Maple syrup, that delicious sweet nectar. The Rideau is known for the exceptional quality of its maple syrup. The modern tradition of tapping maple trees dates to the first pioneers who made maple sugar, the only source of sugar prior to the import of cheap cane sugar. Today's producers use tips and techniques learned from their forefathers, with a few modern additions such as stainless steel evaporators.
The season starts in early to mid-March when the daytime temperatures start to climb above freezing on a regular basis. Holes are drilled in maple trees and buckets are hung, or plastic tubing attached. The sap is collected and boiled down to form syrup. A single tap in a tree produces from 10 to 20 gallons (40 to 80 litres) of sap, enough to make 1 to 2 quarts (litres) of syrup. Tapping draws off less than 10% of a tree's total sap flow. The most productive days are when there is a large temperature contrast between night and day, -5oC at night going to +5oC during the day will really prime the flow.
Maple syrup is divided into three grades based on colour; light, medium and dark. The light is officially the best grade, although the medium and dark grades generally have a stronger maple flavour. Part of the reason for the grading is to avoid confusion with the end of season syrup, which is darker with more of a caramel flavour. The end of the season is signalled by the budding of the maple trees. Chemicals introduced into the sap by the tree to induce budding produce an off-flavour in the sap. It signals that the sap run is over and spring has truly arrived.
Watching maple syrup being made at a local "sugar shack" is fun for young and old alike. Consider taking a maple syrup tour of the Rideau on any weekend from mid-March to mid-April. Have a pancake breakfast at one of the local maple syrup festivals. Drop in at any of the local sugar shacks, watch syrup being made, taste it, bring some home with you. Make it an annual family tradition.
MAKE YOUR OWN
It's fun and easy to make your own syrup. You can tap maple trees on your own property or buy some sap from a local sugar shack (bring your own container). The following is a brief synopsis of maple syrup making. Follow some of the links below for more details:
- Choose a maple tree that is at least 10 inches (25 cm) in diameter, 4 feet (1.25 metres) up from the base.
- Drill a hole 7/16 inch (1.1 cm) in diameter about 3 inches (7.5 cm) deep into the tree.
- Drive a sap spile (or a homemade spile; a hollowed piece of wood or curved piece of tin) into the hole.
- Attach a sap bucket to the hook on the spile (any clean bucket with handle). Put a lid on the bucket to keep out dirt and rain water.
- Collect the sap on a daily basis in a clean bucket (if you can't boil it down that day, store the sap in your freezer).
- Boil the sap down, preferably outside over an open fire. If you don't have an outside fireplace, a side propane burner on a BBQ does an excellent job.
- It takes a lot of boiling, you are going from sap with about 2.5% sugar to syrup which has 66.5% sugar. To figure out how much boiling you have to do, use the rule of 86; divide 86 by the percent sugar to get the boiling ratio. With 2.5% sugar, you need 86/2.5 = 34.4 units of sap to make 1 unit of syrup (i.e. 34.4 litres of sap to make 1 litre of syrup).
- Be careful not to burn the syrup by allowing it to boil down too far. Maintain at least 1 inch (2.5 cm) in the bottom of the pan. You can keep adding cold sap to the boiling liquid.
- Keep the pot at a high rolling boil. The sap will foam. If it threatens to boil over, use a drop of vegetable oil or milk to reduce the foaming.
- Syrup has hit the magic 66.5% sugar content when it is 7.3 degrees F (4oC) above the boiling point of water. Since the boiling point varies with air pressure, boil some water and check the temperature and then check the syrup. If your syrup has too low a sugar content it can spoil, too high and it can crystallize.
- The syrup should be filtered prior to bottling, a piece of clean orlon or felt is best.
- The syrup should be packed in clean jars, canning jars work well. Pour the hot (180oF/85oC) syrup into sterile jars. Fill almost to the top, seal the jars and then lay them on their side while cooling to promote a better seal.
- The best place to store syrup is in your freezer. Syrup of the proper sugar content will not freeze.
- At the end of the season clean your spiles and sap buckets with a solution of 1 part bleach to 20 parts water.
 |
Making
backyard
maple
syrup |
Comments: send me email: kwatson@kos.net
URL: www.rideau-info.com/local/local_maplesyrup.html
© 1999-2008 Ken Watson
