One of the few things unconcerned with the pandemic caused by the coronavirus is the area’s sap production.
True, the state’s annual Maple Weekend (actually the last two weekends in March) became another event added to the cancelation list.
However, that has not stopped the area’s various maple producers from making maple syrup and finding ways to get their products to the public.
Maple Weekend brought out hundreds of people to sugarhouses for sap boiling demonstrations, food and beverages made from the syrup product and to take home maple products. Three area sugarhouses planned to participate in this year’s 25th anniversary festival.
West Edmeston favorite Ben and Judy’s Sugarhouse had planned for another of their popular annual pancake breakfast weekends.
Ben Benjamin, owner of the West Edmeston sugarhouse, said although the event was canceled, customers can still shop for their products. Benjamin said curbside pickup of their maple products is available.
He said customers can also call ahead to have orders ready at the sugarhouse.
In addition to selling bottles of maple syrup, Ben and Judy’s Sugarhouse offers a variety of maple products such as maple jelly, maple cream and maple candy.
A new product this year is bourbon barrel-aged maple syrup. Benjamin said bourbon barrels used for the aging process come from a local distillery in Utica.
He said when the syrup is done aging in the barrels, the distillery uses those maple-syrup-coated barrels to make maple bourbon.
Benjamin called this year’s run of maple syrup...