We all have our rituals to celebrate the arrival of spring. It may be looking for first song bird, or the first flower. It may also be the pursuit of the sweetest elixir of spring, maple syrup.
When the frost of night gives way to the thaw of a sunny day, snows melt and water begins to flow. Just as icy water begins its spring time rush, so flows the sap of the Maple tree.
The ebb and flow of frost and thaw is necessary for the regular flow of sap. The frost - thaw cycle assists to move the sap up into the trunk of the tree. Once flowing it possible to gather the sap and produce maple syrup.
The tapping of maple trees has been an annual ritual for more than a century. The annual harvest from the Sugar Maple of Eastern Canada is a booming industry. Syrup produced from the Manitoba Maple however is just as sweet. Some might say sweeter.
The method of gathering sap has remained unchanged for generations. A small hole is bored in the trunk of the tree trunk approximately chest high. A tap, or small pipe is placed in the hole and tapped in to ensure it is snug. Some prefer the traditional metal taps, though plastic are also available.
An appropriate collection device is placed to catch the sap as it leaks from the tap. There are official maple tapping buckets available. However, if you have a large appetite for morning coffee, you may already have a suitable supply of metal tins in your recycling bin.
The amount of sap required to make syrup will vary with the sugar content of the trees. On average, expect a ratio of 25:1. For every 25 gallons of sap, you can expect approximately a gallon of product.
Rendering the sap into syrup is a process that is best done out doors. The process creates a lot of steam as water is boiled off.
Nothing says spring like a sunny afternoon, the smell of wood burning in the stove mixing with the fragrant steam rising from the boiling sap. Your most comfortable lawn chair and a copy of the newspaper all combine for an idyllic setting for making maple syrup.
If a wood stove is not available any suitable heating device capable of boiling water for a sustained period will do. Syrup makers have been known to use fire barrels, bar-b-ques, propane and Coleman stoves.
As the sap boils down it will darken and thicken into syrup. As it is boiled it is regularly skimmed to take off the unwanted white froth that appears. The consistency of the final product is a personal affair. One reliable test is to take a spoonful, let it cool and take a taste. Once to the desired consistency, the syrup is filtered. Paper coffee filters are suitable. Once filtered and bottled, it is stored in the refrigerator or freezer until used.
The effort is worth the tasty spring time treat. Not only does it help makes explain the invention of the pancake, but there could be environmental benefits. The tree takes carbon dioxide from the air in order to make the maple sugars. So, you could say, you are reducing greenhouse gases by encouraging the sequestering of carbon.
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