Maple Sap Flowing

I've tapped about 18 trees to collect the maple sap that we turn into wonderful Glen Echo All Natural Maple Syrup.  With the moderate temperatures over the last few weeks, we have hit a perfect stretch of tempatures under 32 degrees at night and above 32 degrees during the day and sunshine which supports flowing of the maple sap.  Hopefully, we will have a great collection of sap this year which will boiled into maple syrup.  Please check out the links from the past if you would like some additional information on the process.

http://geccgcm.blogspot.com/search/label/Maple%20syrup

You will notice some changes in our program over the last couple of years.  The first year we used two liter bottles and 1 gallon milk jugs.  Last year we used 5 gallon home depot buckets and that is what we are using this year.  A couple of years ago we used a propane burner and my brother's iron firewood cooker.  Last season, Chef Rob and staff used their steamer in the kitchen to boil down the sap to syrup.

43 gallons of sap to make 1 gallon of Golden natural syrup so you can understand our need and desire of have a good flow due to the amount of sap that we need to collect to make a good amount of syrup.

Maple sap dropping into a collection bucket along #18 fairway.