I awoke today to a bright cool morning that promised some warmth in the sunlight. After tying my flannel robe, wrapping a poncho around my shoulders, I went outside to check our sap reservoirs, several of which were overflowing with clear, sweet sap. For taps, we used old metal curtain rods that had been cut to about six inches. We drilled a 5/16" hole into each tree and used a hammer to insert the metal taps.
In the first 16 hours, the trees had produced over 9 gallons of sap into the reservoirs. The next step was to build a fire, which we simmered the sap over all day, and then transferred the pots into our kitchen to finish boiling it down that evening. It went considerably faster indoors, (make sure you move your cookbooks into another room and put a fan in the window, as the condensation is thick.)
It didn't seem possible that the sap would yield syrup. It was quite clear and thin, even toward toward the end of the process. But it did!
The 9.5 gallons of sap we boiled down yielded about a quart of syrup. This is about spot on with the common estimated ratio of 40 gallons of sap to one gallon of syrup.
Maple syrup is my favorite sugar! I use it in my coffee each morning, I love it so much. The flavor of this syrup is unlike any I've tasted; smoky, caramelly, sweet. It is absolutely delicious. I wonder if this is merely due to the fact that we cooked it over a campfire, or if it also reflects how commercial products often greatly vary from homemade.
I grew up on the North Shore in Minnesota, where maple syrup production thrives and has a long history, originating with the Ojibwe tribe. As I sat by the fire, throughout the day yesterday, I felt so peaceful, and deeply connected to that history, as well as to the centurion maples in front of our house.
