Ode to Maple Season

Did you know that this is “Maple Sugar Weekend” in New Hampshire? All around the state, people are tucking into pancakes and waffles drenched with freshly made maple syrup. It certainly is the sweetest sign that spring really is on its way. So, just how do you get something as delicious as syrup from tree sap?

Well, of course, you need a sugar maple tree. No one knows exactly why sugar maples have the sweetest sap, but they do.

[Editor's note: you can boil the sap of other maples trees, but the sap-to-syrup ratio is much higher with Red or Silver Maples]

To access the sap, you drill a hole into the tree just beneath the bark. All the important plumbing in a tree lies less than a quarter-inch below the surface.

Every spring, the tree pumps its stored energy reserves up from the roots to its branches.

This is what will develop the leaves that are tightly curled up inside the buds, waiting to be born.

Once these leaves pop out, they get to work converting sunlight into energy. And of course, we all know that the energy is saved as a type of sugar. Whatever is not used for growing will be sent back down to the roots in the fall for storage. And now, in the spring, the cycle starts again.

So, when you tap a tree for its sap, you are basically collecting some of last summer’s sunshine.

Even though it can be a lot of work to make maple syrup, for many people it is more than just a labor of love. It’s a way to tap into an ancient ritual, and a celebration of the season that many of us look forward to with, yes, delicious anticipation.

And why not? Maple syrup is, after all, all about the sweetness and light!