At left is beech syrup produced using reverse osmosis before boiling; at right is beech syrup boiled down from sap. These samples were produced for a research project on the economic feasibility of producing syrup from American beech trees. (Photo provided by Adam Wild)

LAKE PLACID — A feasibility study is exploring if a new source of tree-based syrup could take root in New York state.

The farmer-driven Northern New York Agricultural Development Program has announced the results of research into the economic feasibility of producing syrup from American beech trees. Conducted by Adam Wild, director of the Uihlein Maple Research Forest in Lake Placid, the research examined the yield potential and economic feasibility of tapping beech trees for syrup production.

The Uihlein Maple Research Forest is a core asset of the Cornell Sugar Maple Program. It is administered by the Department of Natural Resources, which is part of the New York State College of Agriculture and Life Sciences at Cornell University, Ithaca. The forest of 200-plus acres was established in 1965 with the aid of support from Mr. and Mrs. Henry Uihlein II of Lake Placid.

American beech is an abundant hardwood species in northern New York forests. But don’t plan on pouring the substance on your pancakes. Based on current sales of $4.50 per ounce of beech syrup, a gallon would cost $576.

Due to the limited amount of sap produced for this small-scale project, Wild used a steam kettle and stovetop to process the beech sap into syrup. His report notes the higher mineral content of the beech syrup and includes data recorded for sap flow timing, sap yield and sweetness, tree health and taphole closure, and economic calculations.

“This research is a first step toward determining whether the abundant beech saplings with prolific root sprouts could yield enough sap for profitable syrup production for northern New York’s maple producers. At this time, it looks like tapping beech trees has great potential and does not impact the growth of the trees,” Wild explained in a news release.

Beech syrup samples were provided to the public during the 2022 New York State Maple Weekends at the Uihlein Maple Research Forest and at maple producer conferences in northern New York and the Hudson Valley in early 2023.

“Cooking beech sap down into syrup produced a delicious product with notes of raisin, dried plums, and dried pears, but required a significant amount of concentrating to produce 1 gallon of syrup from 140 gallons of beech sap,” Wild said.

The feasibility study notes that beech trees have no real economic value in northern New York forests partially due to beech bark disease that slowly kills off the above-ground structure of beech trees, often before they reach maturity. The report adds: “Because of beech trees’ low economic value and lack of palatability to deer, forest owners and managers have been attempting to remove beech from northern forest. Because of the prolific amount of root sprouts from beech trees in the understory of NNY forests, it would be beneficial to find a use for this high abundance of beech saplings.”

“The tapping of beech trees for syrup has potential for creating a new product that would allow utilization of a tree that currently has low economic value,” Wild said. “There is a market for beech syrup, and even a beech beverage, with the potential for value much higher than maple syrup. However, more research is needed to develop best practices for tapping and processing.”

The Northern New York Agricultural Development Program has been involved with other studies relating to trees and marketable syrup. In 2017, results were released of a multi-year study conducted by the Uihlein station. It stated that producing birch syrup from sap is a viable source for additional revenue for maple producers because of its price and similar harvesting methods. The Uihlein Forest Store sells birch syrup at $16 for a 3.4 ounce bottle and $26 for a 8.5 ounce bottle. Comparatively, a gallon of maple syrup costs $72.

“Birch syrup has been described throughout as having flavors and aromas ranging from apple butter to a balsamic vinegar reduction,” according to Cornell.