BOILING THE SAP TO MAKE MAPLE SYRUP

Maple Corners Farm, Granville, MA - Once the sap is collected it is put into a holding tank and then piped into an evaporator. The sap is kept between 217 and 219 degrees until it gets to the proper sugar content. It is then poured off as Mark is doing above, and gets sent to another machine to get finished off. It takes 40 gallons of sap to make one gallon of syrup. It is my understanding that the grade of syrup is mostly determined by time of season. The earlier in the season the better grade of syrup, Fancy earlier and ends off at B grade just before the buds appear. Once the buds appear on the trees, maple sugaring season is over.