Drip, Drip, Drip of Spring
The Great Outdoors | March 1, 2017
By Jackie Scharfenberg, Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources
Drip, drip, drip. . . Ah, the sweet sound of spring!
On an early spring day, the sun warms the temperatures above 40 degrees, awaking the sugar maples trees (Acer saccharum) from their long winter slumber. Sap stored in the roots begins to rise all the way to the branch tips to nourish the buds. After a few weeks, the buds burst into new leaves and flowers.
History
Many centuries ago Native Americans discovered that boiling down sugar maple sap produced a sweet syrup and if boiled further, maple sugar. Native Americans made mostly sugar, because it was easier to store for a multiple of uses throughout the year. When European settlers came to North America, the Native Americans taught them how to produce this sweet treat.
It takes 40 gallons of sap to make one gallon of syrup. (Think how much room 40 milk jugs would take in your refrigerator.)
Modern Day Production
Today, syrup production is a big business where sugar maples grow. From southern Canada, south to the middle of the United States, and from the East Coast to the Mississippi River, sugar maples are producing the sought after spring time sap.
As winter wanes producers head to the woods to tap the sugar maples that measure at least ten inches across. First they must identify the correct trees by looking for the ones with an evenly round crown, opposite thin branches (think how your arms stick out from your body), and gray to black irregularly scaled loose bark. They can’t use the simple, five-pointed leaves for identification, since they appear after the sugar season. Other trees can be tapped for making syrup, but sugar maple sap contains the highest sugar content.
After finding the correct kind and size trees, the next step requires drilling a 3/8 inch hole two inches deep about three feet above the ground. The producer then taps a metal or plastic spile into the hole to direct the sap from inside the tree to a collection pail, bag, or tube. The sap continues to rise as long as the days warm to more than 40 degrees and the nights dip below freezing. It stops when the buds begin to open.
Producers usually collect a large quantity of sap before beginning to cook it down in an evaporator. Evaporators consist of large open flat pans set over a heat source. This set up allows large amounts of water to boil off fairly quickly. As the sap reaches the syrup stage, producers keep a close eye on the sap/syrup to ensure it does not burn. The final step involves drawing off the syrup and bottling it.
The syrup made at the beginning of the season possess a light golden color and delicate maple flavor, while the end of the season sap cooks down to a darker colored syrup with a stronger maple taste. The best time comes when you get to try this sweet treat on pancakes, waffles, French toast, or ice cream.
From drips to tasty syrup, that’s the sugar maple’s awesome spring gift!
