About the Syrup Process
Maple syrup is syrup made from the xylem sap of sugar maple trees. It can also be made from red maple, black maple trees, or other maple species. The sap is harvested every spring when the ground thaws and is then boiled into syrup. The sap is tasteless and odorless to start and it is through the process of heating, cooking, and caramelizing of the sugars that the rich flavor and scent develop. The process was originally developed by Native Americans and was adopted by early European settlers. Maple syrup is unrefined and contains organic compounds and amino acids not found in other forms of sugar.
During long, cold Vermont winters, Sugar Maple trees store their sap in their roots. When the spring thaw comes, the sap rushes up the tree and into the branches to help the buds blossom. A maple producer will drill a hole a couple inches deep about four and a half feet high into the tree trunk and insert a small metal tap. The tap directs some of the sap out of the tree. A maple producer will either have a bucket hanging from the tap or plastic tubing running to a central collection bucket to gather the syrup. A healthy tree will be unaffected by a properly placed tap, however, it needs to be at least 12 inches in diameter before it can support one. A tree over 18 inches can support two taps and any tree over 24 inches can support three taps. A maple producer generally expects about a third of a gallon per year from any tap he drills.
The production process is vital to the quality and flavor profile of maple syrup. Sap from a maple tree, when collected, is flavorless and odorless. Boiling down the sap not only removes the excess water; the sugars are caramelized through the heating process and the natural flavors are summoned from the existing amino acids in the syrup. As the sugars caramelize the syrup darkens. The longer the sap boils the darker and more flavorful the syrup will get. Constant attention is required to stoke the fires beneath the evaporator and to maintain the ideal temperature for boiling the syrup.
