Nova Maple Candy is family produced in Northwest Pennsylvania, sustainably harvested from our own hardwood forests. We pride ourselves on making the best syrup possible, and are confident you'll enjoy eating it as much as we enjoy making it! Use it on sweets, meats, and breakfast treats. Made from 100% Grade A Maple Syrup. Best if consumed within one moth of production (expiration date printed on bag), maple candy tends to dry out quickly. Keep this in mind before buying as a gift. Do not remove from bag until candies are ready to be consumed. All boxes are weighted to have at least the advertised weight. Most of our molds are 1/3rd oz but they range from 1/4 to 1 oz, so each box varies with how many pieces are in it. About the product • 100% Pure, all natural, maple sugar candy. Gluten and dairy free. • A 16 ounce box typically containers 32-48 pieces • Made from 100% maple syrup • Shelf life of approximately 6-8 weeks • Family owned and operated International Grading System International Grading System - Nova Maple Syrup uses the new International Grading System that took effect in April 2015. All of the syrup we sell is Grade-A, though the sub-grades will vary based on the weather, trees, and individual season. We ship Grade-A Golden Delicate Taste, Amber Rich, Dark Robust, and Very Dark Strong. We will NOT ship the new Grade-B Commercial (formerly Grade-C) syrup. Darker syrup has a stronger maple flavor than lighter colored maple syrup, and is no way inferior. Both are equally as sweet and are comprised of 67% all natural sugar and 33% water. It all comes down to personal taste preference. Products We Sell Syrup Maple syrup, our core product and base ingredient for all other confections. We make all four grades and sell in gallon, half gallon, quart, pint, and half pint bottles. Sugar Maple sugar is a great replacement for white sugar. Whether you’re looking for an unprocessed sweetener or just want to add a subtle maple flavor, this is the sweetener for you. Cream Our maple cream is simply our syrup boiled down further and churned into a a rich spread with a consistency similar to natural peanut butter. Although cream often implies dairy, that is not the case here. Candy This melt-in-your-mouth maple candy delicacy is a top-seller during the holidays, and sure to be a favorite of anyone with a sweet tooth. Tapping We tap both hard (sugar) and soft (red) maple trees across four properties in January or February, depending on winter temperature forecasts. Tubing is set up throughout the woods, connecting all maple trees to a vacuum pump which helps to pull sap from the trees. Maple sap is clear and looks like water when it comes out of the tree, and can range from 1-3% sugar content. Boiling Collected maple sap is run through a reverse osmosis (RO) system to increase the sugar content before it is pumped into our evaporator. This makes the boiling process more efficient. The process also uses a steam recovery system in order to save as much fuel oil as possible. Maple syrup is ready to be ‘drawn off’ the evaporator and pumped through a filter press when it is 67% sugar. From there, it is either bottled immediately, or pumped into food-grade barrels for future use. Bottling Maple Syrup is bottled at a high temperature (160-180 degrees) to eliminate any bacteria growth. During this process, it is filtered one last time before being sealed and sent to customers. Making Other Products Throughout the rest of the year, we continually use the syrup we stored in barrels to make our other products: sugar, cream, and candy. Each product has its own unique process that delivers delicious results. Our Story How it began Nova Maple Syrup was established in 2015 with the purchase of a 100-acre property in Hartstown, Pennsylvania. The inaugural commercial syrup season began in late January of 2016 with roughly 7,500 taps. Since then we’ve expanded to 22,500 taps covering 275 acres. Hobbyist roots This business venture started as a hobby in 2013 on 1.5 acres, tapping 50 trees and hanging plastic bags to collect the sap. The result was 17 gallons of maple syrup at the end of the season. The 2019 season yielded over 5,000 gallons. The family behind the business Jake and Hailee Leveto gave away glass bottles of maple syrup at their wedding in 2014. This business is named after their dog, Nova, who is a golden retriever/german shepherd mix. Since getting married and turning their hobby into a business, they have also had two sons, born in 2017 and 2019. Highlights Family-owned operation that started as a hobby We tap 22,500 trees across 4 properties Still growing, both the farm and family