The boiling season started in a big way today. After a weekend of rain and warm weather, the trees started their first significant sap run of the season. Sap was collected from each of our four sugaring orchards and we started boiling late in the afternoon. We had enough sap to boil for several hours and finished the night with over seventy five gallons of pure maple syrup. As a general rule, syrup made at the start of a season is lighter in color than syrup made later in the season. This held true Sunday night, as all but the first few gallons were a beautiful medium amber. After a late start to the 2011 season we were excited to...
Sugaring season has come to a close at Windswept Maples Farm. This year's total production was 1,702 gallons of pure maple syrup. While this represents the most syrup we have made in a season, an increase in taps this year means that actual production per tap was down compared to 2009. In 2010 we tapped approximately 5000 trees, boiling for the first time on February 21st. Our last day of boiling this year was March 31st. Overall 2010 was a productive season and we would like to thank all who were a part of it. We will have all grades of syrup available throughout the year at the farm, and can also ship it across the U.S. For more information,...
Like many other forms of agriculture, maple sugaring is heavily dependant on the weather. Maple syrup is produced during the transition from winter to spring, when the temperature at night is still below freezing and the days warm up to around 40 degrees Fahrenheit. Only this unique pattern of freezing and thawing causes maple trees to produce the sweet sap that is boiled down into maple syrup. So while most people can't wait for warm weather and the end of cold temperatures, sugarmakers usually aren't quite as excited. We need those freezing nights to continue a little longer and keep our season going. We look forward to putting the heavy jackets away just as much as anyone else, we just...
The last ten days have brought us into the thick of the sugaring season here at Windswept Maples. The weather has been right and the sap has been running, allowing us to boil almost every day over the last two weeks. With the help of several neighbors and good friends we've produced 765 gallons of syrup in the month of March, putting us at a current total of 1085 gallons.
