Sunday Stroll
Today, Ed’s family took advantage of the warm weather to get outside and tap trees. Maple syrup is a tradition that both of our families carry on. I remember when I first started dating Ed, he was so happy that I could talk to his dad about tapping trees, making maple syrup, and I even got to make maple sugar candy with him.
Pails collect the sap the old fashioned way.
Melissa and Chris also set up sap lines, plastic tubing that runs through the woods and lets the sap collect into a large drum.
The sap was running today thanks to the warm weather, but it’ll be cold again this week. The sap will pick up when the weather warms up more during the day. My family will wait to tap their trees until then.
Ed and his dad split wood for the fire that boils the sap down into syrup.
Molly, the Scottish Highlander, wonders what everyone is doing in her pen.
The little sap house sits waiting, with stacks of wood next to it. Soon, it will be filled with bubbling sap and sweet steam.
And don’t worry, I’ll be sure to post my family’s maple syrup set up when they tap trees, too!
To see who else is strolling today, visit the Quiet Country House.
Farmer's Daughter 
We have friends that make maple syrup, but sadly we don’t have any maples that are mature enough to tap. I’ll enjoy the process vicariously through your blog!
Thank you for sharing your day!
LOL I thought this was going to be a post on some form of ancient drumming! Never knew y’all mad e your own syrup! Here I thought Mrs. Butterworth made all the syrup!
As a native Californian, this whole tapping trees for maple syrup is THE coolest thing ever!
Love the Highland cow, too. Though we do have those here. 🙂 Always cute.
Ab,
What a great day to tap trees with a nice reprieve from the bitter cold with some nice warm, melting temps! I love those old-fashioned taps–and Molly is so cute!
How nice that you and Ed share this same old-fashioned, New England tradition with both families!
Between both families, you’ll have lots of syrup flowing for all kinds of pancakes, waffles, and other creations that you cook!
Mom
How fun! It is smart to boil the sap with a wood fire. Our friends here installed a different type of heat (propane or fuel oil, can’t remember) and then the prices went up so high that they haven’t done it in a few years. I hope they make some this year – we’re running out.
I love the cow, I think that is just the cutest breed.
Yummy – local maple syrup?? You wouldn’t want to sell any to those of us across the river without maple trees would you??
Aisling- I hope your friends share!
Rob- Mrs. Butterworth! I don’t think that’s even real syrup. Unless corn syrup counts (which it doesn’t).
GB- It’s a New England thing. Some VT farms now offer sugaring vacations, where you get to collect sap, help boil it down, then eat it. They’re quite a racket- they get you to pay to help work on the farm!
Mom- Molly reminds me of Eddie the sheepdog because she’s also really hairy and grumpy.
Jena- It’s nice to sit around the sap while it boils down. I hope your friends make it, too!
CT daffodil- What a compliment! You can get our syrup at my family’s farm market, Rose Orchards in North Branford when we open in May, or you can get my husband’s family’s syrup at the Dudley Farmer’s Market in Guilford or the Durham Farmer’s Market in Durham. They’re looking to expand to new markets this year, too. Sorry, we don’t ship syrup!
I would love so much to have some homemade syrup. The only maple syrup they have in Italy is “Vertmont” (and no, that’s not a typo) and it must be pure corn syrup.
Wow! That is just so cool. I would love to have the experience of tapping maple trees; you and Ed are so lucky to have grown up with this tradition and to have a significant other who appreciates continuing with the tradition together. Someday, your kids are going to love doing this. =)