When the sap is flowing it’s time to make the syrup. No procrastination. No putting it off until tomorrow. Because the tanks and buckets have been almost overflowing with sap due to the last couple of days of warm weather, today we had to boil. Starting early in the morning to get the arch fires going, means there will be time to get all the collected sap turned into syrup before dinner time.
Keeping the fire going at just the right intensity, means the sap boils evenly and steadily, and most importantly, doesn’t burn!
The syrup makers keep a close eye on the progress of the boil, noticing the color gradation as the syrup flows from channel to channel.
and taking the measure of sweetness
to determine when it’s time to ‘draw’ syrup from the boiler.
The fresh, hot syrup is immediately poured through a very fine filter. These draws happen about every 15 minutes for 8 hours, until the collected sap is all syrup. At the end of the day, the filtered syrup will be heated to 180 degrees and filled and sealed into large storage drums. Once the sugaring season is over, and there’s time, the drummed syrup will be reheated and put into containers to sell. But for now…..we have to keep the fires hot and the sap steaming!
