Maple Sap
In mid-March, with winter weather turning, it's time for maple syrup n Minnesota (night temperatures are still below freezing and day temperatures warming). We were pleased to have another opportunity to revisit our friend's family's farm to learn and lend some helping hands. Last year, we came in April and helped with collection. This time, we visited earlier in the season to help with the initial placing of taps and hanging the collection bins for this season's maple syrup. The kids helped to drill and set in nearly 60 taps - which will hopefully yield a harvest of 5-10 gallons of syrup.
The kids were taught how to properly identify sugar maple trees (they have the twisty branches and black bark) and how to drill holes (1-1/2 to 2" deep to reach the sap wood and not harm the tree) - a tree big enough to wrap your arms around could take one tap, bigger trees could have two or three taps. Several of the taps had sap flowing immediately, tasting like sugar water. Later, the collected sap will be boiled down into syrup (the sap will need to be collected often): 40 gallons of sap can yield one gallon of syrup.
It was a cold day, and the farm was slushy and muddy with the melting snow, but it was a great experience. Especially playing in the hay loft and visiting all the kittens and chicks and baby calves in the barn :)
