Maple Syrup: from tree to table
LACHINE, Mich.– March is the start of maple syrup season, so we spoke to the MacArthur Family Farm to learn how they make sap into syrup.
Farmer Sara MacArthur said maple season typically starts when daytime temperatures hit around 40 degrees Fahrenheit. When sap is warm, it’s able to flow, allowing farmers to place their taps and harvest it. MacArthur said her farm collects sap through a mix of gravity feeding and suction equipment.
Once the sap’s collected, they use a machine to repeatedly heat it up.
“And we boil it off. The name of the game is to get rid of as much water as possible and turn it into that maple syrup everybody knows and loves.”
MacArthur said they base the number of taps on the tree’s age, health, and size.
She said her favorite part of maple season is waking up in the morning, stepping into the woods, and smelling the syrup in the air.
Macarthur Family Farm produces about 300 gallons of syrup every year.
