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St. Lawrence County maple syrup producers could be making walnut and birch syrup soon

Posted 5/20/15

St. Lawrence County maple syrup producers may soon be making walnut and birch syrup. Legislation sponsored by Sen. Patty Ritchie, R-Heuvelton, aimed at tapping into the potential of the state’s …

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St. Lawrence County maple syrup producers could be making walnut and birch syrup soon

Posted

St. Lawrence County maple syrup producers may soon be making walnut and birch syrup.

Legislation sponsored by Sen. Patty Ritchie, R-Heuvelton, aimed at tapping into the potential of the state’s many walnut and birch trees is now on its way to Gov. Andrew Cuomo.

Birch and walnut syrup are seen by some researchers as a way for maple syrup producers to expand their markets, according to Ritchie, who represents the western half of St. Lawrence County.

Similar to maple, walnut syrup is described as being sweeter, with a hit of nuttiness. Birch syrup has more of a fruity, tangy flavor.

“We’ve seen the popularity of maple products explode in recent years and while there’s still room for the industry to grow, there’s also untapped resources contained in the millions of other trees throughout our state, namely birch and walnut trees,” said Ritchie, who chairs the Senate Agriculture Committee.

According to researchers, there are 22 types of trees that can be tapped for syrup, with the most common in New York State being black walnut and birch.

In recent years, Cornell University has been working to help maple producers explore the use of these trees to expand and add value to their businesses, and extend the season for “sugar makers,” as birch and walnut saps typically run after maple stops flowing.

“This legislation will help us to build upon the success of New York’s maple industry, expand markets for syrup producers and help to ensure that those who purchase birch and walnut syrups are buying the best product possible.”

Under Senate bill 3669, purity and quality requirements would be established for birch and walnut syrups and sugars, similar to those for maple. The legislation is designed to help the walnut and birch syrup industries by safeguarding consumers from inferior products and by helping to protect producers from unfair competition, posed by those making imitation syrups, Ritchie said.

The bill has been approved by the Assembly and now goes to the governor for his signature.

In recent years, New York State’s maple industry has grown from 1.3 million taps in 2007, to more than 2 million today, Ritchie noted. While the state is second only to Vermont in maple syrup production, millions of trees across the state remain untapped.