February 2, 2018
Sweet Job: Trio of Judges Select Vermont's Best Maple Syrup
Lisa Rathke READ TIME: 1 MIN.
In the country's top maple producing state, Vermonters take their maple syrup seriously.
But perhaps none take it as seriously as the judges at the annual Vermont Farm Show maple contest.
On Monday, a panel of three judges tasted teaspoon after teaspoon of syrup, critiquing entries for density, clarity and color before picking the top in each class of syrup and an overall best in show.
"It is a lot of fun," judge Mark Isselhardt, maple specialist with the University of Vermont Extension, said during the judging. "It's interesting but it can be a little bit much when you have, you know, 100 samples or more to taste."
Vermont is the country's leading producer of maple syrup, producing nearly 2 million gallons last year. That's the second-highest amount on record for Vermont. The state set a record for the value of the crop in 2016, with production totaling nearly $60 million, the USDA said.
Many maple syrup producers - called sugar makers in Vermont - have been doing it for years, while there have been a rush of newcomers in the last decade after syrup prices climbed to an average of $40 a gallon in 2008. The price has been gradually going down since.
Judging is far more than a sugar buzz.
