Maple Sugar, the Smarter Sweetener
“While the USDA’s Dietary Guidelines for Americans recommend limiting adding sugars to less than 10% of your total daily calories, the recommendations don’t differentiate where those sugars come from. And it turns out the source of sweetness can really make a difference for your health.” “Not all sources of sugar are in fact the same. A new study published in The Journal of Nutrition* is the first placebo-controlled clinical trial exploring the potential health benefits of maple syrup in humans due to maple’s micronutrients and polyphenols.”
“Although maple syrup is a source of sugar, which you should still limit in your diet, it’s a smarter sweetener,” said Sports and Media Dietitian Sarah Alsing, MS, RD; owner of Delightfully Fueled. “Beyond simply providing carbohydrates like other sugar sources, maple syrup also contains vitamins, minerals, amino acids and polyphenols. These micronutrients and polyphenols in pure maple syrup have now been shown to benefit blood sugar control, blood pressure, visceral fat mass (android fat reduction) and gut health. That’s pretty good motivation to change where you get your sugar.” “Most dietary changes can seem overwhelming, but replacing refined sugar with pure maple syrup is an easy substitution anyone can make that still provides the sweetness you want, but also offers major health benefits.”
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Our Sugar House
A huge "Thank You" goes out to Mike, Jill and Clay Ammon of Three Locks Farm. They gave us our Sugar House.
One Saturday, a group of friends helped disassemble and remove what was labeled a "neat old structure". The timbers were relocated to the Minehart Gap Sugarbush. During reconstruction, our "family historian" announced that I should look up tax records for the property that the structure had come from because my Great Grandmother's Grandfather had homesteaded that property. Those records lead me to believe that what is now our Sugarhouse was once my five times great grandfather's home. At some time in history, this building was converted into a pig pen with a chicken coup constructed on the back. So, in keeping with the breakfast tradition, the building that once produced the sausage and eggs, now produces the maple syrup for the pancakes.
Our Story
What started as a father teaching his son appreciation of nature and the value of creating something with my own hands, has grown into a multigenerational passion. Minehart Gap Maple is a growing 700 tap operation collecting sap in historic Minehart Gap. In our sugarhouse, you will see an energy efficient operation including a Reverse Osmosis paired with a state of the art 2'x8' evaporator. Then, Minehart Gap Maple Syrup is meticulously filtered and available in our signature glass bottles. Some syrup is then transformed into other pure maple syrup products such as Maple Cream, Maple Candy and Maple Sugar.
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Responsible care of Natural Resources
Matt and Calob are committed to sustainable practices in making of Maple Syrup and caring for the forest. With help from USDA NRCS, a forest management plan has been created and is in practice on the Minehart Gap Maple Sugarbush. Forest management activities include removal of invasive species including Ailanthus, Autumn Olive, Japanese Barberry, and control of the overaggressive native spice bush, thinning of dead, dying, diseased and undesirable trees, planting of trees and shrubs, and bio-char creation and utilization. Sustainable responsible tapping by only tapping each tree once per year, and by maintaining cleanliness in the tubing, extractor and tanks. Energy efficiency is of paramount importance at Minehart Gap Maple. Equipment and methods are continuously monitored and updated
North American Maple Syrup Producers Council
Industry Involvement
Enthusiastic for responsible, safe Maple Syrup production, Minehart Gap Maple is active in the local River Valleys Maple Syrup Producers Association. Matt is one of RVMSPA's delegates to the Pennsylvania Maple Syrup Producers Council. In the PMSPC, Matt has served as Vice-President, and he is Pennsylvania's representative to the North American Maple Syrup Producers Council. Matt also has managed the PA Farm Show Main Hall PMSPC booth during the time when record sales of members maple syrup products have been shown. In the NAMSC, Matt is on the research committee, education committee and alliance committee where he is actively a part of the decisions that shape the direction of the industry in both Canada and the United States through obtaining partners for research, selecting the direction of that research and educating producers to create safe high-quality products.
Visit Our Sugar House. Minehart Gap Maple will have our doors open to the public the
first Saturday of March every year from 10:00am until 4:00pm.
The "Fall in Love with Maple" Tour will be the first Saturday in November every year from 10:00am until 4:00pm. at Minehart Gap Maple. We hope to see you there!
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Come say Hello at the Pennsylvania Farm Show in January. You will find Minehart Gap Maple Syrup at the PA Maple Syrup Producer Council's Market Place booth in the Main Hall. Don't accept less than the absolute best, tell them that you want Minehart Gap Maple Syrup.
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Minehart Gap Maple would like to invite you to visit our Farm Stand at 30 Old Goss Lane, Lewistown. This is an on your honor farm stand offering all of your syrup needs. Open from 8:00 am until 8:00 pm, for your convenience. Please call if you are wanting larger quantities or to verify items present. When you are visiting, please smile, you will be on camera for security.
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Minehart Gap Maple Pure Maple Syrup can also be found at these fine local retailers:
Nittany Valley True Value Hardware
Schlegel's Grocery and Hardware
Minehart Gap Maple Syrup and Sugar can be found at East End Coffee Company
(ask for a Maple Latte or Maple Cold Jar)
​Pure Minehart Gap Maple Syrup and Bourbon Barrel-Aged Maple Syrup is available at Mid-State Distillery.