Fun Facts

 How was maple syrup discovered?
~ It is believed that the Indians were the ones that discovered maple syrup when they threw a tomahawk at a maple tree.  It is said that the sap flowed into a container left at the base of the tree. The Indians believed that the clear liquid was water, and they placed the container over a fire.  It was then left to boil, and over a period of time it produced a sweet sticky substance. The Indians called it Maple Syrup since the clear liquid came from a maple tree.  
              
How was the sap collected from the maple trees over the years?
~A long time ago there were gashes made in the maple tree to allow the sap to flow.  But over the years it was discovered that the sap flowed better when a hole was drilled into the tree, and this method caused less damage to the tree.  It was then collected in wooden or clay trough like containers.  Not long after that wooden buckets of "Keelers" replaced them.  Nowadays many maple producers use a tubing network throughout the woods with one main line ending into large vats or tanks that are placed in the woods making it easier to collect. 
                   
Can you get sap all year around?
~Sap is only available during the dormant stage between the months of February and April.  This happens in late winter and early spring when the weather is below freezing at night and above freezing during the day.  With the weather like this, the sap in the tree moves up the tree when the temperature rises.  When the temperature begins to fall, the sap begins to fall as well.  This will make the sap run to the holes that have been drilled into the tree.  


How do you make Maple Syrup?
~After the sap has been collected from the trees and brought to a sugar house, it is placed in a large pan called an evaporator.  An evaporator contains a series a flues in the bottom which traps heat and gives it an additional boiling area.  As the sap become concentrated, it flows through a connecting pipe to the front pan.  The front pan contains a series of baffles.  As the sap becomes more concentrated it moves between the baffles placing it closer to the draw-off valve.  When the sap is approximately 7 degrees above the boiling point of water, the syrup is ready.  With the weather changing all the time, it can be difficult to determine the boiling point of water on a given day.  Most producers check the density of maple syrup with a hydrometer.  This is done to determine whether the sap has officially become Maple Syrup.  It is then placed into a finishing pan and filtered to remove a substance called sugar sand. Sugar sand it a mixture of particles that the tree sucked up through it roots. After being filtered, it is placed in cans or jars and is ready to be sold. 
      
How do you make all the other yummy treat Like maple jelly, maple sugar, and maple granulated sugar?
~To make all the yummy treats the maple syrup is boiled further.  To make maple creme, maple syrup needs to be boiled 22 to 24 degrees above the boiling point of water.  To make maple sugar, maple syrup needs to be boiled 32 to 34 degrees above the the boiling point of water.
  
How much sap does it take to make ONE GALLON of Maple Syrup?
~It takes approximately FIFTY gallons of sap to make just ONE gallon of maple syrup.

Does drilling holes hurt the trees ?
~The holes that are placed in the tree by the producer does no permanent damage.  Only 10% of the sap is collected from the tree each year. 

How old does a maple tree have to be before it can be tapped?
~A maple tree is usually 45 years old and 12 inches in diameter before it is tapped.  As the tree grows, more taps can be added.  

Is maple Syrup good for you?
~Maple syrup is composed of balanced sugars, minerals, vitamins and amino acids which makes it unique from other sweeteners. 
          ~VITAMINS-PP (Niacin), B5 (Pantothenic Acid), B2 (Riboflavin), Folic Acid, B6 (Pyridoxine),     
                                Biotin, and Vitamin A.
          ~ MINERALS-potassium, calcium, magnesium, manganese, and iron
          ~AMINO ACIDS are the building blocks of protein