I have spent more years than I can recall working the sugar bush, times etched clearly in my memory..not easy work, mind you, but extremely rewarding and downright tasty!
Running the sap lines, repairing breaks, tapping, watching the evaporator, taking-off syrup and running the old creaky canner. The whole operation was a hoot right down to the moment when that first batch of syrup comes off…man, it tastes the best when its warm!
There is a real science involved in any maple syrup operation from understanding the sap’s sugar content at various times of the year, knowing the colour, taste and density of different grades of syrup, to skills like understanding how to build and maintain the perfect fire to keep your evaporator going steady.
Old school syrup producers have never used modern gauges and I’m sure never worried about it either. They can read more in the webbing off their ladle than a thousand sophisticated gauges could ever read..now that is science in itself.
The final product is a thing of beauty and there is really nothing in the world that compares to the taste of fresh maple syrup or taffy on snow.
Now get out there and enjoy some pure Canadian goodness!!
The forecast looks good for sap to run over the next week or so and lets hope favorable temperatures remain long enough for a great season!
Outdoorsguy