Making NH Maple SyrupThe process starts in late February when we tap the maple trees around the house and other Brentwood farms. The number of 2 inch deep holes drilled depends on the age and diameter of the maple tree. Plastic taps are inserted into the holes and plastic tubing attached. The sweet sap flows through the tubing to a holding tank. It is filtered.
The filtered sap is boiled in a 2X8 wood fired evaporator. The evaporator is like a big wood burning stove with a stainless steel compartmentalized pan on top. The sap flows into the raised flue pan first where it boils and the water evaporates. As it boils down it moves into the syrup pan.
When the sap reaches 218 degrees it is ready to be drawn off. It is filtered and transfered into the finisher. The sap is boiled until the hydrometer says it is syrup. We take a sample of the syrup and grade it. Next the finished syrup is filtered and bottled. Finally the syrup is ready to be enjoyed. It takes 40 gallons of sap to produce 1 gallon of syrup.
