.

We are a first-generation family farm located on the very popular Loudon Ridge Road. We have 3,500 taps, which we collect from and boil down right in our sugar house. We have a very unique sugar house that we build inside our barn. Our farm is one of the oldest farms in our area dating back to 1773. We have a fully stocked store with maple syrup year-round and for the very popular maple weekend. We have many more treats including our popular maple buns, maple peanut butter fudge, maple cookies, maple granolas, maple cinnamon sugar, maple ice cream and maple soda.

Sunnyside Maples

1089 Route 106. 848-7090, sunnysidemaples.com.

In the gift shop you will find maple syrup, maple cream, maple mustard, maple candy, maple seasonings, pancake mix, maple coffee and lots of other New Hampshire products. Watch the boiling process if we have sap. We also sell sugaring supplies to other maple producers. We are a dealer for Leader, CDL, AP of VT and Sugar Hill Containers. We also sell containers and candy boxes for NHMPA members. Open seven days a week from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Feb. 1 through mid-April.

Two Taps Sap House

917 Route 129, Loudon. 603-435-5320.

Windswept Maples

845 Loudon Ridge Road. 267-8492, windsweptmaples.com.

We operate a family farm here on scenic Loudon Ridge Rd. The farm has been continuously operated as a farm by the Moore Family for eight generations, since Archelaus Moore first started farming here in 1780. We enjoy producing maple syrup and all maple products. We offer pure maple syrup, maple sugar candy, and maple cream. Our retail salesroom is easy to access. We boil sap on a wood-fired evaporator. The wood is harvested from our farm. When you visit, we would answer any questions you have about producing maple syrup. You will enjoy scenic views from our family farm.

Dunbarton

RF & DF Sugarshack

59 Ray Road, Dunbarton. 738-4871

Small wood-fired operation with all the sound and smell of a traditional sugarhouse experience.

Twisted Maple Sugar Shack

75 Twist Hill Road, Dunbarton. 660-0356

Twisted Maple Sugar Shack is a family-friendly farm that does Maple sugaring every spring. We also have animals to see and pet including ducks, chickens, goats, cows and pigs.

Weare

Kaison’s Sugar House

93 Forest Road, Weare. 603-660-6019

Kaison’s Sugar House is a family run sugar house. A part of yesterday in touch with tomorrow!

Grant Family Pond View Farms

224 Mount Dearborn Road, Weare. 369-2800

Grant Family sugar house is a family-owned and operated business. My family has been making maple sugar for more than 100 years. We have all kinds of maple products for sale at dozens of locations year around. Please visit us Maple Weekend. We have one of the largest maple weekend gatherings in the state. Year after year we have at least 2,000 people run through our sugar house.

Boscawen

Ledge Top Sugar House

25 Oak St., Boscawen. 753-4973.

Open March 19 from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Ice Mountain Maple

276 Queen St., Boscawen. 341-4297

Ice Mountain Maple is owned and operated by the Gray Family in Boscawen. Our sugar house is located at the top of our property, and if you’ve ever tried to get up our driveway in the dead of winter, you’ll know how we got our name! Our evaporator is wood-fired only, and we produce in small batches to ensure quality in every bottle. If we’re boiling, come see us.

Outback Sugarhouse

306 High St., Boscawen. 603-491-1273

Reilly’s Try Anything Farm

155 Water St., Boscawen. 603-591-7075

Small hobby size maple producer with a small sugar shack a new evaporator in 2021. Still trying to master the evaporator. We are not open to the public but just love the hobby.

Canterbury

Blue Roof Sap Camp

6 Carter Hill Road, Canterbury. 603-2345067

Briar Bush Farm

160 Briar Bush Road, Canterbury. 603-459-4924

Hutchinson’s Family Sugarhouse

271 Hackleboro Road, Canterbury

Lamb’s Maple Syrup

228 Shaker Road, Canterbury. 603-783-9912

North Family Farm

341 Shaker Road, Canterbury. 603-783-4712. northfamilyfarm.com

North Family Farm is named after the North family of the Canterbury Shakers who settled here in 1792. Since 1950, we have been a family-owned business. Renewable energy from wind power, solar energy, biodiesel and sustainably harvested firewood is used to create our New Hampshire Certified Organic Maple Syrup. We hope you enjoy the delightful flavors and health benefits of our Maple Products.

Sunset Hill Maples

17 Sunset Hill Drive, Canterbury. 603-381-8809

Traditional hardworking producer on the verge of integrating modern production techniques from sap collection to syrup finishing.

Warner

Baker’s Syrup

611 New Market, Warner. 456-3837.

Beaver Meadowbrook Farm

402 Route 103, Warner. 456-6052.

Visitors are welcome at our sugar house any time, but during the maple season (March) is when all the excitement takes place, with guided tours and free samples of many maple treats. Please call ahead. Our award-winning maple syrup is available in various-sized plastic jugs and glass bottles. Mail orders accepted.

Courser Farm

427 Schoodac Road, Warner. 456-3521

Family rustic sugar house easy access close to the roadside.

Kearsarge Gore Farm

173 Gore Road, Warner. 603-456-2319

We’ll have tours of the sap house and show you the sugaring operation each weekend during March from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Masks are required while you’re in the sap house, for the sake of visitors and our crew. We have 2,500 taps this year and are aiming our sights on a big syrup production: the woodshed is full, the sugar maples are just waking up, and the crew’s spirits are high. Along with sugaring, we also have lambs in the barn, cows over the fence, and a horse in the wooded pasture. Directions to the farm can be found on our website (please start your journey to the farm from the Warner Village). Our road is muddy and the walk to the sap house can be icy, so please drive carefully and wear the right footwear. Our farm is a small, family-run farm in the foothills of Mt. Kearsarge in New Hampshire. Our syrup is made on a wood-fired evaporator. We burn wood harvested sustainably from our own land. We have found remnants of at least two old evaporators on our property, indicating that these maple trees have been providing sap to families and communities here for many generations before ours.

Rogers Maple Syrup

133 Couchtown Road, Warner. 603-456-3139.

What’s Sappenin

414 Burnt Hill Road, Warner. 603-344-9968.

Small backyard operation, rubbing shoulders with the big guys.

Wildwoods Maple Farm

530 Newmarket Road, Warner. 603-456-2041.

Wildwoods Maple Farm began tapping trees in 2018. We have plans to build our own sugarhouse and do our own boiling in the future. For now, we trade sap for syrup and sell sap to others to boil.

Chichester

Moon Cusser Maple

53 Ring Road, Chichester. 208-573-3883.