LIMA, OH (WLIO) - The Johnny Appleseed Metro Park District taught the public all about how maple syrup makes it from trees to your table.
Those who went to the annual Maple Festival learned more about the process of making maple syrup, and the different forms it takes on at each stage. Stations throughout McClean Teddy Bear Park had examples of modern and historical methods of boiling down maple sap, and participants could even try out tapping a tree and taste the maple at some of the different steps the sap takes before it's breakfast-ready. Maple syrup is mainly produced in the northeastern United States and southern Canada, where the sugar maple trees grow natively.
"European settlers, right, coming across into America learned from the Native Americans how to access this sugar in the tree, and how to process it, and we've been doing that ever since," explained Dan Hodges, a naturalist with JAMPD.
Maple syrup has more uses than people realize. One Hancock County based maple farm set up shop at the festival with unique products like maple cotton candy.
"A lot of people will drizzle the syrup on ice cream, that's very popular, especially on like vanilla bean ice cream. The sugar is used a lot in coffees and teas for sweetening and you can even use it in Kool-Aid and stuff. It doesn't have an overbearing flavor of maple to where you'll get a mixed flavor like cherry and maple," said Ken Depuy of K&J Farms.
Depuy adds that the maple cotton candy is especially popular, and that they have to spend two days making enough for the festival.
