Maple Syruping – Tapping Out
Tuesday, Apr 8th, 2008 by Janna
The beginning of maple syrup season marks the beginning of the end of winter here in northern Minnesota. While much of the United States is enjoying the return of warmth and new green grass, we are still blanketed in snow, waiting patiently (or not so patiently) for springtime. The end of March approaches, the thermometer climbs hesitantly out of the twenties, and we gather our buckets, lids and spiles, in preparation for tapping maple trees.
Our family has been making maple syrup since 1992 — when I was only seven years old. It’s difficult to remember those first years, back in the hey-day of Saxon math and Abeka science, and the exhilaration of escape to the woods to collect sap; though I could then barely lug my pitiful half-full bucket from tree to tree. Looking back, I see us little kids were perhaps more hindrance than help; the adults could’ve done the job much quicker (and perhaps could’ve spilled a little less sap while they were about it); but instead they included us, gave us “important” jobs to do — and I’m so glad they did! Nothing teaches responsibility like a little real work.
Now here we are in 2008, mature, responsible adults (Hardy, har, har!), gearing up for our tenth year of maple syruping. I plan to document each step of the maple syruping process here on my blog. It’ll take three posts to cover everything — tapping out, gathering, and boiling down. Hopefully my resolve will last, and these posts will indeed materialize. Perhaps, now that I’ve made a Declaration of Intent, the call of duty (or fear of shame?) will keep me on the straight and narrow…
Tapping Out
Step One: Drilling! Dad’s drill is essentially a drill bit attached to a weed-whacker, but it is actually designed especially for tapping maple trees.
A couple of quick taps with a hammer to insert the spile into the hole. A rubber hose is attached to the spile, allowing the sap to run down into the bucket…
… The bucket that Amanda will place by each tree …
… But first, Erica must shovel a little space for each bucket. Otherwise, the buckets might tip as the snow underneath melts!
John, the Official Carrier of Lids (Very Important Job)
Justin, lid-snapper-onner, another Essential Element of the tapping-out process
Our trusty Honda Fourtrax, which has been with us almost from the Beginning. We couldn’t survive without our four-wheeler!
Friendly competition always exists between the various participants. Nobody wants to be the dreaded “bottle-neck”, the slowest person in the assembly line.
With Justin to help us this year, we cruised right along, and Dad was forced to admit that, for once, he was The Bottle-neck. Sweet revenge.
If it’s any comfort, some of us in green areas of the country envy your ability to tap your own maple syrup! I look forward to reading about the process, as I know very little about it. Mmm, snow in the woods — just beautiful!
Yours in Christ,
Shannon
Ahhh, the memories! Trudging through deep snow….trying not to trip and fall and spill sap…seeing the cousins…the late night boiling down! That WAS alot of fun (and alot of work)!
Great post! So glad that I can at least live the experience through pictures. Wish I could have been there to help!! I think maple syrup season holds some of my fondest memories. We send our warmest greetings to you and your family! Love, Krista for the Fafaches
Great post Janna! Looking at your pictures reminds me how much I love the smell of the woods, thawing out from its long winter nap. Ahhhh….the memories are so gorgeous. At the time when we had to be out there working, however, I think I was a little less romantic about it all. I can remember sap running down my leg into my boot from hauling too-full buckets around and the feeling of my icy cold fingers trying to pry off the lids to the buckets. And that is why we are the robust northern Minnesotan women that we are! We owe it all to maple syruping!
This looks like so much fun! I have always wanted to try harvesting maple syrup!
Haha, Melanie–I’m glad to know to what I owe my robustness! =D At the end of the sap run, I always felt like my arms must be a few inches longer…and Nancy G, when she fixes our violins, has mentioned before what long arms we have. Hey, Janna, maybe that’s where the long Berge arms come from, too!
Wow! Snow!! We’ve been having weather in the 80′s here in VA…even one day of 90! Thankfully it has cooled off for a few days, but I can’t even imagine snow in April! Enjoy that maple syrup…my mama grew up in upstate NY, so *real* maple syrup is a big love of our families.
I forgot to ask, how much do you actually harvest?
Oof, sorry I didn’t respond to your question, Kaitlyn Michelle! This year we harvested around 25-30 gallons of maple syrup.