LOCALadk Magazine

LOCALadk 12 Perhaps most special is our wood fired boiler, burn- ing wood from the farm's own land just like in the 1940's. The amount of firewood burned is immense and it is a large task in the off season to make sure enough is cut, split, and dried in time for maple sea- son. A wood fired boiler can take longer than other modern methods, and definitely takes more work, but there is a certain magic to standing in the old log sugarhouse by the piping hot wood stove in the midst of the steam. It truly feels as if you've gone back in time. What I'd encourage you to do in order to truly get an appreciation of the process is to give it a try yourself. Large scale syrup production can be incredibly com- plicated, but don't let that scare you. At its core, it is quite simple. Just tap a maple tree, collect that sap, and boil it down until you've got syrup. Try tapping even just one tree! You can start to experience how freezing nights and warm days produce sap flow, and begin to notice when and why your bucket fills up. Don't have a maple tree? You may have luck asking a neighbor or commu- nity member, and you may even make a friend in the process. And you can always come visit Heaven Hill Farm on a March Maple weekend, and we'll help you tap one personally. Boiling is best done outside over a fire or outdoor burner. While some people have successfully boiled inside with proper ventilation, the high humidity can also peel wallpaper off walls or warp cabinets! Last year, to help teach my three year old nephew the sugaring process, we tapped just three trees at my house. We boiled the sap in a hotel pan over a small outdoor fire. It was for the sake of learning, but I can definitively say after boiling for eight hours to make one quart of syrup, every drop of that liquid gold felt precious. You can see a child's eyes light up when they are a part of a process that feels like magic. It brought me so much joy seeing the excitement of my nephew skipping with his freshly collected sap bucket. He was ecstatic to pour it into the pan over the fire knowing that it would later become the topping to his pancake breakfast. If you've tapped your one tree and don't have a good way to boil, I'd suggest simply drinking the straight sap. It's delicious, tasting like refreshing water with the slightest hint of sweetness. The feeling may be a bit different for adults, but no less magic. Boiling is a great excuse for a gathering and there is nothing quite like a sugarhouse filled with friends and laughter and an impromptu string band when someone brings a guitar or a banjo. I once attended a North Country School syrup boil where those who weren't musically inclined were invited to join in the music by shaking beans in a jar — a make- shift North Country maraca. Maybe your boil looks like sitting around an outdoor fire with some family or old friends that you spend quality time with for your be- loved annual tradition. Or maybe your boil is a golden opportunity for some much needed solitude or peace. However you choose to spend the boiling time, you will wind up with some tasty syrup. Not to mention it's generally a beautiful time of year to be outside with the transition of the season. Clearly, it's a labor-intensive and time-intensive process to make maple syrup, but it's a fun one and time well spent, if you ask me. Most importantly, syrup is delicious and can be used in so many different ways. Of course it's great on pancakes or waffles, but consider also drizzling it over some roasted delicate squash, making a batch of homemade granola, substi- tuting it for sugar into a favorite baked good recipe, or even using it in your coffee. So go ahead — give your- self a heavy pour, enjoy that North Country nectar, and savor every drop! t The original Heaven Hill Farm sugarhouse is still used today. Photo credit: Uihlein Foundation

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