The Iroquois Indians first developed maple syrup, and taught the process to the Colonial settlers, who used it as their only sweetener for many years. It's been a New England tradition ever since.
If you think maple syrup is just for pancakes, think again! Ice cream, pudding, pie or cake, barbecue sauce, and candy are just a few of the many popular maple recipes. Maple syrup is sweeter than sugar, has less calories, and can be substituted for sugar in most recipes.
Pure maple syrup bears little resemblance to the so-called maple syrup found on many grocery store shelves. According to Bob Moore, Vice President of the Maine Maple Producers Association, and owner of Bob's Sugarhouse, years ago, "store brands of syrup contained approximately 2% maple syrup. Now a typical store brand contains high fructose corn syrup, corn syrup, water, artificial maple flavor, caramel coloring, preservatives, etc. Pure, unadulterated maple syrup can be made from only one source: the sap of the maple tree, preferably the species 'acer saccharum'--the sugar maple."
How It's Made
Sometime in February or March, when the days turn warm and the nights remain cold, the sap in Maine's thousands of sugar maple trees begins its journey from the roots, up through the trunk, and out to the ends of the branches, where it nourishes the buds before making the return trip back to the roots each day during the four to six week maple syrup season.
When the sap is about to run, sugar makers tap holes two to three inches deep into the maple trees, carefully avoiding old tap holes that are healing over. They immediately place a spout in the tap hole and connect tubing to each tap.
When the Sap Runs
Can you predict when the sap will start running? Bob Moore, Proprietor of Bob's Sugarhouse and Vice President of the Maine Maple Producers Association says:
"There is an old New England saying...'When the crows start to caw, it's time to tap.' In actuality, there is no set time, as it will differ from year to year.
"I like to be ready by the third week in February in case there is an 'early run.' The first of March through the second week in April is most likely to be the season."
The maple trees must be at least 40 years old and 10 inches in diameter. A healthy tree will provide sap for 100 years or more. Each tree usually produces approximately 10 gallons of sap, which boils down to a quart or so of maple syrup.
Where the old-fashioned bucket collection method is used, a sap gathering tank mounted on a sled, wagon, or truck pulled by a team of horses, oxen, or by a tractor, is moved through the sugarbush as workers gather the sap using large pails which are dumped into the gathering tank. The tank is then taken to a storage tank at the sugar house, where the boiling takes place.
If the tubing system is used, the sap drips from the taphole, through the spout, and into tubing that is joined to other trees, and eventually turns into a larger pipeline called a "mainline." The mainline carries the sap downhill to a sap storage tank at the sugar house.
Once the collection methods are in place, the waiting begins. To have a good first run, Mother Nature must cooperate by providing a 15 degree temperature swing within 12 hours, from the low to mid twenties to the high thirties or low forties. As the snow melts, the sap runs.
The best maple syrup comes from sap that is boiled immediately after it comes from the tree. This is especially true of the finer grades of maple syrup, like Light Amber, so as soon as there is enough in the storage tanks, fires are lit in the stainless steel evaporator used for boiling and concentrating the sap into maple syrup. The process of collecting and boiling down the sap usually continues for four- to-six weeks.
Make Your Own
If you're really adventurous, and you have sugar maple trees, you can make your own maple syrup and sugar. Most of us will want to purchase our maple syrup from one of the quality Maine maple syrup producers, a few of which are listed on the next page, with links to their Web sites. Links to delicious recipes using Maine Maple Syrup are also included on the next page of this article.