Maple sap looks like water, and usually it tastes like water. This year, it's sweet. At first I thought it was my imagination. You know, mind over matter, if I think it's sweet it will taste sweet. So after the first taste, I tasted again, and again. Then I asked the girls to taste it.
"Is this sweet or my imagination?"
They tasted. "It's sweet."
Maple sap is on average 4% sugar. That's the average. Some species of maple tree produce sap that is only 1 or 2 percent sugar. And I've read that during outstanding runs the sap can be 7% sugar. I think we are having one of those outstanding runs. And I fear it will be short lived.
My hypothesis, (I used to be scientist you know), is the sap is sweeter due to the warmer winter. And if you look closely at the leaf buds, you'll see that they are slightly swollen. In other words, one good warm sunny spell and the leaves will be out, and so will the maple sugaring season. Time will tell.
In the meantime, full of anticipation of our first boil, I am enjoying collecting the sweet sap. And everyday when we are out, I take a taste. And everyday, like the day before, I say, "It's sweet. Taste it. Does it taste sweet to you?"
The girls smile, and say, "Yes, mom. It's sweet this year."
2 comments:
I absolutely adore these posts on your maple surgaring experience.
So...you could take this post one step further and turn it into an essay...where the sap becomes a metaphor for life--some moments are sweeter than others...what makes those moments sweeter etc.
Have you considered a long essay on maple sugaring?
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