One of the first signs that spring is out there is seeing steam rising from a sugar house or sugar shack as a maple producer boils down maple sap to make sweet, Pennsylvania maple syrup. As the temperatures begin to moderate in February the sugar maker makes preparations for the maple sugar season. He/She will check the tubing lines and make repairs in the equipment. When the weather forecasts predicts a series of warm, sunny days (generally above 40 degrees) and just below freezing nights the sugar maker will go out into his/her woods (or sugar bush) and begin to tap the trees. The season can begin as early as mid-February but generally it is late February and sometimes as late as early March. The season generally lasts until the end of March but sometimes it can end sooner. A sugar maker will drill a 5/16” hole about 1 ½ “ deep at a slight upward angle into the sap wood of the sugar maple tree. Then he/she will lightly tap the spile or spout into the hole. The “tap” will be connected to a dropline and the dropline will be connected to a lateral line that will have about five or six taps on that line. The lateral lines will run to a larger mainline that will carry the sap to a collection tank. The collection tank is sometimes right at the sugar house. Most of the time, though, the collection tanks are located along a road and the sugar maker must take his tractor and trailer to the collection tanks and pump the slightly sweet sap (maybe averaging about 2% sugar content) into his trailer tank. Then he/she takes the sap to the sugar house where it will be processed.
Processing consists of boiling the sap. As the water evaporates the sugar becomes more and more concentrated and chemical reactions occur during the boiling process that gives the syrup its distinctive color and special maple flavor. The sap becomes syrup when it reaches 66% sugar. The producer then can store the syrup in food grade barrels or bottled into containers for sale. The syrup is packed hot, about 180 degrees to make sure it is absolutely sterile.
If you are fortunate enough to pass a sugar house and see steam rising, feel free to stop in. You will be welcome. The sweet smell of making maple will stay with you. Enjoy the great taste of 100% pure Pennsylvania Maple Syrup. You will likely never go back to artificial syrup. For a real treat visit a sugar house during Maple Weekend. In Northwest Pennsylvania the weekend is March 14 and 15. In the Endless Mountains it is Saturday and Sunday March 21 and 22. In Potter and Tioga Counties it will be Saturday and Sunday March 28 and 29. For more information on maple syrup and where you can purchase pure maple products go to http://maplesyrup.cas.psu.edu.
