Boiling & Packaging Fresh Syrup

We’re happy to report that we been busy! Whenever temperatures have clawed their way up above freezing, the sap has been running and so have we. The sugar content is consistently 2.5 %, the sap is crystal clear, and we are making amber and golden grades.  For those of you who prefer the darker grades, you’ll have to wait a little longer for warmer weather.

It’s a pleasure to put in long hours at the sugar camp, boiling and packaging fresh syrup.  Our process is very efficient and we have to hustle to keep up with production.  A critical piece of equipment is the automated draw off.  The probe in the pan tracks temperature and a relay opens a value to let the finished syrup out when it reaches the correct boiling point. When the system is in balance, fresh sap is flowing into the evaporator and we are constantly drawing off finished syrup.

Each 36 gallon batch of syrup is filtered and pumped to the packing room.  Our packing line of Sherry, Jeff and Roger paused for a few seconds the other night for the shot at the top of this blog post.  Packing by hand ensures attention to detail and high quality.  It’s nice to have company while doing this job!

Sap dripping from broken branches in the cold weather will freeze and form icicles.  These are actually sweet and are a unique treat.  I expect that the finding of sweet ice/water exuding from maple trees may have played a role in the evolution of maple syrup by indigenous societies.

While we can’t ever guarantee sap flow, our farm is open daily from 10 to 4, with the Kettle Boys and Shantymen operating from Friday to Sunday.

We look forward to seeing our customers and your support for our family business is greatly appreciated. Please dress for the weather and wear footwear suited to wet snow. Learn more about activities at Fortune Farms.