What is Maple Syrup?
One of my earliest memories is of helping my grandfather to tap trees and then collect the maple sap during sugaring season.
When I was little there were huge Maple Trees growing on either side of the road. My grandfather explained that the number of buckets that could be hung on a tree depended on the age of the tree and the circumference of the trunk. He would look at a tree and say That's a two bucket tree or that's a three bucket tree. Only the very old, exceptionally large trees were five or six bucket trees.
Sing about boiling the sap, do some leaf rubbings and learn how to turn maple syrup into maple candy. It's sugaring time! Come learn about making Maple Syrup...
Photo Credit: antique "spile" or "spout"
used to tap maple syrup from maple trees
From Anujpradhan 2006.
How to Tap a Maple Tree
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Which Tree is the Maple Tree?
Identify Maple Trees
Photo Credit: Identify Sugar Maple Trees in Autumn
on Flickr, Creative Commons.
Photo Credit: Buckets on the Sugar Maple Tree
on Flickr, Creative Commons.
Can you tell the difference between various types of maple trees? Did you know that there are different kinds?
Many times people go out in the spring to tap a maple tree but can't identify which one is an actual Sugar Maple.
- How to Identify Maple trees
- The drawings of the various maple leaves and their seeds can be turned into a Concentration or Go Fish Game which is fun for the whole family.
Red Maple
Norway Maple
Sugar Maple
Silver Maple
Black Maple
Be sure to look carefully at the bark and the shape of the tree without the leaves. In the spring, when it's time to tap the trees, there will be no leaves to help you identify the Sugar Maple Trees. Knowing what the bark and general shape of a Sugar Maple will assure that you are indeed tapping a Sugar Maple.
The Sap is Running
Drip, Drip Drip...
Watch the maple sap run out the spicket into the bucket.
This very short video brings back the sounds of spring as the sap in the maple trees run out the spicket and drop into the bucket.
It takes 40 gallons of sap to make a gallon of syrup. I wonder how many drops that is?
This very short video brings back the sounds of spring as the sap in the maple trees run out the spicket and drop into the bucket.
It takes 40 gallons of sap to make a gallon of syrup. I wonder how many drops that is?
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Sugaring Off in 1856
Boiling Down the Maple Syrup in the 19th Century
American Forest Scene, Maple Sugaring, 1856
Currier & Ives
Buy at AllPosters.com
There is nothing sweeter in the early spring than the smell of sap boiling down to make maple syrup, maple sugar and maple candy.
Farmers all over New England boiled down the sap to provide their families with sugar for the whole year.
As a young child, I helped my grandfather tap trees and when the sap had boiled down enough my grandmother showed me how to stir it to make maple candy just the way the children in this picture did long ago.
My father still make maple syrup each year and we enjoy each and every drop.
Garner Rix made Maple Syrup
Maple Syrup has been made by Generations of Vermonters
When Garner Rix and his family moved to Vermont in the late 18th century, they depended on maple sugar production in order to sweeten their drinks and food. Cane sugar was too expensive and usually unavailable.
“Bubble bubble bubble bubble bubble goes the pan,
Furnish better music for the season if you can...”
Boiling Down the Sap
Maple Sap must be boiled down to make Maple Syrup
- Traditional Maple Syrup "Boil Down"
- Every year in February, Colvin Run Mill in Falls Church, Virginia, holds it's annual Maple Syrup Boil-Down....
Watch the step-by-step process to make maple syrup, from tapping trees in the park for their sap, to boiling it over an open fire.
Maple Sweet
Maple Syrup Song
I remember singing this song as a child. Songs like these are still passed on from generation to generation while dads boil the syrup and their children come along to help.
- Maple Sweet
- The chorus goes:
Bubble bubble bubble bubble bubble goes the pan,
Furnish better music for the season if you can,
See the golden billows,
Watch their ebb and flow,
Sweeter joys indeed we sugarmaker's know...
This song was written by Perrin Batchelder Fisk from Warren, Vt in 1837 - Maple Sweet by P B Fisk
- Discussion about Perrin Batchelder Fisk and the Maple Sweet Song.
- Maple Sweet Lyrics and Coloring Page
- Sing thw Maple Sweet song by Perrin Batchelder Fisk while coloring a picture of pancakes and a sugarhouse.
Maple Syrup Grades
How Much Maple Flavor do you Want?
Photo Credit: Maple Syrup Grades/a>
on Flickr, Creative Commons.
Maple Syrup comes in different intensities from Fancy to Dark Amber. The lighter shades are more delicate in flavor and are traditionally more expensive. The are just what you want when you are looking for sweetness but not the maple flavor.
Dark Amber is like molasses. It has a deep rich flavor that is just right for cooking but may be a little intense for pancakes.
My personal favorite is Amber. It has just the right amount of flavor for pancakes, waffles or vanilla ice cream. Be sure to lick the plate when you are finished.
Is there an alternative to Maple Syrup?
The Great Maple Syrup Debate:
What do you put on your pancakes?
Fetching blurbs now... please stand by100% Pure Vermont Maple Syrup
Linda says:
I prefer maple syrup. My mother used to put cream and sugar on her last pancake when we had a pancake supper. She called that her dessert.
Posted March 10, 2011
nancycarol says:
Maple syrup is the best! On my pancakes, french toast, whatever, it's the best!
Posted March 09, 2011
What else is there?
CathyLou says:
I put sprinkle sugar on my pancakes then squeeze a little lemon juice on them. Delicious!
Posted April 08, 2011
ElizabethJeanAllen says:
I like maple syrup, but I grew up in the midwest. It's corn syrup for me.
Posted February 28, 2010
M is for Maple Syrup
Beautifully illustrated with simple text, large print and few words per page, M is for Maple Syrup is an ideal book for story hour, bedtime stories or as a beginning reader. A smaller, non-rhyming text is written for older children.
Learn about the unique flora and fauna of Vermont. L is for Lake Champlain and T is for Hermit Thrush.
View all my reviews >>
M Is For Maple Syrup: A Vermont Alphabet (Discover America State By State. Alphabet Series)
Amazon Price: $10.75 (as of 02/17/2012)
Maple Syrup Coloring Pages
- Maple Syrup Activity Book - Cornell University
- Maple Syrup Activity Book. Twenty four pages of education and activities targeting students in 3rd through 6th grade.
Product Information:
Word puzzles, find the hidden items, identification of various items, mazes, art options and more all are part of the activities all related to maple production and maple products. - New York Printables - New York Coloring Page - Sugar Maple
- New York Printables - New York Coloring Page - Sugar Maple. Print the New York coloring page and color the picture.
- "Welcome to our Sugarhouse" coloring book
- Coloring Book about making Maple Syrup
Who's Twittering about Vermont Maple Syrup?
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- Micaelasuw
- Family Heritage Organic Vermont Maple Syrup, Grade A Dark Amber, 32-Ounce Jug: Butternut Mountain Farm is unique... http://t.co/fKCNz3B9
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- chianjung2
- Buy Hidden Springs Maple Vermont Maple Syrup, 1 Quart - Grade A Medium Amber Online, Great quality with a Great ... http://t.co/kR1imdsx
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- chianjung2
- Ferguson Farms 100% Pure Vermont Maple Syrup, Grade B, Jug 1 Quart (32oz) Review: Ferguson Farms 100% Pure Ver... http://t.co/rSGWbFzj
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- EverythingMaple
- New blog post: Ferguson Farms 100% Pure Vermont Maple Syrup, Grade A Medium, Tin Pint (16oz) http://t.co/seetWI5s
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- jspier12
- @ThisIsLafferty any chance you have a liking for real maple syrup, or green mountains && would like to come to Vermont
automatically generated by Twitter
Get your Maple Syrup here:
Square Cans of Maple Syrup
Buy at AllPosters.com
Maple Syrup is delicious for breakfast, lunch, dinner or anytime of day! Be sure to get the best! Vermont Maple Syrup!
Pancakes, Waffles or Griddlecakes?
What do you pour your Maple Syrup on?
Now that you have learned about Maple Syrup and have sung the Maple Sweet song, flip on over to the Pancake lens to learn the Waffle Song...
Maple Trees along the Stone Wall
Collecting Maple Sap along the Stone Wall
When I was a little girl my grandfather took me out to collect sap for making maple syrup. Some of the way we walked along the stone walls that surrounded the sugar lot. Come learn more about the Stone Walls of Vermont:
Vermont is where the best Maple Syrup is Made!
Stay at Royalton B&B in the Heart of Maple Syrup Country!
I'm not sure why Maple Syrup Day is celebrated in December. You might think it would be in the spring as the sap starts to run or in late winter in order to use up the last of the syrup. In any case, December is a great day for Pancakes and Waffles so pour on the syrup and celebrate!
Countdown to Maple Syrup Day!
Maple Syrup Day!: December 17, 2011
Evelyn's Hands-on Learning Blog
The best way to learn about maple syrup is to try some yourself. Pour some maple syrup on your pancakes, waffles or ice cream. It's delicious.
Fetching RSS feed... please stand byCome Visit Vermont
The Home of Pure Vermont Maple Syrup!
How about some blueberry muffins or pancakes dripping with Pure Vermont Maple Syrup!
Maple Syrup Messages:
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traveller27
Jan 9, 2012 @ 6:27 pm | delete
- Nothing like maple syrup....I grew up in eastern Canada and one of my uncles had a sugar bush. Fun times eating taffy and riding snowmobiles!
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kinworm
Dec 24, 2011 @ 11:07 am | delete
- You've got some fantastic learning lenses here but you really made my mouth water with this one!
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CathyLou
Apr 8, 2011 @ 6:00 am | delete
- What a tradition! I have only recently tried maple syrup but its really delicious! I bet your fresh pure maple syrup tastes the best.
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miaponzo
Mar 14, 2011 @ 4:39 am | delete
- Thank you for this great lens!
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maplesyrup
Feb 5, 2011 @ 11:06 pm | delete
- Not only is maple syrup delicious, it is healthy too! Nice lens!
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sheilamarie Dec 3, 2010 @ 1:15 am | delete
- The darker the better, I say. We made maple syrup with our kids when they were small. Actually that was in Quebec (before we lived in Vermont) where -- dare I say it! -- MOST maple syrup is made. There, I've admitted it and set the record straight! Whew!
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ideadesigns
Oct 6, 2010 @ 2:51 pm | delete
- Mmmm pancakes in the morning with my favorite maple syrup, thanks for sharing I learned a lot about it. Love the picture with the different shades of syrup. (=
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eclecticeducation
Oct 1, 2010 @ 10:50 am | delete
- We went on a Maple Syrup making field trip once. It was really interesting. Great lens. Blessed by a Squid Angel.
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Jeannine Fournier
Aug 30, 2010 @ 7:12 pm | delete
- There is a great documetary of the history of sugaring in a small vermont town. It is fascinating and a great account along with pictures of people,sugarhouses and stories of the time. It is a really different and interesting side of Vermont history in the NorthEast Kingdom and the town of Lunenbug. The book is called "A Wicked Good Run" Contact me if interested and I will let you know how to get a copy of this wonderful book.
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marsha32
Apr 24, 2010 @ 2:09 pm | delete
- interesting... my mom always made it from scratch....that is using sugar, water and maple flavoring
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jptanabe
Apr 24, 2010 @ 12:47 pm | delete
- Mmm, yes pure maple syrup is the best. I've never made it though we have so many maple trees where we live. But I do love it on my pancakes!
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dustytoes
Mar 10, 2010 @ 11:04 am | delete
- Great lens - it's the only way to eat pancakes and I add it to my green tea as well.
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Pukeko
Mar 6, 2010 @ 4:43 am | delete
- Yummy, nothing quite like real maple syrup. Loved learning a bit more about it here.
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Evelyn_Saenz
Mar 6, 2010 @ 6:31 am | delete
- Thank you for stopping by to taste the sticky sweetness of our maple syrup.
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ElizabethJeanAllen
Feb 28, 2010 @ 8:54 am | delete
- When I was a child we would get the cans of maple syrup. I loved it but it's so sweet. I use it in some of my deserts but I don't put it on my pancakes.
Thanks for sharing
Lizzy
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Evelyn_Saenz
Mar 5, 2010 @ 10:16 am | delete
- Lately I have discovered how much pancakes hide the taste of the maple syrup so I now like to eat just a teaspoon of maple syrup all by itself. Sweet and delicious.
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debraanne
Jan 13, 2010 @ 3:34 pm | delete
- What a "delicious" lens! And I love the pictures!!
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Evelyn_Saenz
Jan 13, 2010 @ 5:56 pm | delete
- Thank you for stopping by for some virtual Maple Syrup.
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vallain
Jan 12, 2010 @ 4:45 pm | delete
- I lensrolled this to my Cooking New England Style lens. Very enjoyable.
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Evelyn_Saenz
Jan 13, 2010 @ 5:54 pm | delete
- We certainly do like to cook with Maple Syrup in Vermont.
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About the Author of this Maple Syrup Lens:
Let's write about Maple Syrup!
Pure Vermont Maple Syrup is the Best!
Come write about your experiences collecting and boiling maple syrup on Wizzley, a fun and easy place to express your opinion:
by Evelyn_Saenz
Evelyn_Saenz
My passion is teaching and finding ways to teach children in fun, hands-on, creative ways. The unit studies I make on Squidoo reflect my view that learning... more »
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Amazon Price: $10.00 (as of 02/17/2012)
