March is the calm period before the storm of spring lambing and calving. During this time we enjoy hanging out in the sugar shack with Leith's parents, Malcolm and Drury, as they boil sap to make syrup. When we have warm days and cold nights the maple sap begins to run. Maple trees are tapped and and connected by tubing to several tanks around the farm, where the sap is collected.
Malcolm boils the sap on a wood fired evaporator, which goes through lots of wood. Stoking the fire is hard work, but it keeps the sugar shack nice and cozy.
Here we see Malcolm checking the density of the syrup in the syrup pan by hand.
He also uses an electronic valve that opens up when the syrup gets to the proper temperature and density.
The drawn off syrup is run through several filters to remove sediment before bottling.
Thanks for reading,
Leith, Mary Kate & Norah MacKenzie
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