Maple Syrup time at Bothways Farm in Essex!

Hi Joey,

          I thought the GMG readers might enjoy seeing a couple pictures of our Maple Syrup production at Bothways Farm in Essex,We have 10 Maple Trees tapped with 20 metal buckets that we collect the sap from.So far we have collected about 90 gallons of sap.It taking us 70 gallons of sap to make a gallon of syrup.We boil it down in the wood fired evaporator for hours until the sap starts to turn brown from its original clear color.Once it just starts to stick to a ladel we transfer about a half gallon to a smaller pot.We then burn the rest off until the sap starts to foam,that means its real close.We then test the sap in a metal tube with a Hydrometer which tests the density of the sap.Once it hits a red line of the Hydrometer that means its now got a high enough sugar content and has changed into the syrup you put on your pancakes.Lets just say its about 10 hours of watching sap boil to 10 minutes of pure terror getting to density just right,because if you don`t and it gets too thick you get sap rock candy.The cold weather has been delaying our collecting of the syrup just like everyone else in New England.

Thanks

Dean Burgess

Pure Maple Syrup at the Farmer’s Market!

If you love maple syrup in its purest form, try my friend Dean’s Northwood SugarWorks products at the Farmer’s Market….today!