Final Notes on Maple Sugaring

Pictured here is 'Camp Misery' and 'Fort Muck,' the place where Todd and I spent our last Saturday. What maple sugaring is about (when done outdoors) is enduring damp muddy conditions while nothing exciting happens. We worked over an open fire and managed to reduce 27 gallons of sap down to 14 gallons, the last of which I picked up this past Tuesday. I took a total of 15 gallons from the Lohmans that day, leaving all the tap buckets dry. Finishing it at home on the stove is quite a bit more productive as I can do other work whilst the water boils away on the stove. At the level we produced this year it seemed much more effective to do this work as a cottage industry, taking raw sap to the homes of various participants and boiling it on the stove. I think plans may be in the works for maple sugaring next year, but next time we will be better equipped.

My final yield (after sharing many samples) is 1 pint of syrup and just over 5 pound of sugar. Great trade goods or stock to last the long winter!