In late winter, when the nights are freezing and the days are sunny, the maple sap begins to flow and the maple syrup producers begin boiling. Thousands of gallons of maple syrup are made in Randolph County every year. The area is home to sugar shacks of all sizes, from large commercial operations to home hobbyists. Like other foodways and occupational folklife, maple syrup production is supported by a variety of family, community, and professional networks.
Maple syrup is generally made by boiling raw sap to lose water and raise its sugar content. It takes 40 to 50 gallons of sap to make one gallon of finished syrup, so it can be a long process. Maple sap typically contains anywhere from 1.5% to 2% sugar, which is then boiled down to around 66% sugar. Boil it even further and you can turn maple syrup into maple sugar. Most producers today use a process called “reverse osmosis” to remove much of the water before the sap is cooked. Former Augusta Folk Arts Coordinator Gerry Milnes explained: “the beauty of the reverse osmosis is I take about 2/3 of the water out of the sap before I even get it out of the pan. So that saves a whole lot of cooking time”.
With about 16,000 trees tapped, Spruce Knob Maple is the largest maple syrup producer in the state. “That’s a lot of sap coming in,” said Ron Swartzentruber, “we average about between 4,000-4,500 gallons of syrup a year. We’re about halfway through the season, and we’re hoping that we have a long season.” Ron’s family has been making syrup for over 40 years and recently took over the former Dry Fork Maple Works from John Dalen. “It’s a family tradition. It’s been passed down, and we’re passing it to the third generation now” Ron explained.
Smaller producers like Blue Rock Farm still produce a sizeable quantity. “We would consider 200 gallons a good year and we are having a good season so far,” said Linda Zimmer. Mike Richter of Richter’s Maplehouse says he is now “half retired” but stills taps a couple hundred trees throughout the region. In fact, most of his syrup he buys in bulk from other producers and bottles it himself. In this way he’s used his bottling service to collaborate with others to get their syrup directly to customers. Other producers like Gerry Milnes of Walker Run consider 20 gallons a good year. He started out with just a few buckets on trees, and eventually, upgraded to several lines that converge into two buckets in his sugar shack that he “cobbled together” from some logs and a tin roof.
Although COVID-19 related closings and cancellations have prevented public tours and tastings, producers are still able to sell their product safely. Zimmer stated “though we are sad not to be able to have our sugar house open, due to COVID, our many local customers have enabled us to sell all the syrup we produce.” For over 30 years, the town of Pickens has held an annual Maple Syrup Festival on the third Saturday in March that showcases local crafts, music, and food in addition to maple products. In both 2020 and 2021, the festival was postponed due to the pandemic. Although the Pickens Festival usually makes up a large portion of his annual business, Mike Richter is still able to sell to several locations in the surrounding counties such as Fish Hawk Acres in Buckhannon or Snowshoe Resort.
Maple syrup can be used in a variety of ways both sweet and savory in addition to the familiar pancakes and waffles. Some people even enjoy drinking the raw sap. In addition to their regular maple syrup, Spruce Knob Maple has been experimenting with infused syrups. “The infused is exciting, bringing out new flavors all the time. I enjoy it,” Swartzentruber said. Maple syrup can be used in baking cakes, scones, or other sweets, and in cooking as a base for dressings, sauces, or marinades, or even in a cocktail. Downstream from the Swartzentrubers on the Dry Fork River is Still Hollow Spirits who use syrup from Spruce Knob in their whiskey barrels in order to make a maple barrel-aged corn whiskey. Other local businesses like Beander’s restaurant or Byrd’s House of Donuts in Elkins often feature seasonal specials. There are just about as many uses for maple syrup as there are maple trees in West Virginia!
Enjoy these maple syrup themed fiddle tunes!
Written by: Ben Duvall-Irwin
Bio: Ben Duvall-Irwin is the Marketing Director for Beverly-Randolph Heritage Tourism CVB. He has an M.A. in Appalachian Studies from Appalachian State University. In summer 2019, he worked with Augusta as the Evening Dance Coordinator. Beverly-Randolph Heritage Tourism is dedicated to promoting heritage tourism, the history of Beverly and Randolph County, and to attract and serve visitors to our community. Follow us on Facebook and Instagram for more info on heritage attractions and events in Randolph County.
Before reading this, I had yet to learn that maple syrup was as big in Randolph County as it is. As stated, thousands of gallons of syrup are made a year. This is just crazy to me, I always believed that maple syrup was made in the more northern states, but this post opened my eyes to the fact that it is made here in Randolph County. This post was very informative on the process of making syrup. Pictures were also included, along with some quotes and sound clips of “syrup-themed fiddle tunes.” Overall this post was informative and very interesting to read.