Hebron — If the density’s right, one gallon of maple syrup weighs 11 pounds, said Russ Schaller, co-owner of Woody Acres Sugarhouse. 

In fact, the sugar content in maple syrup is so high, it won’t freeze. 

“But it’s good sugar. Not bad sugar,” he explained, as visitors stopped in Saturday during the 25th Annual Hebron Maple Festival. Not like what you buy in the store, he said. 

Mike Silvestri of Colchester said he couldn’t believe all those years he ate Aunt Jemima, it was only about 3 percent real maple syrup. 

“That’s the one that got me,” he said. 

Hundreds attended the festival, which had been postponed once due to snow, only to have snow fall again Saturday morning. But dozens of local vendors set up anyway, and by afternoon, the sun was out. The festival continues today. 

Shannon Sullivan of East Lyme tried maple milk, maple coffee, a maple cookie and maple sugar and butter crepes “that were really delicious,” she said. 

“It’s good to know they actually have maple syrup in Connecticut,” her mother, Becky Sullivan, said. She’d always thought of maple syrup as a Vermont product. 

Schaller has been making it for 27 years, though the season is late this year. It usually begins around Presidents Day in February, when the sap moves up trees to feed buds so the leaves will come out. Not this time — too cold, he said. 

The ideal temperature is 20 degrees at night, 40 to 45 degrees during the day, and that just started last week, he said. 

Schaller usually taps 200 to 250 trees for sap, but he hasn’t been able to reach them through the snow. He’s got about 100 tapped so far. Sap pours from the taps into buckets, or into tubes that flow using gravity, to barrels. Once he gets the sap, Schaller boils it until the water evaporates, leaving the syrup. 

The season runs four to six weeks, Schaller said. He typically makes about 50 gallons of syrup, and people buy it now and during the holidays, he said. 

While visitors toured the sugar house, others walked past the corner of Wall and Main streets to check out the mostly food-related, mostly maple-related and all local vendors. 

Four veterans organizations collaborated on a main booth. 

“We’re selling the food here,” said Thomas Brancato, an army veteran. “Hamburgers, cheeseburgers, chili, fried dough ... and a cholesterol pill on the side.” 

Compared to last year, business was a bit slow due to the snowy start. “But by the end of this day and tomorrow, we’re hoping to do well,” he said.

d.straszheim@theday.com

Twitter: @DStraszheim