{"id":1678,"date":"2013-02-19T09:43:20","date_gmt":"2013-02-19T13:43:20","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.massaudubon.org\/blogs\/yourgreatoutdoors\/?p=1678"},"modified":"2017-02-08T15:05:09","modified_gmt":"2017-02-08T20:05:09","slug":"much-ado-about-maple","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/much-ado-about-maple\/","title":{"rendered":"Much Ado About Maple"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"Maple<\/a>It\u2019s a seasonal rite of passage in New England. By mid-February, maple trees across the region are affixed with silver buckets ready and waiting to catch the sweet sap as it drips through the tap.<\/p>\n

Looking to learn more about maple sugaring, and how to get involved? Keep reading.<\/p>\n

The Sappy Story<\/h3>\n

There are many legends about how maple sugar was first discovered. One Iroquois legend tells how Chief Woksis had thrown his tomahawk into a maple tree one winter evening. After he removed it, the weather turned sunny and warm. Sap began to flow from the cut in the tree.<\/p>\n

Most likely the Native Americans discovered the sweetness of the maple tree by eating “sapsicles,” the icicles of frozen maple sap that form from the end of a broken twig.<\/p>\n

The most common early method of collecting sweet sap was to make V-shaped slashes in the tree trunk, and collect the sap in a wooden vessel. With the advent of drills, both Native Americans and European settlers started drilling holes in the trees and inserting spiles made of a softwood twig such as sumac or elderberry to allow the sap to run out. This was much less harmful to the tree and more efficient for collection.<\/p>\n

These days, at Mass Audubon, we use metal spiles and buckets as well as wood fired evaporators. Larger scale producers use plastic spiles and tubing that runs from tree to tree and then into big collecting tanks. Many producers also now use freeze-thaw separation systems or reverse osmosis to remove some of the water before they boil the sap in large, gas-fired evaporators.<\/p>\n

Sweet Tree<\/h3>\n

While all maples have sweet sap, sugar maples, Acer saccharum,<\/i> produce the best sap for sugaring. The sap of the sugar maple has higher concentrations of sugar than other members of the maple family, and produces better flavored, lighter syrup.<\/p>\n

The sugar maple is a large, long lived, slow growing, hardwood tree. A tappable tree should be at least 12 inches in diameter, which takes about 40 years for a sugar maple.<\/p>\n

Watching the Weather<\/h3>\n

Sugar maples will run sap only when the weather conditions are right. The normal tapping time in Massachusetts is mid-February to mid-March. Sap will run when nights are cold, 25\u00b0 F or below, and days are warm, 40\u00b0 F or above.<\/p>\n

The depth of the snow on the ground during the season is also a factor in sap season. If there is a deep layer of snow on top of the frozen ground during maple season, the snow will help extend the season by keeping the ground frozen longer. Frozen ground helps to slow the development of the tree’s leaf buds, and delay the “buddiness” of the sap.<\/p>\n

From Sap to Syrup<\/h3>\n

Once the sap is collected, it heads to the evaporator, where it boils down, creating the steamy plume that makes everything smell so sweet. It takes 4 to 6 hours of continuous boiling before the sap reduces enough to become delicious maple syrup. It gets strained and bottled and then it\u2019s ready to eat!<\/p>\n

Join the Fun<\/h3>\n

Explore the sweet side of nature and take part in the New England tradition! In February and March you can experience the art and fun of maple sugaring<\/a><\/strong> at Mass Audubon wildlife sanctuaries, with tours, festivals, programs, and pancake breakfasts.<\/p>\n

Looking to tap on your own? Pick up supplies and a manual at the Audubon Shop<\/a><\/strong> in Lincoln.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

It\u2019s a seasonal rite of passage in New England. By mid-February, maple trees across the region are affixed with silver buckets ready and waiting to catch the sweet sap as it drips through the tap. Looking to learn more about maple sugaring, and how to get involved? Keep reading. The Sappy Story There are many […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":8,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":true,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[11],"tags":[65,100],"class_list":["post-1678","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-nature-notes","tag-maple","tag-sugaring"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p3t87A-r4","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":8700,"url":"https:\/\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/its-maple-sugaring-time\/","url_meta":{"origin":1678,"position":0},"title":"It’s Maple Sugaring Time","author":"Hillary T.","date":"February 22, 2017","format":false,"excerpt":"Learn how sap is turned into syrup and taste sweet treats during an upcoming maple sugaring program! Details below. Blue Hills Trailside Museum in Milton offers Maple Sugar Days at Brookwood Farm in Canton on March 18 and 19. Learn how maple sugar was made through the ages and sample\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Get Outdoors"","block_context":{"text":"Get Outdoors","link":"https:\/\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/category\/get-outdoors\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2017\/02\/Drip-from-Moose-Hill.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2017\/02\/Drip-from-Moose-Hill.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2017\/02\/Drip-from-Moose-Hill.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x"},"classes":[]},{"id":10540,"url":"https:\/\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/maple-madness-2018\/","url_meta":{"origin":1678,"position":1},"title":"Maple Madness 2018","author":"Hillary T.","date":"February 14, 2018","format":false,"excerpt":"Maple sugaring is about to kick in to high gear and several of our wildlife sanctuaries are ready to celebrate the sweet season. Find out how you can take part\u2014and be sure to register early to guarantee a spot! Boston Nature Center, Mattapan During Maple Sugaring\u00a0on February 24, tap, collect,\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Get Outdoors"","block_context":{"text":"Get Outdoors","link":"https:\/\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/category\/get-outdoors\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2018\/02\/sugar-sap600.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2018\/02\/sugar-sap600.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2018\/02\/sugar-sap600.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x"},"classes":[]},{"id":7083,"url":"https:\/\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/make-your-winter-even-sweeter\/","url_meta":{"origin":1678,"position":2},"title":"Make Your Winter Even Sweeter","author":"Hillary T.","date":"February 16, 2016","format":false,"excerpt":"Maple sugaring\u2014collecting and boiling maple sap to make syrup and other sugary products\u2014is a beloved late-winter activity in Massachusetts. Dip into the history and science of this sweet treat by reading the latest issue of Connections, Mass Audubon's member newsletter, and checking out Much Ado About Maple blog post. Better\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Get Outdoors"","block_context":{"text":"Get Outdoors","link":"https:\/\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/category\/get-outdoors\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Drumlin Farm sugaring","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2016\/02\/Drumlin-Farm-sugaring-1024x587.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":3301,"url":"https:\/\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/meet-the-maples\/","url_meta":{"origin":1678,"position":3},"title":"Meet the Maples","author":"Rosemary","date":"March 5, 2014","format":false,"excerpt":"It\u2019s maple sugar season: that time of year when we tap trees for their sweet sap, and boil it down to make syrup and other treats. The star of the show is the famous sugar maple (Acer saccharum), but you can spot many other equally stunning maples in Massachusetts. Maple\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Get Outdoors"","block_context":{"text":"Get Outdoors","link":"https:\/\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/category\/get-outdoors\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"maple sugaring","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2014\/03\/maplesugaring-1024x768.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":2909,"url":"https:\/\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/seeing-spots\/","url_meta":{"origin":1678,"position":4},"title":"Seeing Spots?","author":"Stu","date":"November 12, 2013","format":false,"excerpt":"Have you noticed anything strange while raking leaves this fall? If you look closely at some of your maple leaves you might notice a different color than the usual yellows and reds. 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