The Process of Maple Syrup
Tubing Installation
Main lines and 5/16 tubing are installed connecting maple trees to the vacuum pump and collection areas.
Freeze & Thaw
Tapping
Tapping Before the cold winter months turn into the warmer spring months, drills are used to create tap holes in the trees. A tapping hammer is then used to put the spouts into the tree for easy sap collection.
Collection
During the cold winter months in Vermont, the sap in the maple trees freeze. When temperatures become warmer near the end of Winter/ beginning of Spring, the trees thaw, and this is when the sap is collected.
Processing
Once sap is collected, it is then put through a process of Reverse Osmosis. This is where pressure is used to separate the sugar that is naturally in sap from the water. In most cases, the sugar content in sap starts out around 1.5-3% and is brought up to 20-25% before it is boiled into maple syrup. The process of Reverse Osmosis cuts down the boiling time drastically.
Maintenance
There is constant work to be done in the sugar woods. Weather and animals damage the sap lines throughout the year. Tubing also is not everlasting and must be replaced after several years. Research has shown that the older the tubing, the less sap yield.
Most sap is no longer collected by buckets like generations before. Large stainless steel tanks are now the most common ways to collect sap.
Boiling
A large evaporator is used to boil the processed sap until it reaches the appropriate density of maple syrup.
