Maple Syrup

Education 3 Minutes

(This post was bumped from it’s more timely spot, but it’s still interesting imo.)

 As winter loses its grip on Pennsylvania, warmer days followed by cold nights signal the beginning of maple syrup season. 

When spring conditions are right, sap in sugar maple trees begins to flow, and sugars made with last summer’s sun move from their storage sites into the tree’s trunk, according to Bob Hansen, Penn State Cooperative Extension forest resources educator based in Tioga County. Mid-February to early March normally heralds the arrival of the “right” conditions, and the season runs until early April most years.

“Maple sugar products are truly North American — native Americans were the first people to make maple sugar,” he said. “We speculate they used hot stones and bark vessels to ‘boil’ sap to concentrate the sugars. Early Europeans likely appreciated this source of sugar, and, with the advantage of iron pots, they soon developed this seasonal industry and converted sap into sugar cakes or blocks, which were easier to store.”

Before tropical sugar sources were easily accessible, maple sugar was the premier sweetener. As imported sugar became increasingly available, the maple industry switched to syrup production. Today, the maple industry produces a wide-range of quality products, Hansen noted. However, syrup is the most common, best known and considered by many the ultimate natural product.

“Many woodlot owners today look forward to the maple season as an important part of their family heritage,” Hansen said. “For some, it is a major cash crop. Among the state’s diverse farm products, it is one of the few to be produced, processed and often sold entirely on the farm.”

Quebec province leads North America in maple-syrup production, and the state of Vermont has successfully built an association with maple products. However, Pennsylvania is a major producer — ranked seventh in the United States in 2009. Other leading maple states include Connecticut, New York, New Hampshire, Massachusetts, Ohio, Wisconsin, Maine, Michigan, Minnesota, West Virginia, Indiana, Iowa and Virginia.

“Sugar maple is the species of choice for tapping to make maple sugar,” Hansen said. “Other maples such as black and red also yield sweet sap, but on average not as sweet as that flowing from sugar maple.”

Tapping done properly generally does little harm to the tree, Hansen pointed out. Trees 10 to 18 inches in diameter at 4.5 feet above the ground receive one tap. Trees larger than 18 inches can have two. Tap holes are made by boring a 5/16 inch diameter hole at a slight upward angle into the tree to a depth of 1.5 to 2 inches. A hollow spout or spile is then gently tapped into the hole to fit snugly.

Commercial maple producers collect sap in stainless steel buckets or weave a web of plastic tubing to connect trees and move sap to a common collection point. Small producers, working with only a few trees, can collect sap in clean plastic jugs (e.g., milk cartons) suspended from the spile.
 
“Eventually sap is brought to the sugarhouse where an evaporator concentrates the sugar and turns the sap into the amber-colored syrup,” Hansen said. “After filtering to remove ‘sugar sand’ (mineral substances in sap concentrated in the boiling process), producers grade their product. Syrup grades depend on color — light, medium or dark amber — and flavor.”

Syrup by law has at least 66 percent sugar solids. The volume of sap needed to make a gallon of syrup varies with the concentration of sugar in the sap. Sap sugar content varies from tree to tree, from less than 1 percent to rarely 10 percent. Normally, it is about 1.5 to 3 percent. Approximately 43 gallons of sap with a 2 percent sugar content yield one gallon of syrup. 
 
“People who are interested in maple-syrup production should consider visiting one of the state’s many maple festivals to learn more about this sweet industry,” said Hansen. “During these weekends, syrup makers open their operations and are available to answer questions.”

Source: https://www.psu.edu/news/impact/story/pennsylvania-its-time-make-maple-syrup/

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Published by pat frederick

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124 thoughts on “Maple Syrup”

  1. Morning All!
    Maple festivals are BIG around here–and it seems they are everywhere!
    lots of road stands (and even small garden centers) have homemade syrups and honey.
    the little place we visited yesterday has homemade maple fudge–but she was out. we will definitely go back to try some another time!
    saw 2 spike bucks at the salt lick this morning!

    Liked by 1 person

    1. I love almost anything maple…I can still taste that! We have some Mennonites who live west of us who always brought goodies like honey and syrup to the fall “yard sale” we put on at the Legion.

      Liked by 1 person

  7. Feisty Hayseed
    Feisty Hayseed
    May 21, 2023 12:39 am

    Apparently an administration that is trying to shut down oil and gas based energy production is NOT good enough

    Climate Change Derangement Syndrome. It’s a HOAX! WE have just started a Grand Solar Minimum. For the next 35 years, the Sun will have less Solar Flare activity. Global Cooling will result. Read it..Quit being emotional and do your own Research. We can’t Control Nature (GOD)! pic.twitter.com/27SMo682VH

    — Gary Ridaught (@GRidaught) May 19, 2023

    Like

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  12. john jackson
    @pvtjokerus
    Wrap your mind around this. The FBI just had to admit that they improperly accessed a protected foreign data base almost 300k times that shows international connections.

    They did this with:

    Jan 6th suspects

    George Floyd incident

    A “failed” Congressional candidate.

    They are a weaponized govt agency being used against the left’s political opponents. They need to be disbanded and their authority farmed out to other agencies.

    This cannot continue.

    Liked by 2 people

  13. Sandra 💔🇺🇸
    @SandraSBreen
    🚨ALERT
    Leaked messages
    suggest that Obama
    instructed Biden
    to keep the border open
    at all costs.

    Even though
    his approval numbers
    crater, Obama suggested
    they could make up for it
    in fraud votes.

    Once illegal immigration
    of 30% has been achieved,
    America will fall into chaos.

    Liked by 1 person

        1. all righty then.
          if nothing changes in 2 years…i’ll rent a convertible, pick you up and we’ll make some noise in DC…deal?

          LOL

          Liked by 1 person

  21. Oh, I forgot! Pat, remember the 2nd Clematis I planted on the west trellis that died? I decided yesterday to go ahead and plant the replacement plant I’ve been babying along. But when I moved the flower pot that was in front of it, lo and behold, it had started coming up under the planter!!! Yeah! It survived! Dang, those are some tough plants!!! I decided I will go ahead and plant the replacement plant under the ladder in my patriotic display, after clearing some of the Lily of the Valley. When I put the red one down on the end, near the garage, I’ll have my red-white-(sorta)blue flowers…..

    Liked by 1 person

  22. Oh, something else I ran across yesterday….a short book I ordered back in 2014 produced by the Health Sciences Institute entitled “The New Miracles: An Updated Anthology of Underground Cures.” There is a section about diabetes….a company named Syntratech developed a “true” diabetes remedy they call “Syntra5.”

    “You see, this groundbreaking formula is twice as effective as top-selling diabetes drugs at lowering blood glucose in every measure. Plus, it works much, much faster – we’re talking days, not months upon months.”

    “During the clinical trial, Syntra5 simply demolished diabetes, and more…
    — Fasting blood sugar plummeted an unheard of average 107 points in just 90 days
    — Two-hour glucose levels decreased 54.55%
    — HbA1c dropped from an average of 7.7% to 4.7%
    — LDL cholesterol decreased by more than 34%
    — Total cholesterol dropped over 29%
    — Triglycerides fell by 20%
    — Systolic BP decreased by 28.4%, along with a 4.9% drop in diastolic
    — Average weight loss was 9.3 lbs – with NO changes in eating or exercise”

    I know nothing about diabetes but it might be of interest to you.

    Liked by 1 person

    1. i will check it out.
      i have had diabetes almost 40 years (i had gestational diabetes when i was pregnant). the cells in my pancreas might just be tuckered by now…but i will check it out!

      Liked by 1 person

        2. over the years i have tried all sorts of “natural” cures and I’ve found the best thing for me is to walk. it helps with blood sugar, weight, mood swings (not that have any…LOL)
          but i always look into new things

          Liked by 1 person

  26. EXCERPT: “According to the radical left, walls are racist and the ocean will take over our shorelines any day now. Apparently, billionaire depopulationist Bill Gates doesn’t heed his own warnings because his new bachelor pad is done and it’s everything he supposedly hates.

    It’s right by the ocean… so close that he could jump in it from his backyard during high tide if there wasn’t a wall in the way.”


    https://thelibertydaily.com/depopulationist-bachelor-pad-for-bill-gates-built-feet-away-from-ocean-that-he-claims-is-rising/

    Liked by 1 person

    1. OK then….about Dolly Parton….she has turned it down 3 times – twice under Trump and under FJB:

      “The country legend appeared on the TODAY show earlier this week to discuss her single “World on Fire” from her forthcoming rock album, where she touches upon the political climate in America. According to Consequence, NBC reporter Jacob Soboroff said that Parton mentioned turning down the Medal of Freedom from President Joe Biden in an off-screen conversation.

      “I just don’t want even the appearance of being partisan in any way,” Parton allegedly said to Soboroff.

      The hitmaker did not want to accept the prestigious medal from one party and not the other. Parton kindly declined the Medal of Freedom twice when President Donald Trump was in office – making this the third time the vocalist passed on the offer.”

      https://americansongwriter.com/dolly-parton-declines-medal-of-freedom-from-president-joe-biden/

      Liked by 1 person

      1. she’s learn to walk the tightrope…
        i think it’s about $$ personally.
        i like her, but she’s seen other country stars chose a side and lose sales

        Liked by 1 person

  28. “Where did all the money go? Ukraine’s organized military loses major stronghold city to Russian mercenaries; $150 billion later, Americans remain with unanswered questions about Kiev’s stumbling armed forces.”
    JORDAN SCHACHTEL
    MAY 21, 2023

    EXCERPT: “Five months ago to this day, Ukrainian President Volodomyr Zelensky delivered what has now become an infamous address to the U.S. Congress. During his speech, Zelensky boldly declared the city of Bakhmut as his country’s “stronghold in the east,” adding, “the fight for Bakhmut will change the trajectory of our war for independence and for freedom.”
    ————-
    Zelensky’s bold proclamation did not come to fruition. This weekend, The Wagner Group, a mercenary/penal battalion that is loyal to Moscow, took complete control of the city, and shortly thereafter, declared victory.

    The corporate media once considered Bakhmut both strategically important and a “symbol of heroic resistance.” But now, with the fall of Bakhmut, the media and NATO-aligned governments are in full damage control mode, writing off this devastating battlefield loss as unimportant. Nonetheless, no matter how they spin it, Ukraine’s loss of Bakhmut is a big deal. Russia has captured a city that allows their forces to disrupt critical supply lines. It also opens up a path of attack to multiple additional Ukrainian cities.

    Meanwhile, Americans continue to be looted by our own government to subsidize Kiev and supply the continually debilitating Ukrainian military. Instead of embracing a potential role as an intermediary and promoting peace talks, the Biden Administration is an antagonistic force, facilitating the constant delivery of heavy weapons and other miscellaneous supplies to an increasingly war-torn Ukraine. On Friday, the White House announced plans to deliver F-16 fighter jets to the Ukrainian military. Additionally, the Biden Administration announced an additional $375 million in weapons and supplies to Ukraine, showcasing its commitment to the war effort.

    Despite Ukraine’s piling losses, the Uniparty’s anti-humans in Washington D.C. and Brussels want to continue to expand the battlefield as much as possible, “fighting” from afar down to the very last Ukrainian, if necessary. They have big plans for a “counterattack” on Russia-controlled cities, and embrace the perpetual continuation of this war to grease the skids for the enrichment of their benefactors.”

    https://www.dossier.today/p/where-did-all-the-money-go-ukraines

    Liked by 1 person

    1. From 2020 – you can read 4 free articles @ Forbes.

      EXCERPT: “Once elected to Congress, members are in a rare and exclusive club. In the history of our nation, there have only been 10,363 House members and 1,307 U.S. Senators. And that club certainly has its benefits.
      —————–
      Here are five major benefits each member of Congress receives:

      SALARY: The House Speaker makes $223,500, Majority and Minority Leaders earn $193,400, and the President Pro Tempore makes $193,400. Regular members earn $174,000. Outside income is restricted to eliminate conflicts-of-interest. However, we found significant loopholes in the ethics laws. Who knew that powerful members can be employed by federal contractors based in their districts?

      For example, during a 13-year period, Vanderbilt University employed Rep. Jim Cooper (D-TN) and paid him $250,000 in total salary (2005-2018). The university received $2.6 billion in federal contracts, grants, and direct payments from 2014-2018. The powerful congressman serves on the Budget Committee and on Oversight and Government Reform. Located in his district, Vanderbilt’s executives and employees are Cooper’s #1 campaign contributor ($135,261).

      PENSION: As a federal employee, members of Congress can qualify for a pension in addition to Social Security. A member vests a taxpayer funded pension after five years of service and is eligible to receive a pension as early as 50. Full pensions are normally conferred at 62. For each year of service, a member’s annual pension increases by about $2,000. So, after six years of service, the member has earned a pension of approximately $12,000, or 6.75% of salary ($174,000).

      Federal pensions are legally classified as “private information” and not subject to Freedom of Information Act disclosures. So, taxpayers help fund and fully guarantee the payouts, but have no right to see who receives how much. Furthermore, the congressional ethics laws are so weak that no member of Congress has ever been stripped of their pension because of a corruption conviction.

      WORKERS COMPENSATION: For job related injuries, members are covered under Worker’s Compensation Insurance and Social Security Disability Insurance. This provides cash and medical benefits to workers who become injured or ill during the course of employment or to the family of survivors killed on the job.

      In 2012, Jesse Jackson, Jr. (D-IL) was approved for $138,400 in worker’s compensation and Social Security disability payments stemming from his bipolar disorder and depression. Jackson successfully argued that Congress made him mentally ill. During this period, Rep. Jackson was convicted of using about $750,000 in campaign funds for unlawful expenditures including vacations, celebrity memorabilia, and other items. We estimate, that if Jackson still qualifies today, then he has received approximately $1 million in payments since 2012.

      TRAVEL: Since 2005, members of Congress and their committee staffers have embarked on 16,367 trips. During this period, the top destinations were Israel, United Kingdom, France, Germany, and United Arab Emirates.

      Last year, the U.S. House spent $4.3 million on overseas travel. Our auditors combed through the disclosures and found some pricey trips taken in the summer of 2019. Rep. Ed Perlmutter (D-CO) spent $23,000 on a one week trip to Australia. Rep. Frank Pallone (D-NJ) spent $75,000 on an eleven day trip to Italy, Morocco and France. Rep. Richard Hudson (R-NC) spent $14,357 in transportation costs to Germany, Niger, Nigeria, Mali, and France on a one week trip.

      Responding to our request for comment, Rep. Hudson’s spokesperson said, “All travel was preapproved and booked through the Combined Airlines Ticket Offices which handles Congressional travel.”

      Committee staffers get approved for travel too. Three Appropriations Committee staffers flew to Mozambique and Malawi on a seven day trip at an airfare/transportation cost of $54,600, or $18,177 per person. Five Armed Service Committee staffers flew to Japan and Australia on a five day trip at an airfare/transportation cost of $103,493, or $20,698 per person.

      OTHER PERKS: The pin – which gets members around the lines; the license plate – which allows free parking sometimes in illegal zones; 72-percent subsidized health insurance; a $25 per month on-site Capitol Hill gym membership with a swimming pool, sauna, steam room, and paddleball.

      There is an onsite beauty salon and member dedicated subway to shuttle members around the Hill. Taxpayers spent $10MM over the last five-years on elevator doormen whose job it is to hit the buttons and hold doors.

      Furthermore, Congress exempted themselves from certain federal laws, i.e. the Freedom of Information Act, safety and health investigatory subpoenas, protections against retaliation for whistleblowers, etc.

      Members also have a dedicated settlement fund to get them out of hot water administered through the Office of Compliance. Monies from this fund are paid to settle workplace disputes on Capitol Hill. Since 1997, settlements totaling $17.6 million from 275 cases had an average settlement payout of $63,973. In 2018, ten cases were settled for a total payout of $338,816.

      https://www.forbes.com/sites/adamandrzejewski/2020/05/29/perks-members-of-congress-give-to-themselves–the-selfie-report/

      Liked by 1 person

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  35. EXCERPT: “Jack Sweeney, a student at the University of Central Florida, has set up a new Twitter account, @DeSantisJet, to track the government-owned jet the politician uses. He told Insider he set up the account because of the rising interest in DeSantis, who, next week, is expected to declare his intention to run for the 2024 Republican presidential nomination.

    On May 11 the governor signed a bill into law that will redact details about trips he makes on both state planes and private, chartered flights, including names of staff and family members traveling with him.

    However, it will still be possible to monitor the movements of the state-owned jet using publicly available data from ADS-B Exchange, a flight-tracking platform. ADS-B technology allows satellites to track aircrafts and helps avoid collisions.”

    https://www.businessinsider.com/college-student-tracking-elon-musk-private-jet-adds-ron-desantis-2023-5

    Liked by 1 person

  38. I’m listening to McSmarmy on Maria’s show – can someone – ANYONE – explain to me so I can understand: how are we “in debt” to China and “borrowing” from China??? And remember…I am TOTALLY dense when it comes to any kind of finance besides the basic debit/credit and interest on a loan, as I have stated often. People have tried but it’s still too complicated for me….

    Liked by 1 person

        1. i could be wrong–but i thought we funded our gov’t by selling bonds (as well as tax revenue). so they offer the best return on investments to the bigger buyers. while the bond is an investment to the purchaser, it’s debt to the seller–eventually it will need to be repaid.
          the chynese can buy a lot of our debt which the us will have to repay at some point–if they unload all their bonds (debt to us) we will go bankrupt. even if they lose some of their interest, the principal would be enormous.

          Liked by 1 person

          1. Ah-ha! FINALLY!!!! Something that makes sense to me – ok, I think I got it now….thank you, thank you, thank you! I know you’ve tried to explain it before but this time, it got thru! But dang! The taxes they suck up SHOULD be enough w/o doing that!!!! Then again….eliminate 2/3 of the current Federal agencies and let the States keep the tax $$$ from THEIR citizens!!!

            Liked by 1 person

            1. every new agency or office or whatever, requires millions of dollars–for salaries, benefits (pensions etc) and then office supplies, a building, utilities…and so on–and that’s without them doing one dang thing!

              Liked by 1 person

  42. what clever wording…”ever since Reagan”…administrations have mishandled classified docs…so mention the REPUBLICANS—but let’s skate over Clinton & Obama…
    FTA
    n Wednesday, the House Intelligence Committee released a transcript from an interview in March with NARA officials in which the agency’s chief operating officer, William Bosanko, testified that the agency had “found classified information in unclassified boxes” for all the presidential administrations “from Reagan forward.”

    He also said the boxes of materials were in NARA’s custody at the time the agency made the discovery.

    However, Bosanko, who said he has “worked at the National Archives for more than 30 years,” also said he was not aware that the DOJ had any involvement with enforcing the Presidential Records Act prior to Trump, former Vice President Mike Pence and President Joe Biden, all of whom were recently found to have classified document in their possession.

    In response to House Delegate Stacey E. Plaskett’s (D-U.S. Virgin Islands) question about DOJ providing guidance to new presidential administrations for following the Presidential Records Act, Bosanko said he was “not aware of DOJ” being involved.

    “And then with no DOJ involvement in that, the next time that the Department of Justice would be involved is at the end, if necessary, if there is a referral from an inspector general, et cetera, to do an investigation or to enforce conditions of the Presidential Records Act, correct?” Plaskett asked Bosanko.

    “Correct,” he responded. “I am not aware of any other instance where the Department of Justice has gotten involved in this.”

    snip

    Former National Security Council Senior Director Kash Patel told Just the News on Friday: “NARA’s lack of referrals until the Trump presidency demonstrates that equal application under the law does not apply to President Trump and those who served in his administration. The two-tier system of justice that we are seeing in this country has corrupted even our chief librarian.”

    https://justthenews.com/government/federal-agencies/doj-hasnt-previously-been-involved-ex-presidents-missing-docs-trump

    Liked by 1 person

    1. I got an e-mail from Brian Cates’ substack with an article about Durham – he started out fairly well, admitting that he was totally wrong on the expected results and contradicted MANY people who got it right, and then turns right around and goes after Kash Patel about Durham not bringing any more indictments. I promptly unsubscribed. I want nothing more to do with that POS – disingenuous to the max!!!!

      Liked by 1 person

  44. truth social is suing wapo for 3.7b billion
    entire article

    Former President Donald Trump’s social media company has sued The Washington Post for defamation over an article it published earlier this month and is seeking $3.78 billion in damages.

    The lawsuit by Trump Media and Technology Group, which owns the Truth Social platform, was filed Saturday night in Florida state court in Sarasota County and accuses one of America’s most storied newspapers of publishing a story of libel and slander that the suit claims poses an “existential threat” to the social media company.

    The spokesperson for The Washington Post did not immediately respond to a request for comment on Sunday.

    The suit alleges the Post “published an egregious hit piece that falsely accused TMTG of securities fraud and other wrongdoing” and “has been on a years-long crusade against TMTG characterized by the concealment of relevant information in its possession.”

    “WaPo’s false criminal charges exposed TMTG to public ridicule, contempt and distrust, and injured TMTG’s business and reputation,” the suit said.

    You can read the suit here.
    File
    Complaint – 5.20.23.pdf

    The legal action by the Trump firm comes just a few weeks after the Post won two Pulitzer Prize awards for its reporting last year and Fox News settled a $1.2 billion defamation lawsuit brought by Dominion Voting Systems for $787.5 million.

    WeThePeople2016
    May 21, 2023 2:23 pm

    Trump social media firm sues Washington Post for defamation, seeks $3.78 billion in damages

    https://justthenews.com/accountability/media/trump-social-media-firm-sues-washington-post-defamation-seeks-378-billion

    https://t.me/realKarliBonne/170935

    Liked by 1 person

  45. OMG!! I am sooo excited – I have Barn Swallows nesting under my eaves – where the Starlings and squirrel nested….now I’m glad I didn’t close it off! I LOVE watching those birds! A couple of minutes ago, there were 2 fighting it out mid-air, right outside the patio screen – I could hear their wings slapping each other and I thought they were going to cartwheel into the fence. There were also about 4-5 all flitting here and there, up into the eaves and back out again….now I have to see what feed THEY like!!! I know they eat bugs, especially mosquitoes…..

    Liked by 1 person

      1. I investigated….crushed oyster shells or eggshells…well, I can certainly do the eggshells! It gives them calcium and grit, aiding in digestion – they only eat bugs, no suet or feed.

        Liked by 1 person

  46. cfp has a couple of articles of some ex trump lawyer predicting that Trump will be in prison for the classified document issue. something about emails discussing the declassification process–and then they violated it.
    I mean really—no one has heard of the presidential records act? or are they purposefully ignoring it?

    Liked by 1 person

  48. “In 2002, the Coast to Coast American AM radio received a chilling recording from one of its listeners along with this message: “My uncle had told me this story a couple of years ago, and I didn’t believe him. Like one of your listeners who discounted the story as nothing more than just a religious newspaper fabricated account. The story about the digging, the hearing of the sounds from hell, is very real. It did occur in Siberia.”

    The recording contained the sounds of wailing human voices, screaming, and suffering in deep agony. Those were the sounds of despairing souls trapped in hell screaming in pain. According to the listener, a team of Russian geologists drilled an 8.9-mile hole into the permafrost-covered ground of a remote region of Siberia. As their drill holes breached the 9-mile mark, their drill bits began to swing rapidly, indicating a vast hollow space beneath.

    This led to an uncomfortable hypothesis; The scientists had unknowingly created a gateway to hell, spawning countless legends, superstitions, and speculations, some of which continue to this day. Did the Russians really open a portal to hell on that fateful day in 1989, or was the legend created to hide something real and tangible during the cold war era between the Russians and the Americans?”

    Liked by 1 person

  49. I’ve been ruminating off-and-on about what to do with the area under the willow tree, what kind of ground cover flower would work, and I just realized – all I have to do is NOT pull the wild violets that come up everywhere! They will eventually spread and fill the area anyway. Duh! Why did I NOT think of that sooner?!?

    Liked by 1 person

    1. no, sorry!
      we had to run the truck in to town so it can be inspected tomorrow. then we grabbed an ice cream cone at the little stand close by.

      Liked by 1 person

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