HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Lucknow Sentinel, 1986-03-19, Page 5o1118 flS st�it aflot
When you're driving bear St. Augustine
in late February or early March, and see
what appears to be sinoke, don't panic. Bill
Robinson and family are beginning their
season of producing maple syrup and other
'sugar treats to munch on.
Although all of the maple tree family
have sweet sap, the sugar or rock mapld is
the source of practically alithe maple syrup
and sugar that is produced:
Sugar Maples , grow slowly and are,
seldom good,sap producers before they are
40 years old. The weather in the spring
must be alternately freezing and thawing
in order for a good
said.-
He.added thatsa
r
weKs.
andflo
run of sap, binson
begins' to run in very
elit a n'ieiltkte
n avera
gallons ..„ ,:sa
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a,, 4p,,....•t•40.-iei,.1#make one
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1 I ^ h
e trees to
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akes 40 t6
On of §yru
btzs
Ql•
must be re -tapped every year and. Robin-
son drills one to threeholes, in each tree
depending On, size and sturdiness, Sugar ,
maples can grow to heights of between. 70 •
to 120 feet. -
The pipeline system has •a rubber hose
attached to each tree where the sap is suc-
ked, similar to a vacuum operation, into . a .
main pipe which leads to the sugar house.
Robinson said he has 1200 taps through'
the , sugar bush on his farm ,and is also.
renting two other bustles which totals to
approximately 7200' taps "If you add up
_
the hosing in,the blislies,..3i0ted-getalmost
25 miles of hose._
When sap is collected, it contains two to
-
three per cent sugar „anct„is very watered
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Luelmow Sentinel, Wednesdays, Mich 19, 1986-408tge
rodiction
pushed back." ,
To produce that golden -colored syrup,
only a little of the sap is boiled in the
evaptorator At a time. Constant watch is
kept on the thickness of the syrup, both
with a thermometer and a hylirometer.
Robinson favors the oldtfashkoned method:
if the syprup slides off the edge of the -
dipper slowly, the syrup is thick enough
and ready to package.
So, when you see that steam rising over
the horizon near St. Augustine, drop In and_
get a taste that will settle your,sweet tooth
forever.
ueen Street Kincardine
396-8142
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