It is sugaring time

[Ed Pettibone]

We had visited a sugar house in Vermont back in the summer of 98 but summer is not when they are in operation. And each year since we came to NY in 2002 we had missed "The Season". which changes each year. Sometime from mid February to late March. depends on cold nights (preferably on the low 20s and warmer days mid 30s to low 40s. Each year up north one or more church families who make syrup would bring us a small jar - after the season was over. Last summer at the county fair we filled out a card for one of the maple houses to let us know when the season came in this year. We got the card a few weeks ago telling that last weekend and this weekend they would be open to the public. The place was about 30 miles north of us in the Southern part of the Adirondack State Park. Wouldn't you know it we where about 20 miles up the road when I thought about my camera. But here is an article that tells quite a lot about the process. Sorry you all couldn't join us on the wagon slipping through the mud from the sales stand back to the Sugar house. They where a little behind schedule for the day because some of their lines had frozen when the temps got to 10 above zero last night and they where still working to thaw them out. We did get to watch as the steam rose off of the raw sap. So we had to settle for samples from yesterdays batch. It takes from 32 to 40 gallons of sap to make a gallon of syrup. This depends on the sugar content of the sap coming out of the trees. and that depends on the rain fall the previous summer. Last year this house was running just under 2%, this year they are getting 4.5% Not only did I not take my camera, I didn't stop at an ATM to get cash, after a great breakfast in Saratoga springs. So we ended up only buying some maple fudge a small jar of maple cream ( a spread for toast or rolls) and a big ball of maple cotton candy made right in front of us. Syrup is at $52.00 a gallon this year, $28.00 a half gallon, $16.00 for a quart down to $5.00 for a half pint.

Here is the story http://www.travel.nytimes.com/2011/03/1 ... maple.html