COLLECTING AND PREPARING MAPLE SYRUP

Steps to making maple syrup: Preparing for the season Determining when to tap Identifying the trees to be tapped and tapping them

Collecting and processing (boiling/ evaporating) the sap

Filtering, grading and packing the syrup

In spring, when the nights are still cold, water from the soil is absorbed into the maple tree. During the day, the warmer temperature creates pressure that pushes the water to the bottom of the tree, and the sap starts running to be collected.

The classic collection method is with a bucket and spout. The procedure is to drill a small, shallow hole into the tree, tap a spout into the hole and place a bucket on a hook below the spout. The bucket is covered to keep the sap clear of debris.

Once the trees are tapped, the season lasts until the nightly freeze no longer happens and the sap stops flowing or buds form and the trees start to leaf. The sap is usually gathered from late February to midor late April, depending on weather conditions.

Any maple tree measuring at least 20 centimetres in diameter can be tapped.

After collection, the sap is transported to a sugar shack and boiled down. As it boils and the water evaporates, the liquid becomes denser and sweeter, eventually becoming maple syrup.

About 40 litres of sap boil down to one litre of pure maple syrup.