Maple Sugaring

In Geauga County

By Mrs. Maxwell

Kindergarten

One sign of Spring in Geauga County Ohio is…

Maple Sugaring

Maple Sugaring is a process in which sugarmakers collect the sap from a certain type of maple tree.

The Sugar Maple Tree

Sap is found inside the tree.It looks just like water…but has a slightly sweeter taste.

It gives trees energy and helps them make new leaves.You can’t take sap from trees

that are too old, they won’t have enough energy to survive.

You can’t take sap from trees that are too young, they won’t have enough energy to grow.

There are several steps involved in Maple Sugaring.1. Tapping the tree.

2. Inserting the spile.

3. Gathering the sap.

4. Boiling the sap into syrup.

Maple sugaring is a tradition that began back in the Native American Indians time.

Indians used primitive tools……a hatchet to cut the

tree

…a spile to direct the sap

…and a birch basket to gather the sap.

When it came time to cook, the Indians used a hollowed out log and hot stones to boil the sap.

This would cause the sap to evaporate and the syrup would be left behind.

The Indians taught this method to the Pioneers, who used their technology to advance the process.

They improved the spiles by carving them with a ridge and tunnel for the sap to travel through.

They tapped the tree by using an auger, a tool which drills a tiny hole in the tree.

They used buckets to gather the sap and a yoke to carry more than one bucket at a time.

They boiled the sap in large kettles over a fire, straining it as they went to create a sweeter, cleaner maple syrup.

As the years passed, the maple sugaring process became even more advanced.

Brace and bits and power augers replaced traditional tapping methods.

Spiles were made out of metal…

…and plastic bags sometimes replaced buckets.

Sugar houses were built to cook down the maple sap into maple syrup.

Evaporating pans replaced fires and kettles, allowing the temperature of the sap to be closely watched.

After being cooked and graded, the syrup is poured into bottles to be sold around the world.

Maple syrup can also be used to make a lot of different, tasty treats that people all over the world enjoy!

Let’s review…

What is a …

Tap?

Spile?Auger?

Brace and bit?Sap?

Yoke?Sugar House?

Evaporating pan?

Now you know what to look for on our field trip, when we explore Geauga County’s Maple Sugaring tradition at Swine Creek in Middlefield.