There's a process to making pure maple syrup, it starts with sap.
Over the years we’ve come into contact with many people who
think that maple syrup comes straight out of the tree as the sweet, sticky,
amber liquid they pour over their pancakes. It may be basic information
for some people, but how is one really supposed to know if they’ve never talked
to a maple producer, researched it, or experienced it themselves? So, the
fact is, what you get in your jug of pure maple syrup does not come directly
out of the maple tree that way.
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| Maple sap |
It comes out as sap – a semi-clear, slightly-sweet
liquid – also known as maple water. It is a thinner substance, and is
generally 98% water and only 2% sugar. Maple trees expel their sap in the
early spring, when the snow starts melting, the ground is a muddy mess, and the
temperature goes from above to below freezing (& vice versa) in no time
flat.
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| Kern unloading maple sap on a rainy March day in 2013 |
Simply put, this water-like liquid flows out of a drilled hole in the
tree, and goes through a tubing system or in a bucket. It is then collected and boiled in an
evaporator. Boiling drives off excess water,
leaving behind the thicker, sugary substance.
If only you could capture the smell of a night of boiling – so sweet! Steam fills the air as the water evaporates,
and eventually, once boiled long enough, it becomes pure maple syrup. Having the opportunity to taste this maple sap
every season is such a pleasure, and being able to turn it into pure maple
syrup is a privilege.
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| Maple Syrup | | | | | |
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| Maple Sap |
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| Maple Syrup |
