I was just chatting with my father this morning in the Laurentians – the heart of sugar bush country – and it looks like syrup producers are poised and ready for take-off this weekend.
Hey, it’s a bit early but who cares!
Man, there is nothing like the maple syrup time of year, if you ask me, and I have spent more years than I can recall working in the sugar bush. Times I will never forget..
What a hoot that used to be – running lines, repairing breaks, tapping, watching the evaporater, taking the syrup off, canning. The whole operation is a joy right down to the moment when that first batch of maple syrup comes off…..mmmmm
Yes, there is a certain amount of science involved, from knowing the sugar contents in sap at various times of the year, knowing the colour and taste of high grade syrup, to understanding how to maintain the perfect fire for your evaporator, to the moment when the ‘webbing starts’ at precisely 7 degrees above the boiling point of water when the syrup is ripe!
Old school syrup producers, though, do not use these modern gauges and I’m sure never worry about it. They can read more in the webbing off their ladle than a thousand sophisticated gauges could ever read..now that is pure science.
The final product, well, it is a thing of beauty and there is really nothing in the world that compares to the taste of fresh maple syrup, or taffy on snow for that matter.
It truly is nature’s perfect food!
I am told that Quebec and Ontario produce 80% of the world’s supply of maple syrup – a fact we should be proud of. It is part of our heritage, like hunting or fishing or the fur industry.
So, here’s to Maple Syrup, now go out there and enjoy some this weekend, I know I will!
Outdoorsguy