Maple Syrup Sunday: Maple steamer

In case you didn't know Maine is a big state for maple syrup.  Mid-Late March is the maple syrup season.  Sap production is dependent on weather.  It flows freely when the days warm up but the nights are still chilly.  This year the weather was cooperating and it was a good sap season.   When we were home last it was Maple Syrup Sunday.  Local vendors open up their sugar shacks for the public.  There are lots of pancake breakfast and other samples of maple syrup treats like candy and popcorn.

Mr. J and I don't need to visit those although I still think it is fun.  Mr. J's dad and grandpa have quite a spread themselves.  They have been making maple syrup for years.  As time went on and they started making more and more they needed a better operation.  A couple of years ago Mr. J's dad built this:

That big white thing in the back is where the sap is store after it is collected.  It takes approximately 40 gallons of sap to make one gallon of syrup!

The front of the operation.

Where the boiling happens

There is a lot of water in sap that needs to evaporate to get a syrup consistency.  It could take more than 24 hours of boiling to get syrup depending on how much sap you start with.

How the sap comes in from the outside storage tub.

Where the syrup comes out

I love being able to drive around and see all of the trees being tapped for sap.

My favorite maple syrup treat right now is the Maple syrup steamer

Maple Syrup steamer

serves 1

ingredients:

10 oz milk

3 tbsp maple syrup

Put milk in cup and heat in microwave for 3 minutes.  Must be hot.  Add syrup and whisk very fast for about a minute.

Enjoy!