Maple Sugaring

I can feel it. Spring is coming - just 21 days. As the earth warms here, the sap rises, and that means it's maple sugaring time. The naturalists at the Environmental center (and Shuts Environmental library we frequent) give maple sugaring demonstrations every year, and we finally made it over to Central Park to learn a bit about the sweet, yummy stuff.


Suitable sugar maple trees (at least 10 inches in diameter) in the sugar bush (stand of sugar maples) were marked with string. The children in the group were asked pick out one of the untapped trees. (You can see tapped trees with plastic jugs collecting sap.)

The guide drilled a hole through the bark and about 1" into the sapwood and inserted a spile. Owen tasted the sap, but I was sitting on the ground nursing and missed the chance.

Trees scar over after the tap is removed.

In commercial operations, they can use lines to collect the sap from a group of trees.

The sap is boiled to evaporate the water. It takes about 40 gallons of sugar maple sap to make a gallon of syrup. The large, shallow pan allows ready evaporation because the maple tea (patially reduced sap) has a large surface area.

Afterwards, everyone enjoyed a sample of maple sugar made from the park maples.
Caedmon got a ride in a blanket since I left the wrap at home.

Owen got in a bit of puddle jumping

and playing while we were there too.