Maple Syrup is Incredible!

This afternoon we visited Stratford Farm in Delaware with our homeschool group.  It was amazing!  We tasted winter greens they grow in the greenhouse.  The vegetables are grown in here all winter long, and the greenhouse doesn't usually dip below 40 degrees.  Our guide, Bethanie, also talked about beets and how they were used to dye things.

Bethanie then showed and explained to us how we can make our own greenhouse using straw bales and old windows.  Soooo cool!

We then explored the animals:  chickens,

goats & cows,

lambs,

and a llama.

Isn't he cheesy?

We then took a hike through the farm's woods to learn about the process of making maple syrup.

Each year the tree is tapped in a different spot.  Just like when we are scraped up after a fall we usually have a scar, each tap scars the tree.  You can't see it in the above photo but that was what I was trying to capture.  The story was told today that there are trees in Vermont that have been tapped for the last 100 years.  The picture below is of Bethanie explaining to the students how the farm hand drills each tree to set the tap.  Trees are generally tapped in late February to early March.  The farm currently taps 150 trees.  A maple tree can be tapped once it is 12" in diameter.  For every additional 12" another tap can be added to the tree.  It varies from year to year as to how much sap is collected, thus how much syrup is produced.  It takes 40 gallons of sap to make 1 gallon of syrup. 

 Every student had a chance to work the hand drill on a dead tree. 

Each day the workers collect the sap into this tank.  The sap is then stored in these barrels (below) as they then begin the maple syruping process.

*taking a peek at the sap*

The maple sap is 98% water and only 2% sugar, thus it takes 4-6 hours for them to boil down each batch to make syrup. However, the first batch of the season takes over 30 hours to make. Needless to say, I had a greater respect for the prices paid for real maple syrup!

 

Two gallons = this tiny bottle of maple syrup

The BEST part....TASTE TESTING!

I can't even begin to put into the words the absolute pure yumminess of this syrup.  I am going to have to figure out a way to work it into our budget.  Amazingly delectible!! 

Thank you Lord for this amazing goodness!