PresentsThe Art of Making Syrup

Member of The Massachusetts Maple Producers Association

Our Sugar Maples

The first and most important element in maple syrup making is to have a fine stand of hard maple or sugar maple trees. Our sugar maples were first developed by my great grandfather, Edward Warfield.

Sugar Woods

I have spent much time thinning our “Sugar Woods”. Cutting out branches and other species of trees and making trails through the woods. When the trees are thinned out it is easier to get around when it is time to tap.

Where do we Find Them ?Right in your Backyard

Most syrup in this country comes from the Northeast. Places like Vermont, New Hampshire and our own beloved Massachusetts.Is there some in your yard ?

Well lets check our next group of photos & diagrams to help us find out.

Does this look familiar ?

Do they have leaves like this ?

Are the trunks like this ?

If so your on your way to make maple syrup

Tapping

To the left notice the buckets, when filled they needed to be hauled to the sugar house. Today as you see below many sugar farms use a direct line to the sugar house with advent of new and tougher plastics there is no need to worry except for some ornery critters like our friend the ….

Tapping is done around the 3rd week in February. At that time we usually get a few days when the temperature goes up into the 40 degrees during the day

Circa 1898 spigot More modern spigotOld hand Drill

Tools of the Trade

Moving the Sap

Up till about 1950 we would go up & down the trails with a horse drawn sled with a tank on top of it. We would hire high school boys to take the bucket off the sled and pour the sap into the tank. It was brought down to the sugar house where a pipe was attached and the syrup poured into large tanks.

Nowadays our maple trees are all on sap lines. That is, plastic tubing strung from one tree to another. Lets see a diagram with the various sizes.

2” base line

1” line

3/4” line

1/2” line

Connects to the Trees

To the Sugar House

3/16” line

Inside the Sugar House

Vacuum PumpCreates a vacuum in the tubing system which greatly enhances the amounts coming down from the mountain.When the days warm up to around ???? degrees, the pump gets turned on and the sap starts to flow

Reverse Osmosis MachineThis machine is a sophisticated machine which extracts most of the water from the sap. The leftover sap is what we called “concentrated”.Holding Tank

The holding tank is where the raw sap stays till there is enough for it to move on to the osmosis machine.

Releaser and pump

The Final Stages

The EvaporatorThe tank now releases to the evaporator the sap to be boiled. We use wood as our source for heat . We feel it makes a better syrup.

The Finishing PanThe syrup now waits till all the sap has turned to syrup. Then it will be re-boiled to a temp of 190 degrees. Then it will be sent over to the filter press.

The Filter PressThe filter press is a filtering system which takes out any impurities that might have slipped through. These impurities are called “niter”.

Concentration tank

Water holding tank

Almost on The Shelf

5 Gal. Bulk StorageThis is where the pure maple syrup is stored till it is ready to be bottled.

Reheating Process We then reheat the syrup for the last time. Then we transfer it to the various size containers.

Grading & Labeling

Member of The Massachusetts Maple Producers Association

Grading runs from “B” syrup which is dark to a Grade “A” light Amber. Which do you like ???

Ready for Sale

Our SyrupGallon $40.00½ Gallon $28.00Quart $16.00Pint $9.00½ Pt $5.50

Mmmm good !!!

Warfield House Innat

Valley View Farm

Maple Syrup“nectar of the gods”

John Warfield Glaze

Warfield House Innat

Valley View Farm

Slide presentation created byjerry gosetti