New England silhouette

It' s almost spring in New England as daytime temperatures rise above freezing and night temperatures fall below. It's also the time when every maple tree in town is tapped and the iconic metal buckets are hung to catch the sap as it returns to the tree roots each night. In fact, that's about all that happens during the transition from winter to spring in New England, and it doesn't happen very fast.

Under perfect conditions, as much as a quart of sap could flow into a bucket overnight, but typically it is much less. It takes about 40 quarts of sap to produce one quart of maple syrup, so each morning after the sap is collected it must be kept cool to keep it from fermenting. Finally, when there is enough sap, the wood- fired evaporator is lit, and the sap is boiled down until it becomes that sweet maple syrup that we all love.

For most, it's a hobby and like any hobby, the equipment can get pricey and the financial returns are not always rewarding. But the final product is pure "liquid gold" that we ration for a year until the sap runs again.