I Want My Maple!

The State Fair is home to all of New York’s official flavors. Homegrown agricultural products start with wine, produced in the Finger Lakes, western counties and Long Island, that’s sipped under a tent behind the Horticulture Building. Then there’s the wide array of apples on display just inside the door in the west wing and the nearby honey stand with its gazebo full of swarming bees. 

The one product that, for many tastes, best captures the deliciousness of New York’s sharply contrasting seasons, the sweet velvet of maple syrup, does a booming business annually from its prime location among these neighbors. Rightly so, as the Empire State is the second largest maple-producing state in the United States, following a tradition that dates back to the first maple gatherers, Native Americans. 

New York Maple Producers staffs the biggest stand in the Horticulture Building, 1,200 square feet occupying one whole side of the wing. This will be the organization’s fifth year in their enlarged facility, although the rich, sugary goodness of maple has been sold at the Fair for decades. “I don’t know the exact number, but I believe we’re the second longest-running vendor on the grounds,” says Dave Schiek, manager for the New York State Maple Producers Maple Center during the State Fair. “We’ve always been in the Horticulture Building.” 

Although nearly every New Yorker has drizzled their pancakes or waffles with gooey maple syrup, more than two dozen consignors produce an inspired variety of products to satisfy rabid maple lovers. Maple sugar, candy, granola, popcorn, cotton candy, coated peanuts or cashews, spreads, creams and flavored coffee all occupy shelf space. 

“We try to keep bringing in new products,” says Schiek, a Penn Yan maple producer. “This year {2011} we brought maple popcorn. We also have maple fudge this year as something new for us here. Three or four years ago we started the maple ice cream. We try to bring new products in and expand our offerings of what we have.”

Maple ice cream has proven a strong seller from its corner counter, with a soft-serve cone or bowl priced at $3 last year, hard ice cream for $3.25, milkshakes for $4, Slushies for $3 and a snow cone at $2. Every year free samples are handed out to acquaint passers-by with what’s new. Last year’s sample was maple popcorn, although it wasn’t the product taste-testers may have expected. “We actually pop the kernels in a maple solution,” Schiek reveals. “We don’t really caramelize it or coat it that way.” 

Containers of syrup range from 3.4 ounces/100 milliliter to one gallon/3.78 liter jugs—glass or plastic—including decorative bottles that make better gifts than the tacky trinkets sold on the midway. In addition to the economic boost from sales to Fairgoers, maple producers compete for bragging rights by entering their products for judging. A glass trophy case displays winners of ribbons in State Fair competition for syrup, candy, creams, condiments and treats.

The awards are issued strictly for Empire State products submitted to the Fair. “Any New York state maple producer can bring products in to be judged,” Schiek explains. “Then we assign champions in different categories: light syrup, medium syrup, dark syrup, sugar candy, granulated sugar, creams, various different categories. They judge the first day of the Fair. It takes them most of the day to judge and then we assign ribbons to the winners and put them on display for the Fair. When we’re all done, we look at numbers of winners and scores and assign a grand champion overall.” 

Sales were strong at the 2011 Fair, getting a boost from a great year for maple production. “This year we’re up a little bit, reports Schiek, manager of the center since 2007. “We’ve been fortunate the booth has expanded some in sales almost every year for as long as I’ve been here, which is 15 years or so.” 

Still, exposure is as important as the bottom line. “We try to have the traditional things here for people and we try to have new products for them to try, too. Promote maple in New York: That’s our goal here.”