With the warming days of late winter comes the maple sugaring season here in Maine. After years of boiling sap under the stars, we have moved inside this year and we are looking forward to having a fun and productive season. We are trying to produce 25 gallons of syrup this year if the weather allows. Our two cord of sugarwood has been cut since last summer and is awaiting the good sap runs of March. We are burning mostly pine and fir this year, hoping for some hot fires.
It takes about 40 gallons of sap to produce 1 gallon of syrup so there is certainly some serious boiling to be done. The early settlers would boil for days in cast iron kettles over open fires to produce this sweet treat that has been sought after for generations.
Our stainless steel pans and fine filters will make our syrup look clearer than in days of old, but then again the smoke and ashes falling into the syrup must have added some good flavor.
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