We took advantage of the warm weekend of February 6-7 and got all of our approximately 900 taps in.  For each tap, we drilled a 5/16" hole about 2 inches into the tree.  Most trees have one tap, but some of the larger trees have two.  It is important to drill a circular hole, not allowing the drill bit to wander and enlarge the opening to an oval.  After the hole is checked for wood shavings and cleaned with a stick if necessary, a new plastic attachment, called a check-valve spile adapter, is inserted into the hole.  Then we attach the "drop line", which is the piece of tubing that connects the spile adapter to the 5/16" plastic tubing that flows downhill to the tank.  In the picture above, you can see Greta holding a drop line.  On occasion we have to replace a drop line because a squirrel damages it.  The drop line and check valve are then pounded into the tree. creating a tight seal.  This goes back to the importance of the circular hole.  It is important that the check valve seals the hole completely because all of the tubing is connected to a vacuum pump that helps pull the sap out of the tree.  If the seal isn't good, our vacuum pressure at the trees is lower and we get less sap.

The extended forecast looks like sap could start flowing towards the end of the week.  It is always hard to predict early season runs, but since this winter has been warmer than average, we are optimistic that sap will flow pretty well at the beginning of the season.  We did see some sap dripping out of the holes we were drilling on the south sides of the trees on the 7th.  This week and weekend, we will finish connecting all of the other parts needed to collect the sap: the vacuum releaser, sap lifters and moisture traps.  We will clean the tanks and hopefully start collecting sap. Once the vacuum is on, the next step will be to search the woods for leaks in the lines that we were unable to detect when we were putting taps in.  

 All of you foodies who have requested "Grade B" syrup are in luck, as we just finished bottling this syrup in plastic quarts. We have a limited supply of the dark syrup and when it is sold out, we'll have to hope for more during the 2016 season. This syrup has a deep flavor and will be excellent in many of the recipes in the Maple cookbook (see prior post).  If you are looking for a gift idea, consider packaging the Maple cookbook and a quart of the Dark Robust Syrup - certain to be a hit with anyone who enjoys good food and cooking in the kitchen.

If you are looking for some new ideas on how to use maple syrup, click here for the link to the book on Amazon.

It is one of the best, if not the best, maple syrup cookbooks in our collection. Breakfasts, Drinks and Appetizers, Soups, Side Dishes, Salads, Main Courses and Desserts make up the contents of this terrific book. Links to resources, such as maple sugar, maple candy, unusual ingredients and baking equipment are found at the end of the cookbook.  We've tried the Maple Pork Loin Roast with Apple Chutney, along with the suggested Sweet and Sour Sauerkraut and the Rustic Pear Galette. Delicious!! We've only begun to work our way through all the creative and appetizing recipes.

We anticipate bottling Grade A: Dark Amber /Grade B maple syrup soon and we'll have this available on the website ASAP. Officially, according to the USDA,  the dark maple syrup (Grade B)  is now Grade A:Dark Color and Robust Flavor. The darker the syrup, the more intense the flavor - especially important in many recipes.

Epicurious has a good article on the new syrup grading system: "Making Sense of the New Syrup Guidelines"