Our Process

We really don’t make anything- Maple syrup is simply the sap from a Maple tree that has been collected and boiled to get rid of the extra water. Nothing is added. Maple sap is typically 1 1/2% to 3% sugar, and syrup is approx. 67% which means you have to boil down about 40 gallons of sap to get one gallon of syrup.

The sap will run in the late winter/early spring when the temps are freezing at night, but above freezing during the day. Just days before this happens(usually mid February), we drill a 5/16″ hole into the Maple tree, and tap a spout into it. The spout is attached to tubing that goes from one tree to the next, and into a collection barrel or tank sitting in a low point in the woods.

From there, the sap is pumped 1000′ through the woods to the sugarhouse or into a tank on the tractor at remote locations.

The sap now goes through the reverse osmosis(R.O.) to separate most of the water out to reduce boiling time, and the amount of firewood required. Once enough sap has been concentrated from the RO, we begin filling the evaporator and start boiling. Sap needs to be boiled as soon as possible to prevent spoilage, or “sour sap”.

As the sap is boiled, it gets thicker and the caramelized color begins to appear. Once the syrup reaches 67 brix (or approx. 67% sugar), it is drawn off and filtered to remove the sugar sand. Sugar sand is made up from minerals naturally found in the maple sap, has a gritty texture and looks like mud! When enough syrup is ready, it is heated to over 180 degrees and stored in stainless steel barrels, or “canned” by filling jars to be sold at our farmstand, special events, and farmers markets.

Maple syrup made early in the season has a lighter color and flavor than syrup made late in the season. Light syrup will have a more delicate flavor, where the darker syrup will have a stronger, more caramelized maple flavor.