
There is a big stand of sugar maple on our ridge, the progeny of three old trees in a long abandoned fence row. I had plans to sugar this winter, but never bought the necessary equipment. Given the topsy-turvy winter weather, who knows whether we'll have cold nights and warm mornings, or when the sap will decide to rise?
One of our neighbors, a die-hard maple syrup fan, cooks down his sap on his kitchen stove and cans his syrup one pint at a time. It takes 30 to 35 gallons of sap to make one gallon of syrup, so he must boil off about four gallons of water for each of his pints. I imagine they have no problems with dry winter skin at his house.

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