The Sap is Running!

This is what a modern tapped maple tree looks like - gone are the days of open buckets. More hygienic, but less photogenic. Anyway, it was a big surprise to see that all the downtown (downvillage?) maples were being tapped - seemed kind of cheeky of somebody! But it turned out to be a project that Murphy's Maple were running in conjunction with the local school - the kids will be making their own pancake syrup this year.

It takes about 40 litres of sap to make a litre of syrup - the fun part comes when it's time to boil it down. You don't do that in your kitchen, not unless you want the wallpaper peeling off the walls!

Before we went to Florida we purchased a beginners kit so we can tap our own maples in the woods behind the house. Just one little problem: no-one can remember exactly which ones are the maple trees (mark your trees in the fall, guys!). Mr Lightwave has been photographing other peoples' trees so he can identify the maples from the bark. Good luck with that, as they say. Anyway, maple or not, the tapping will begin tomorrow. Stay tuned.