Here in Warren County we often see pure maple syrup for sale on the shelves in local small businesses, at the Warren Farmers Market, local craft shows, road side stands, and out of the homes of many local Amish. We enjoy the taste but sometimes never stop to reflect on the process of making it. A recent visit to Maple Ridge Farm gave myself and others an opportunity to find out more about the process of creating maple syrup at their "Maple Taste and Tour" event located on Fox Hill in Russell.
When we think of maple syrup being processed we often think of tin buckets strapped on to the trees to collect the sap. While some farms still collect sap in this manner the maple syrup business has evolved much like farming. Machinery has come into making maple syrup and tubing is often used to collect the sap into a storage unit. Maple Ridge Farm has approximately 1,000 taps. They drill about an inch and a half into the the maple trees and collect the sap. It takes fifty to sixty gallons of sap to make one gallon of syrup!
The sap travels down the hill to the collection tank and then goes through the reverse osmosis machine, then the evaporator, the filter Press, canners, and then jugs. The reverse osmosis machine takes approximately 80% of the water out of the sap and the rest is boiled out in a wood fired boiler system. Like most maple syrup manufactures in Warren County the Maple Ridge Farm is a family owned business that requires much team work. Weather also comes into play when making maple syrup. If the weather is too hot or too cold it is not favorable for plenty of sap from the maple trees. Having a cold spell before spring does help with syrup production.
Maple Ridge farm doesn't only use the sap to make maple syrup, they also make maple cotton candy, maple mustard, maple candy, and more! The time to collect sap is usually from about mid-February to mid-March. Tapping a maple tree does not harm it if done properly and many trees have been tapped year after year. Studies have found that 100% pure maple syrup is not only a valuable source of minerals and vitamins but also has antioxidants that are beneficial to health and wellness. Thank you to Maple Ridge Farm for allowing us to see the process of making maple syrup and showcase another great product made here in Warren County!
