Four Lessons From the Sugar Bush

Thank you sugar maple for the sweet memories and the syrup

I can remember the sweet syrup of the sugar maple from my childhood. All the sweeter because we worked for it. My family set up what is known as a sugar bush. We drilled a small hole in many maple trees and inserted a spigot that allowed the maple sap to run into a bucket. When the buckets were full, they were collected and carried to the sugar shack. This is where the sap was boiled until it was syrup. What a sweet treat.

I have cherished the memory of this experience. I have shared my love for maples and maple syrup with others. I have two favorite books that I share with young people in my life. I took my students on a field trip to a sugar bush. And, I share my maple recipes too! I do buy commercially made maple syrup when in a pinch but for the most part…I am a maple syrup snob. Small batch —from a sugaring family when possible.

Four Lessons to be Learned From the Sugar Bush

1. Work Together: Maple sugaring can be a solo act. You can tap a couple of trees in your backyard. But, it takes thirty-five to fifty gallons of sap for one gallon of syrup. That is a big job. Many families have worked together on a sugar bush through generations. It is a great project for all ages to work on together.
2. Have Patience: Sap begins to run when temperatures are just right toward the end of winter into the spring. Many wait for this time of year in great anticipation. I can remember running to the tree for a little icicle of frozen sap dripping from the spigot…not yet sweet at this point in the process. Once the sap is collected it takes about four hours boiling to produce syrup. That is not a quick process. Like with all things in life, technology can provide other options…I think the practice in patience makes it taste better!
3. Hard Work Pays Off: Each tree, on a good day, produces about two gallons of sap. It is a lot of work to gather the forty gallons of sap it takes to make one gallon of syrup. It is a lot of work to boil and batch the syrup. The sweetest things in life come from hard work.
4. Appreciate Nature: Nature provides so much for us and offers so many lessons. Nature itself is great medicine for anything that ails us. And of course, a spoonful of sugar (maple sugar) helps the medicine go down!

This year, my dad has started back up the sugar shack! I appointed myself a job that I could do from across the country. My part…sampling different syrups — dark, amber, and golden…so that his recipe can be refined to the best possible — for when I place my order!

Well, upon further research, I have found that the grading of dark, amber, and golden options is not exactly a refinement of the recipe…it only has to do with when the sap was collected. Lighter in the cooler days at the beginning of the sugaring season and darker in the warmer ending days of the season. The grading labels speak to how much light shines through the syrup. Darker has a deeper maple flavor. They all have the same sugar content.

So…my testing will not do anything for the recipe but I will not let my tastings go to waste! I could use my results to decide when I want to place my order…beginning of the season or end of the season. To be honest, I want as much as I can get from all of the season! I guess I will just be patient and wait for my delivery! If I get impatient…maybe I will visit a local sugar bush for a preview of this year's syrup! My other contribution will be writing about the experience to share with others! (Sharing the experience…not my syrup!)

My Two Favorite Maple Books for Kids

Sugarbush Spring and Red Leaf, Yellow Leaf

My favorite maple recipe — Caramelized Maple Onions

No judgements please…I created this recipe because I prepared salmon and didn’t have any tartar sauce…or really much else in my fridge or pantry. I of course had some maple syrup and I had one red onion. There are basically two steps and two ingredients

Ingredients

Red onion and maple syrup with a little butter or oil and your choice of salt, garlic, and/or cinnamon.

Steps

1. Slice red onion thinly and saute with a little bit of oil or butter until the onion is translucent and starting to caramelize.
2. Add maple syrup (about an eighth of a cup per serving). Slowly boil until the consistency of your liking. I like mine to be a little gooey!

I first used this recipe for salmon but have since used it for brussel sprouts and anything else when I want a nice caramel maple taste!

My Favorite Maple Candy

First, I can remember a candy that my math teacher in high school made at his sugar bush. I don’t have the recipe but I am going to try this linked Maple Candy Recipe today! I also love the maple fudge that I buy on Mackinac Island. I wrote a story about Mackinac Island if you are interested. Great place to visit…great maple fudge! You will have to ride a ferry or a boat and then walk, ride a bike or take a horse taxi to get it! (Remember…the sweetest things in life don’t come easy!)

Thanks for reading! Have a sweet sugaring season! Thanks Katie Michaelson for this idea and requesting this story from my Maple Poetry on Paper poem. Thanks to ScienceDuuude for hosting my stories and creating such a great community at Woodworkers of The World Unite!!!. What a great place to share wood, work, wit, wisdom, wonder, and wee wuns works!

Note: None of the links included are affiliate links…just sharing ideas.