Going High-Tech

Last year, when we began this adventure, we were very "low-tech" with our maple syrup production, and while it was a bit more labor-intensive, it worked out just fine.  In fact, I'm a low-tech kind of gal - partly because I feel like there's something gratifying and serendipitous about getting in touch with our roots and traditions by doing things the way folks have been doing it for generations......and, partly because I find "high-tech" quite intimidating!



 Now, I wouldn't have wanted to use buckets for collecting from all 250+ trees, like they used to, but...

 This year, finances preventing us from replacing our worn out evaporator pans, we teamed up with Barb at Pied Piper Maple Products, who LOVES  "high-tech".  While high-tech is somewhat cost-prohibitive for a small operation, like ours, on our own,  it is pretty cool teaming up with a bigger producer to learn about the equipment, learn how to use it properly, and make excellent quality syrup much more quickly, in exchange for a portion of our sap and our labor.










Last evening we transported our first 150 gallons of sap over the hill and down the valley to Barb's place....

Our sap gets pumped from our storage totes into this tank:

Next, it is pumped into the R-O, or reverse osmosis machine, where the sugar content of the sap becomes concentrated by removal of nearly 75% of the water...

Once concentrated, which happens surprisingly quickly, the concentrate is pumped into this holding tank which empties into the evaporator where the sap will become syrup in about a third of the time it takes the "old-fashioned" way!

Here, Nate is collecting a sample of the concentrate so we can test the sugar content...

And, yet another "high tech" tool is used for that...

I have no idea what it is called, actually, but that round blue piece is a lid, which you open and place a few drops of the concentrate.   The digital screen displays the percentage of sugar in the fluid - pretty cool!

It seems that I have become the "meal manager" for this operation... Since we had a homemade meal of soup and rolls on Saturday, we went super simple last night -  somewhere in the midst of all the action, we shared some pizza and fruit!

For the next three weeks, Barb's maple house and kitchen will be our second home!  In fact, you can find us there during the upcoming NYS Maple Weekends.  Look up "Pied Piper Maple Products" for directions to Barb's place.  And, we'll have our maple syrup bottled and available for purchase starting April 3rd.

Happy St. Patrick's Day!!