There are more farm-hosted pancake breakfasts in New York in late March than at any other time of year, because March is the month when maple trees are tapped for the sap they produce.
This surge in pancake breakfasts is driven by the New York State Maple Producers Association’s Maple Weekends, which take place during the last two weekends of March.
Helen Thomas, executive director of the state’s maple producers, said that 166 maple farms statewide will offer farm tours and educational workshops free of charge on March 21-22 and March 28-29. Many offer tasting events for a nominal fee. Pancakes served with pure New York maple syrup are a popular offering.
According to a press release from state Assembly member Brian Miller, R-122, there are “over 2,000 dedicated maple producers scattered across our state.”
“The economic significance of maple products in New York state cannot be overstated, generating a remarkable $141 million impact each year,” Miller said. “Beyond its economic contributions, the maple industry in New York plays a vital role in preserving rural landscapes, supporting local communities and promoting sustainable agriculture practices.”
New York is the second-largest maple syrup producer in the county after Vermont, according to the Vermont Maple Sugar Makers’ Association.
The Jordan family turned making maple syrup from a hobby into a growing retail and wholesale business, Off Road Maple, 195 Pomeroy Road, Franklin.
Owner Jason Jordan’s grandfather began making maple syrup for their farm when there was a sugar shortage during World War II, according to the Off Road Maple website.
“This tradition was passed onto his parents, who boiled sap in a flat pan over an open fire with Jason and his brothers,” the website stated.
Today, Jason and Diane Jordan and their four children continue the tradition.
Bodie Jordan, 15, and Isaac Jordan, 17, are the most involved. Their daughters, Malorie Coleman, 27, and Amber Jordan, 25, mostly help in March with the Maple Weekends. They are both expecting to deliver babies this month.
During the two weekends in late March, about 500 people find their way to Off Road Maple each weekend, Jason Jordan said.
It was Isaac Jordan who came up with the name for the business.
“We had a family contest and our oldest son came up with the name, Off Road Maple,” Diane Jordan said. “Everybody voted, and this was the winner.”
The road to their property used to be a dirt road, Jason Jordan said which is now paved. The Jordan family posts signs on state Route 357, county Highway 14, Blue School Road and Pomeroy Road to help visitors find their sap house.
Making maple syrup
The Jordans pound 3,500 taps into about 3,000 trees to acquire the sap, which they transport to their large evaporator for the boiling process. They boil the water out of the sap, burning wood to heat the evaporator, until the consistency is right, Jordan said.
The taps produce about 1,000 gallons of maple syrup per year, he said. When the business started in 2018, they produced 25 gallons of syrup, Diane Jordan said.
The sap that comes out of a maple tree is only about 2% sugar. It takes 40 gallons of sap to produce one gallon of syrup.
“Making maple syrup is Jason’s passion,” Diane Jordan said. “He loves being in the woods and figuring out how to run the lines. He is really the heart of the business.”
Still, it is “a very expensive business,” Jason Jordan said. Depending on the size, an evaporator and all the hoses and other equipment can cost $15,000 to $50,000.
The Jordans do not own all the land under the maple trees they tap; they lease trees from their neighbors.
Producing maple syrup has changed dramatically with the introduction of technology. The Jordans use a vacuum system that helps the sap that flows naturally flow a bit faster and more efficiently through the long green tubes.
Before modern techniques, farmers hung buckets on metal spiles and boiled the sap down in a flat metal pan over a wooden fire, which was a labor-intensive process.
Harvesting maple sap has a very short season of about 45 days. “The maple season starts typically middle to end of February and it can go through March,” Jordan said. “It all depends on the weather. You need freezing nights and temperatures above freezing during the day in order for the sap to run.”
Where to find the syrup
The Jordan family sells its syrup and other products in a self-service retail store Maple Farm, established in 2022, which they describe as a “quaint country gift shop.”
It is open 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. every day. The store operates on the honor system accepting cash, checks and Venmo. On Maple Weekends, the Jordan family will accept credit card payments.
They sell a children’s book called “A Good Run: Maple Syrup’s Sweet Journey,” written by Judy Smith and illustrated by Andy Smith, who are Diane Jordan’s mother and brother respectively.
The book features the Jordan family business and educates readers how sap turns into syrup. The main character is a sap droplet called Sap.
The Jordans will offer tours of their sap house on Blue School Road in Franklin from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. all four days. They also will offer an all-you-can-eat pancake breakfast 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. at their farm at 195 Pomeroy Road, Franklin.
The tour is free. The breakfast is $10 per person, and children younger than 5 will be admitted free, Diane Jordan said.
In addition to their gift shop, the Jordans supply their maple syrup on a wholesale basis to Nick’s Diner in Oneonta, the grocery store Walton Big M and The Mount Vision Farm Stand.
The Jordans work full time at other jobs to support their family. Diane Jordan is an occupational therapist in Delhi. Jason Jordan was a dairy farmer until 2022, when he sold his cows and joined his brother who grows soybeans and corn.
History of syrup in New York
According to the New York State Maple Producers Association, New York’s history of maple sugaring dates back to Native American tribes. Legend has it that the Iroquois Chief Woksis threw his axe into a tree and found the sweet sap that flowed out of the damaged trunk. When his wife cooked meat in the sap, it thickened into syrup.
While pancakes with New York maple syrup may sound like a fattening and decadent indulgence, maple syrup is a 100% natural sweetener. Because it is unrefined, it has no added sugars or artificial ingredients. The calories in maple syrup are about the same as white and brown sugar and corn syrup, but its nutritional value is greater than all other common sweeteners.
A chart on the organization’s website shows the nutritional qualities of maple. Unlike corn syrup, brown sugar, white sugar and honey, maple syrup contains significantly more essential minerals such as manganese, zinc and calcium.
“Manganese is vital for bone health and wound healing, while zinc supports immune function and metabolism. Calcium is essential for strong bones and teeth,” the website stated.