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number of trees lost. The first year was filled with intensive learning. With guidance from experienced local maple syrup producer Ken Fosty and support from Quebec-based equipment technicians, Glenda and Rory received hands on training and learned to operate the necessary equipment from experts.
The tapping process involves drilling small holes into tree trunks, installing spouts called spiles, and setting up an extensive tubing system that channels the sap into collection tanks. Once the tanks are full, the sap is trucked to the nearby sugar shack— essentially a retrofitted double garage— where it is heated in an evaporator to concentrate the sap into syrup. Glenda oversees the cooking process with a meticulous eye, ensuring the sap reduces to the desired thickness, the way a cook would carefully monitor sugar turning into caramel. Once the syrup reaches the ideal consistency, it is filtered to remove impurities and then bottled for sale.
During the harvest season, a team of six assists in tapping the trees, collecting sap, and hauling it to the sugar shack for evaporation. The process is highly concentrated and takes place within a narrow window, responding to the timing of the spring thaw. In a span of seventeen days, the sap is tapped, boiled down, filtered, and bottled. In 2024, CBC’ s average yield was about 200 gallons, though annual yields can fluctuate.
Over time, CBC has expanded its product line, now offering three types of birch syrup— golden, amber, and dark— along with unique products like bacon jam, whiskey toffee sauce, and fruit-infused syrups. These products have found favour with local food lovers, who appreciate the unexpected flavour profiles, such as sponge toffee, citrus, and apricot notes in the golden syrup, or raspberry and fig notes in the amber syrup. While pure syrup is CBC’ s top seller in Eastern Canada, items like bacon jam and whiskey toffee sauce have a wider appeal in Manitoba.
CBC products are available at specialty food and gift stores across Canada, as well as seasonal markets and trade shows. Like many small businesses, lacking an advertising budget, the Harts are hands-on brand ambassadors, relying on word-of-mouth and occasional publicity to drive awareness and growth.
One of Glenda’ s key goals is to encourage Canadian home cooks and chefs to experiment with birch syrup in their kitchens. She believes the syrup’ s versatility is often underappreciated, and she sees a significant opportunity for expansion as more people recognize its potential. The company’ s website includes recipes to inspire experimentation and showcase the syrup’ s wide range of uses.
When asked about her favourite way to use birch syrup, Glenda pauses briefly,“ It’ s amazing simply tossed with butter on cooked veggies, especially carrots. And brushing it on steak before grilling gives you the best steak you’ ll ever eat." She also suggests it pairs wonderfully with salmon, enhancing the fish with slightly citrus notes.
As demand for locally made Canadian products continues to rise, birch syrup is poised to make a bigger splash in both home kitchens and professional restaurants. Glenda is optimistic that chefs will increasingly recognize its versatility, incorporating it into new and exciting dishes. The creative potential of this rich, umami-laden syrup remains largely untapped, and Canadian Birch Company is eager to share it with the world.
ciao! / apr / may / two thousand twenty-five 17