Learning to make Maple Syrup on Family Fun Friday

We learned how to make Maple syrup last week on a visit to River Bend Farm Visitor's Center in Uxbridge, Massachusetts.  It's not a complicated process but it is time and labor intensive.

(You can learn, too, by attending Maple Sugar Days on the first 3 Saturdays of March.  Tours are FREE and very interesting!)

First, you need a Maple tree.  Any Maple will work although Sugar Maples are the best because they have the highest ratio of sugar to water.  Make sure your tree has at least a 10 inch diameter.

 

Next drill a hole into the side of the tree.

Insert your tap (a metal spout with a hook), hang your bucket and position the cover.

After your bucket has filled with sap, pour the sap through a cloth to strain any "additives" that climbed into the bucket.

Now pour the sap into an evaporator OR a pot over really high heat (a turkey fryer works well).  Be sure to do this outside as 90% of the water needs to evaporate and all that steam might peel your wallpaper.

After all your hard work enjoy a sample of Maple syrup, cream or cookies!

Have you ever made Maple syrup?

Family Fun Friday is a weekly column.  Feel free to leave a link in the comments to your own posts about a fun activity your family has recently experienced.