Although the temps may still be cold and the snow is falling as I write this, Spring is starting to appear on the farm. The first sign of Spring for some are the flowers that appear, but for me, here in northern Vermont it is the arrival of maple season. The magic of the sap turning into the sweet elixir of syrup is something that will always amaze and delight me. And living on the farm and seeing the full process adds an extra special meaning to it.
There are plenty of backyard sugarmakers in Vermont that tap the trees and use the traditional sap buckets, collecting the buckets and boiling down the sap until you get the magical elixir of syrup. The farm taps the trees but then uses plastic tubing that winds through the woods and the sap collects in a tank at the pump station and then it is pumped to the sugar house where it goes through the reverse osmosis process, removing some of the water and then into the evaporator where more water is removed and the sap becomes syrup. It is then put into barrels, filtered, graded and eventually bottled. This is my very unprofessional description of the process, purely from my observation. If you would like to read a more accurate and detailed description, here is a LINK.
The sugarhouse is about a half mile from my house so I luckily get to run past it every time I head out for a run. And if I see the steam coming from the steam stacks on the roof I know they are boiling, and I stop in for a fresh warm taste of the latest batch. It is so fascinating to see the different colors of the syrup and taste the subtle differences in flavor each day. In the window of the sugar house there are little sample bottles from each batch, and you can see the slight differences. In general the darker the syrup the more intense the maple flavor is, and the lighter the syrup tends to be sweeter but maybe not as “maple forward” (that’s my word.) I am a big fan of the more maple forward the better!
This weekend is Vermont’s Maple Weekend where all the sugarhouses open their doors to the public and they can watch the process and taste the fresh syrup. Some also offer other treats. Here at the farm we are making pancakes (which I will get to cook!) and hot dogs boiled in sap water! Since we a talking maple and food, here is a link to my classic granola recipe made with, of course, maple!
Another sign of Spring here is the arrival of baby animals!!!! In the last few weeks there have been lots of calves born and just this past week the first few lambs have been arrived. Calves are born all year (more in the Spring) but the lambs are only in the Spring. We currently have about 70 pregnant sheep and with 1-3 lambs (the usual) each that’s a lot of lambs!!! I was on a run yesterday when I got to hold one of the 2 day old lambs and I kind of lost my mind a little with the cuteness. And if lambs and calves aren’t enough for signs of Spring the baby chicks arrived as well.
The birdsongs have started to increase a little more each day and while the flowers aren’t blooming yet, I know it won’t be too long before the trees are budding and little green shoots are poking through the ground. While Fall gets a lot of attention and fanfare in Vermont, my favorite season has become Spring. Don’t get me wrong, Fall is beautiful and breathtaking, but it almost feels like a big explosion of beauty. And when the leaves fall there is the quiet and starkness of stick season. Whereas Spring is more subtle and reveals herself slowly each day, causing you to pay attention more, and be present. Just as the sap takes its time before it flows, after a long, cold, snowy, dark winter. Spring will arrive like a delicious sip of syrup, that you have been waiting for and savor. And even though we have a fresh 3 inches of snow on the ground right now, the maple trees will be happy, as the temperatures rise tomorrow and the sap will flow and we are one day closer to Spring.
Thank you for being here with me today and reading my ramblings. Please let me know if you liked today’s post by tapping the “heart”as it helps more people find me! Or you can add a comment if anything in particular resonated with you. I always enjoy hearing from you! I am so incredibly grateful for all of my readers and subscribers. All of your likes, comments, and notes are truly an inspiration to me!
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