~Sugaring Season~Making Vermont Maple Syrup

Good day. :) I wanted to share a few pictures from our days......and nights..(long nights for Mark, Mike & Gary) of this years "Sugaring". The sap is still running great and there is still lots left to boil before this year comes to a close! I took these pictures last Saturday night...Mark's brother Jason was here from Colorado and it was so great to be able to have him come to the Sugar House for a visit.(from L to R, Gary, Jason, Mark & Pa)

Now..these pictures are not the best...as ..there is no electricity in the Sugar House.....it is lit with gas lanterns which throw off a lovely glow..but..make the pictures look not so great.
Now...this syrup is made the old fashioned way..with a wood fired evaporator...and everything done by hand...to quote Mike..who says; "I'll burn the place down before we put electricity and an oil fired evaporator in it!!!!!"(Gary "Firing" the evaporator)

If you did not know any better..you would swear...Mike and Mark....were 95 years old as they are both very old fashioned and set in their ways...NOT that I disagree with the way they make syrup because it is amazing and the fact that it's wood fired..and that they are so very meticulous with the cleanliness of things (if it comes in contact with sap/syrup and the equipment...it's spotless) is the reason folks say it is the best syrup they've ever had...."You stick with what works!!!

In the Sugar House....Gary does the firing....Mark determines when the sap is syrup and makes the draws..and Micheal does all the canning!


(Sweet smelling sap steam rising from the front pan)
( A shot of the steam rising from the front pan..pay no attention to the numerous bottle of whiskey in the background..over the years Mark and Micheal have agreed that it takes almost as much beer and whiskey as it does sap to make a gallon of syrup!!!!):)


(Mark, Micheal and Jason)(Mark & Gary)

(Mark testing the sap...sap becomes syrup at 219*. 7* over the temperature that water boils)


(The sap is ready...here's Mark making a "Draw"...that is pure syrup coming out of that spout!)


(Mark showing Jason how to check the syrup with the Hydrometer and test cup)

(This is sap..that had been dripping from the broken tree in our front yard...it got cold..and it froze..mmmmm a sap cicle!!!!)

That's all for now..i'm headed out to walk down to the sugar house now actually! Have a great day!