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www.heritage.com March 10, 2011

1-DPAGE

By Jean RobertSpecial Writer

For some the first sign of spring coming is a sighting of a robin, for others it is the maple syrup run.

As you drive around Manchester you will notice the blue sap collection bags placed by McLennans. It is a fam-ily affair for the McLennans as Mike, Doni, Roy and Rose all Crac“We started making maple syrup in our homemade Christmas gifts baskets and then they turned into thank yous for our contracting cus-tomers,” said Mike McLennan.

McLennan and crew have been making the delectable since 2005 and will place about 500 taps in trees this spring. Sugar and black maples are the most ideal for their sap, but red maples and Box Elders can also be used. The sugar content is the highest in the mature trees at about 4 percent versus the younger trees at 2 percent. A

large 2-3 foot diameter tree can hold 4-6 taps without harm, said Mike McLennan.

The maple trees have sap stored in the branches and in the roots. They must wait until the trees start to thaw before they drill the tap and place the spile. Ideal conditions would be 40 degree days and dropping down to 20 degrees at night in order for the sap to run up and down the tree. If you have ever noticed an icicle from a broke branch, and tasted it, you will have the first taste of the mak-ing of maple syrup.

Once the trees are tapped and the bags are filled, then the collection process begins with the “Sap Wagon.” The McLennans will travel around the area to their different des-tinations and gather the sap on an ever-other day basis.

Next is the initial filter process to screen out any bugs or bark and will go through another filter to “polish” off the product.

With McLennans recent move, the new Sugar Shack is getting it’s finishing touches with a larger 30X10 leader evaporator which will hope-fully process about 125 gallons of syrup this spring. It will take approximately 40 gallons of sap to make one gallon of syrup and will be cooked down over wood heat.

Once the syrup reaches its desired color and sugar content which is tested in a refractom-eter and the sap scoop drip test it is bottled at 180 degrees or above in various sizes of plas-tic or glass containers. These will be available to purchase at the new business location year round. Some think that maple syrup is just for pancakes, but it can also be used for ice cream topping, “maple” milk, coffee flavoring or a sweetener for baking and cooking.

As you head out of town and see the smoke rising from the sugar shack, stop by. There is always a free taste available

and Mike and Doni are more than willing to answer any questions about their maple syrup division of their busi-ness.

If you would like to try mak-ing syrup on your own, they have “Sap Kits” available for $15 which includes a sap sack, spile, sap sack holder, prefilter and a “How to Make Maple Syrup” book and additional bags. Holders and spiles are $8.

“We would like to encourage the residents to tap their trees and either boil the sap down or bring their collected sap to us and we will work on a share basis,” Mike McLennan said.

They currently have the Manchester Co-op Preschool lined up for an educational trip/potluck.

“We would like to encour-age any scouting or youth group, along with classes to make a field trip here,” Doni McLennan said.

By Sean DaltonHeritage Media

Cajun band Cracklin is bringing a little bit of Manchester, Mason and Charlotte to Ann Arbor and Chelsea this month.

They’re also bringing their eclec-tic backgrounds along with their tunes.

Peter Lynch, of Manchester; Jeff Boerger, of Mason; and Steven Rohs, of Charlotte comprise the Cajun music group.

“Jeff and I have been playing Cajun music together since 2008 when we met at a jam session at the Wheatland music festival,” Lynch said this week.

Lynch is also a violinmaker, and he hand-crafted the fiddle that he plays for Cracklin, in addition to lending the group his vocals.

Boerger is a furniture-maker and Rohs is a professor at Michigan State University, where he teaches writing and music from an ethno-cultural perspective.

None of the trio have formal

musical training, but practice and perform on their own.

“We are both really passionate about this music and have learned from some of the well known Cajun and Creole musicians in Louisiana,” Lynch said.

Rohs is the newest member of the band: “(he) has become quite taken with this music as well … is an experienced musician with a background in Old Time and Irish traditions.”

In addition to Cajun jams Cracklin plays two-steps, waltzes and “bluesy” Creole songs, authen-tically and simply known as French music in Louisiana.

“We play the music of the dance-halls and bals de maison … it’s a mixture of the old sound of two fiddles playing; as well as the accordion and fiddle together with that driving rhythm guitar,” Lynch explained.

The vocals to some of their music are sung in the traditional Cajun French.

“We are three guys mak-

ing a whole lot of music with a straightforward feel good with a (Louisiana) French twist,” Lynch said.

Cracklin played during the Sounds & Sights series last summer and caught the eye of Pat Cleary, which is why he asked Lynch and his pals to come spend an evening in Chelsea at Cleary’s.

They will be in Chelsea on April 3 from 1:30 to 4:30 p.m., as well as per-forming Goodnite Gracies for their Mardi Gras Party this Friday from 7:50 to 10 p.m.

Lynch says that Cracklin is an up-and-comer in the county in terms of popularity and following.

“The largest venue we played so far is at The Black Sheep Tavern in Manchester for a Louisiana Dinner they had,” Lynch said. “There were so many people that showed up, that unfortunately about 40 did not even get seated because nobody wanted to leave. It was packed until we fin-ished at 10 p.m.”

For more information go to Myspace.com/cracklincajunband.

March means maple syrup making

Time for sweet sapTime for sweet sap

Mike McLennan overlooks the new evaporator at his farm. The evaporator is used to take maple sap and convert it into maple syrup. It takes about 40 gallons of sap to create one gallon of syrup.

Manchester Cajun band playing around Washtenaw

Cracklin, a Cajun band with members from Manchester, Charlotte and Mason, will perform in Chelsea next month.

A blue bag of sap hangs on a maple tree to collect sap. The sap will then be converted into syrup.