If you love the idea of making something with your own hands and you delight in the sweetness of something natural, maple sugaring may just be the thing for you.
The great news is that indulging in maple sugaring doesn’t have to be a huge enterprise. If you want to give a shot without investing thousands of dollars, you can try it in your own back yard.
And what better place to gather information than from a New England state where the air carries the faint aroma of maple all through February and March?
University of New Hampshire Extension provides literally everything you need to know on their Maple Sugaring Tips for Beginners and Backyard Maple Sugar Producers page, including a downloadable resource for those in areas with spotty reception.
The gist of it is learning which trees make the best maple sap producers, how and with what tools to tap those trees, how to collect and handle your sappy goodness, how to boil it, how to filter it and even how to grade it. It’s a great DIY guide.
More of a visual learner? Videos abound of how to make your own maple syrup, but we really like this one from Wilderstead (if for no other reason than that perfect Canadian accent).
The only thing we here at Country Culture ask of you is that you try to support your local hardware store when gathering your supplies (versus those big box stores – you know the ones) and that if you decide to jump into syrup making this spring, you share your photos with us! We love to see what you all can do.
