Certified Organic Ontario Maple Syrup
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Memberships & FAQ

Hoover's Maple Syrup are proud members of the Ontario Maple Syrup Producers' Association (OMSPA). You can be sure of purchasing a quality product from us, a member of OMSPA. Sweet Ontario is OMSPA's brand to signify a superior, quality, Ontario Maple Syrup.

Memberships & Associations

We only produce Quality Products at Hoover's

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Winner of the Elmira Maple Syrup Festival Producer of the Year Award 2020

As winners of the Elmira Maple Syrup Festival Producer of the Year 2020 award, we are able to provide our syrup to be served in the pancake tents for the 80,000+ people to enjoy.  We also are given a prime location to sell our maple syrup.  Winning this prestigious award – it is surreal. You work hard to produce the best product you possibly can, but to have judges actually agree that is it the best is simply a thrill. Our customers have been telling us they love our syrup and it is the best, but to win an award such as this one – it makes you realize our customers are right!

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Winner of the Albert & Ruby Martin Award 2020

Terry & Diane Hoover were presented with the Albert and Ruby Martin Award, the most prestigious maple award in Ontario, at the January 9th, 2020 Waterloo Wellington Information Day. This award recognizes their outstanding contribution to Maple. Terry has held several positions in the Ontario Maple Syrup Producers Association (OMSPA) as Provincial Director, President and Past President as well as the President of the Waterloo Wellington local for the past 5 years.

Both Terry and Diane love producing maple syrup with an added passion of educating the public about maple syrup production and consumption.

We are proud to be a member of the Ontario Maple Syrup Producers Association (OMSPA).


You can be sure of purchasing a quality product from us, a member of OMSPA.

Sweet Ontario is OMSPA's brand to signify a superior, quality, Ontario Maple Syrup.

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Below is a list of other organizations we are apart of:

Waterloo/Wellington Local of OMSPA
(Ontario Maple Syrup Producers' Association )

2015 - 2020: President 

OMSPA 
2015 - 2017: President
2017 - 2019: Past President

OWA (Ontario Woodlot Association )
Huron/Perth Chapter
2016 - 2019: Provincial Rep

OFA.  (Ontario Federation of Agriculture )
Member in good standing 

Canadian Diabetes Association
Member in good standing

North Perth Chamber of Commerce
Member in good standing 

 
 
 

When you see the Centre for Systems Integration logo (CSI), this means that the product has been produced without the use of chemicals and follows strict policies and procedures of organic food production. We are inspected each year to ensure we are following the policies and procedures.

 

FAQ's

Q: How much sap does it take to make one litre of syrup?
A. It takes 40 litres of sap to make one litre of syrup.

Q: What happens to the other 39 litres?
A: Sap contains a large portion of water and a small portion of sugar.
During the boiling process, the water is released as steam and what is left becomes the syrup.

Q: What are the perfect weather conditions for making syrup?
A: Sap is likely to flow on a bright, sunny day, after a cold night. As a rule, + 5 degrees Celcius and sunny during the day and - 5 degrees Celcius at night is the best "sap" conditions. The tree gives no outward sign that the sap is about to run. "Sap's running" is a phrase, but actually it drips. How fast or slow depends on a variety of factors.

Q: What is a refractometer?
A: There are two types of refractometers used in the syrup industry. One measures the percentage of sugar or "sweetness" of the sap and the other measures the percentage of sugar of the syrup.

Q: How do you grade syrup?
A: There are a variety of tools on the market to assist us with grading the syrup. Some producers will use a "Grading Kit". This has 4 bottles which contain golden, amber, dark and very dark showing the various colour grades. We use a Hanna Checker for light transmittance for the colour classes. We find this is more accurate for our purposes and much easier to use.

Q:  How do you know when the season is over?
A: Once the buds 'pop', you would make what we call 'buddy' syrup, which has a fowl taste. Another sign is when the spring peepers (frogs) start 'singing' in the swamp, it usually indicates end of the season. 

Beginning of Maple Syrup Season, the buds are closed.

 

End of the Maple Syrup Season, the buds have "popped".