sugarmakernoun
I am not really a winter person. Growing up I never had the opportunity to ski or snowboard. Ice skating wasn’t available to me either and despite my love of flying down a hill on a sled, it wasn’t something we did often. Once a year was enough for my mother. Winter in WNY was something I endured more than enjoyed. To be honest, it is a long time to endure since winter can last until May around here (there was snow on Mother’s day last year).
Two years ago at the end of January, I was at the office lamenting the long cold winter still ahead of us without the cheery glow of the holidays. A friend questioned if I was planning on using all the beautiful trees on my new property to make maple syrup. Confused as I was, I started asking questions. He said that when the temperatures freeze overnight but warm during the day the sap starts to flow and you can begin tapping. This usually was in mid to late February. He agreed to help me make my first batch.
Several taps, some chafing pans, and a bunch of cinder blocks later we were cooking our first batch over an open flame in my backyard. Now, that first batch was a bit of a mess, to be honest. It ended up tasting like burnt marshmallows because the pan wasn’t level and some crystallization occurred. We finished it in the house to better control the final and it still wasn’t what anyone else would consider maple syrup (it did taste amazing in coffee!). But that is the best part of the process, the mistakes. I learned so much that first year.
Fast forward to this year, I am looking out my window at my biggest maple tree and itching to get started. My operation has scaled from 5 trees my first year, to all 31 on my property last year, to only 13 of my best producers this year. I have installed a reverse osmosis system (thanks to soulyrested for the great maple content) in my garage to speed up the process. Bottles, labels, candy thermometers, and additional pans are all being purchased to amp up production. Last year’s addition of a propane turkey fryer and brew pot never their prime location in the center of the garage.
While I am scaling this hobby into somewhat of a business, for me it represents something more. It is something to look forward to as a break from the endless chill of the winter. It offers a productive way to spend the day alongside a wood-burning fire, smelling the sweetness as sap turns to syrup. It allows me to slow down and marvel at the amazing process of both seasons and nature while quietly planning my spring garden and catching up on some reading. Most importantly, it is a true representation of hard work turning into something delicious.
Learn more about my syrup operation on my new website www.foxandmapleny.com
