Making Maple Syrup

By: Kenneth Asselin

Making maple syrup can be an easy, fun, and exciting activity for the entire family. All you need are some maple trees, some basic simple equipment, and the will power to put in the effort making maple syrup for yourself. Making maple syrup is as simple as collecting maple sap and boiling it into syrup.

Making maple syrup is an age-old tradition of the North American Indians, where it was used both as a food and often as a medicine. Very little has changed since the American Indian first discovered how to use the sweet sap from a maple tree.

The process of making maple syrup has not changed in all these years. The sap needs to be boiled to remove the water and make maple syrup.

Late winter and early spring is when the maple trees are tapped. After the sap is collected it is boiled to make the maple syrup. Making maple syrup is a slow labor intensive process that requires evaporating about 40 gallons of sap in order to produce 1 gallon of syrup. The most important process in making maple syrup is lots of heat.

The groves of maple trees that grow in the Northeastern United States and Canada are referred to as the sugarbush, and the process of making maple syrup is known as sugaring. Making maple syrup is one of Agriculture's oldest natural commodities.

The history of Maple Syrup is almost as old as the land itself. Maple syrup is a true American product, and the art of making maple syrup is generally attributed to Native Americans. The native population of North America was producing maple syrup when Europeans first arrived.

You can make your own maple syrup with very little equipment, and you probably already have most of these items. Much of the equipment can be acquired from your local store, and the items that are unique to making maple syrup such as spiles, (spouts) hydrometers, and finishing filters can be purchased at maple syrup equipment suppliers, or even online.

The fact is most people are not aware of the many different uses of maple syrup, other than the usual 'pancakes and syrup'. You should try pure Maple Syrup on ....grapefruit, plain yogurt, winter squash, or sweet potatoes. Use it as a glaze on meat, or poultry and over ice cream for an outstanding dessert. For a special treat try it in coffee, milk or a milkshake. The many uses for maple syrup are never-ending.

Maple syrup is a crop in which there is no surplus. Maple syrup is only produced in North America, because Europe does not have the proper weather conditions conducive to producing meaningful amounts of sap. All maple syrup is not created equal, and making maple syrup is a source of pride for many Northeastern States in the US, and most of Canada.

To produce maple cream, sugar, and candy the syrup is boiled even further, and is a natural sweetener with many health benefits. Pure maple syrup is without question one of the first signs of spring.

If you are interested in making maple syrup for yourself, you will find complete instructions, along with a complete list of the equipment that is necessary at http://www.michiganmaplesyrup.net

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Ken Asselin is webmaster for the Selections Guide series of information and shopping websites. You can visit his Making Maple Syrup website at: www.michiganmaplesyrup.net

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