An old Iroquois legend describes the accidental discovery of the sugar making process. A hunter returned to his dwelling after a long unsuccessful day of hunting. The hunter was so upset with himself that he threw his tomahawk, a hatchet type weapon, into a nearby maple tree.
The hunter did not care to remove it until the next morning. That evening everyone gathered for dinner and agreed that the cooked meat was sweet and delicious tasting.
Later, they learned that the hollowed out log that was used for cooking had been sitting under the tree that the hunter threw his tomahawk into. When the tomahawk was removed, fluid from the maple tree flowed into the hollow log.
Today, many New Yorkers are familiar with maple sugaring. Maple sugaring is the process of tapping maple trees, collecting the sap (or sugar water) that flows from the taps and boiling the water off until the sap reaches a thick consistency, which is known as maple syrup.
Maple syrup is completely natural and contains amino acids, vitamins and minerals such as potassium and calcium. It is also a fat free food with only 40 calories per tablespoon.
Maple sugaring is a time consuming process that requires dedication and hard work. However, if you are willing to try it, you may have a new hobby. Just keep in mind that it takes approximately 40 gallons of sap to produce one gallon of syrup.
• Timing: Trees are usually ready to be tapped in early spring when the temperatures drop below freezing at night but climb above freezing during the day. In this part of New York, these temperatures occur during February and March.
• Trees: Many maple trees produce sap that can be made into maple syrup. These trees include the sugar maple, red maple, silver maple and box elder. However, not all of these trees will yield the same maple syrup. Sugar maples generally have the sap with the higher sugar content and produce better flavored syrup than other maple species. No one knows the exact reason for the higher sugar content, but scientists suggest it may be related to the structure of their wood.
• Tapping: When the trees have been chosen and the sap is flowing, tapping may begin. Tap holes are drilled with a 7/16 inch diameter drill. The spile, or spout, is then gently tapped into the hole with a light hammer. Depending on the diameter of the tree, more than one tap may be used.
• Collecting: After the spile is in place a bucket equipped with a cover is placed directly under it to capture the sap. Sap should be gathered daily and stored in a cool place.
• Processing: It is not advised to boil the sap indoors because of the large amount of steam that is given off during evaporation. Instead, many hobbyists boil the sap in a large pan over an open fire. As syrup is evaporated, more sap is added to the pan. Sap becomes syrup at about 7 degrees above boiling. Once the sap has formed syrup it is then filtered and canned.
For more information, contact Cornell Cooperative Extension of Cayuga County at 255-1183.
Renee Jensen is a community educator of environmental issues at Cornell Cooperative Extension of Cayuga County.
Later, they learned that the hollowed out log that was used for cooking had been sitting under the tree that the hunter threw his tomahawk into. When the tomahawk was removed, fluid from the maple tree flowed into the hollow log.
Today, many New Yorkers are familiar with maple sugaring. Maple sugaring is the process of tapping maple trees, collecting the sap (or sugar water) that flows from the taps and boiling the water off until the sap reaches a thick consistency, which is known as maple syrup.
Maple syrup is completely natural and contains amino acids, vitamins and minerals such as potassium and calcium. It is also a fat free food with only 40 calories per tablespoon.
Maple sugaring is a time consuming process that requires dedication and hard work. However, if you are willing to try it, you may have a new hobby. Just keep in mind that it takes approximately 40 gallons of sap to produce one gallon of syrup.
• Timing: Trees are usually ready to be tapped in early spring when the temperatures drop below freezing at night but climb above freezing during the day. In this part of New York, these temperatures occur during February and March.
• Trees: Many maple trees produce sap that can be made into maple syrup. These trees include the sugar maple, red maple, silver maple and box elder. However, not all of these trees will yield the same maple syrup. Sugar maples generally have the sap with the higher sugar content and produce better flavored syrup than other maple species. No one knows the exact reason for the higher sugar content, but scientists suggest it may be related to the structure of their wood.
• Tapping: When the trees have been chosen and the sap is flowing, tapping may begin. Tap holes are drilled with a 7/16 inch diameter drill. The spile, or spout, is then gently tapped into the hole with a light hammer. Depending on the diameter of the tree, more than one tap may be used.
• Collecting: After the spile is in place a bucket equipped with a cover is placed directly under it to capture the sap. Sap should be gathered daily and stored in a cool place.
• Processing: It is not advised to boil the sap indoors because of the large amount of steam that is given off during evaporation. Instead, many hobbyists boil the sap in a large pan over an open fire. As syrup is evaporated, more sap is added to the pan. Sap becomes syrup at about 7 degrees above boiling. Once the sap has formed syrup it is then filtered and canned.
For more information, contact Cornell Cooperative Extension of Cayuga County at 255-1183.
Renee Jensen is a community educator of environmental issues at Cornell Cooperative Extension of Cayuga County.
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