On a sunny, warm winter day, 564 taps went into the sugar and red maple trees as the sap flowed from them here at Waterfall Farm. By that evening, clouds moved in, the temperature dropped below freezing, it began to snow, and the sap run was over. About 200 gallons of sap had collected in the tanks, which is not quite enough sap to fire the evaporator and get started boiling. This is because it takes about 300 gallons of sap to “sweeten the pan,” which is the point at which we have fresh sap coming in one end of the evaporator as finished syrup is coming out the other end. The cold weather ahead of us will refrigerate and even freeze the sap we have on hand, keeping it fresh until our next sap run. Once the pan is “sweetened” at our first boil, it will remain so for the rest of the season and will be ready to make syrup every day that the sap “runs,” regardless of how much sap comes in.
Did you know that sap, as it comes from the tree, only contains 1.5% sugar and 98.5% water? All of that water has to be boiled off to get to the sugar. Finished maple syrup has a sugar content of 66%. That’s a lot of boiling!
The sap flows or “runs” during a thaw which occurs when the temperature rises above 32° F. When the temperature drops below 32°F the run stops. If the temperature warms up quickly from a freeze into the 40s or 50s, the sap pours out of the trees at which point we get a big “run” and we can collect over a thousand gallons of sap in just one day! That’s when we really get busy making syrup.
Making syrup is totally dependent on the weather. Freeze and thaw cycles from late January through early March trigger the flow of sap from the trees. Right about now, trees are “waking up” as the days get longer, and this is the time their sap is good for making syrup. But by mid March, the trees’ leaf buds and flower buds are beginning to swell, and the chemistry of sap is changing to deliver nutrients to those parts of the tree. When the buds break in early spring, that marks the end of our sugar season, as the sap is no longer suitable for making syrup. The sap will still run, but the syrup that comes from it is no longer palatable. This explanation is an oversimplification of what is happening with the trees, but you get the idea.
So, as of January 30th, we’re waiting for the next thaw. Right now the forecast is for cold and snow for the next four days, so we’ll twiddle our thumbs ‘til then and see what happens next. We’ll keep you posted.
Due to a landslide of interest in reservations for syrup by the case, we have reached the point where we are no longer certain if we can meet all the demand. This is farming, after all, and we don't want to over-promise on our projected syrup production for the year. For this reason, you can now join our wait list for syrup by the case. We hope to make enough that we will still be able to put a case in your hands.
If you join our waitlist for one or more cases of syrup, we will be in touch with you directly as the season progresses. We will fill reservations in the order that we receive them. If/when your syrup is ready, we will arrange payment and discuss whether you’d like to make an appointment to pick it up in person or have it shipped to you. A case of twelve 8 oz bottles is $144.
Pick-ups will be by appointment ONLY, and all comers must wear masks and practice social distancing while at the farm.
Please, NO drop-ins. This farm is also our home, and we appreciate your respect for our privacy.
