The Rural Voice, 2004-03, Page 30pressure.
When Terry first got into maple
syrup he used a sap -bucket system
with sap collected into a 500 -gallon
tank but he found this created two -
foot deep ruts in the bush so he
converted to tubing.
From the bush the sap flows
through the main pipeline to the sap
shack up near the house, helped
along by two feet of fall.
The sap from the bush collection
system comes into a small collection
tank in the sugar shack. When this
tank starts to get full, a float activates
a pump and the sap is pumped into
holding tanks. The sap finally enters
a Targe storage tank above the
evaporator where it is gravity fed,
through a filter, to the evaporator.
The tank that collects from the
roadside trees can be pulled
right inside the storage area of
the sap shack for unloading.
The evaporator has a steam hood
which takes the stream from the
boiling sap out through the ceiling
but first is used to preheat the
entering sap to 180 degrees F so that
when the sap enters the flu pan it is
close to boiling temperature.
Meanwhile the hot steam hitting the
cold sap pipes condenses the
moisture, yielding about five gallons
of hot distilled water per hour. "It's
great for washing," Terry says,
"because everything with syrup is
sticky and you always need hot
water."
The modern evaporator is wood
fired using their own firewood from
the bush. It takes about a
wheelbarrow full of wood every five
minutes, Terry says. They bring in
pallets full of wood right into the
storage area near the evaporator to
make firing as convenient as
possible.
Some large-scale maple syrup
producers use a reverse -osmosis
machine to remove about half the
water from the syrup before it enters
the evaporator, Terry explains, which
increases the capacity of the
evaporator.
The evaporator holds 150 gallons
at a time so they need 200-300
gallons on hand just to start. It can
take 20 minutes from the time the fire
is lighted until the sap is boiling. At
the height of the season the fire never
26 THE RURAL VOICE
READY TO LAY
PULLETS
WHITE & BROWN EGG LAYERS
FISHER POULTRY FARM INC.
AYTON, ONT. NOG 1O0
519-665-7711
Electrical Services
New & Upgrades
Underground & Overhead
Generators
Farm, home & business
generators & related equipment
Street & Yard Lighting ,'
Sales & Services
R.R. #2
Markdale
Phone
519-986-4138
Fax
519-986-3244
GREY
NORTHERN
D WE+RLtI IC
INC
1'sTiapIe S -ti � me
For A Taste of Spring
Visit these Producers & Festivals
Ontario Maple Syrup
Producers Association
THE SAUGEEN VALLEY
CONSERVATION
FOUNDATION
presents
Old Time Maple Syrup
Festival
Saugeen Bluffs Conservation Area
(3 km. North of Paisley off of Cty. Rd. *3)
Saturday and Sunday
March 27 & 28 (10 am - 4 pm)
519-364-1255
www.svca.on.ca
S¢wingtime an the lam
at .$tceutty'e ,Mitt • St Maw
Weekend Sugarbush Tours J.;f
March 6 to Apr. 4 �C}
* Pancake brunches * Horse-drawn rides
* Old time syrup making * Tatty on snow
* Baby lambs and bunnies
* Music and special events
Wool Fest & Chili Lunch
March 6 & 7
Farm store open daily 10 to 5
Groups welcome
1 -866 -McCully (622-8559)
www.mccullys.ca
�1R
MAGWOOD
Maple Treats
Offering a
Complete
line of
Maple
Products
Syrup
Butter
Jelly
Sugars
Products available year round
Jim/Dianne Magwood
519-364-1932
Located 1 mile north of Zellers (Hanover)
Grey Rd. 28 #033489
CeleikatinS
40 2jeawa
Come Taste
The Tradition
The World's Largest Maple Syrup Festival
Saturday, April 3rd, 2004
From 7:00 a.m. - 4 p.m.
519-669-2605 or 1-877-969-0094
or www.elmiramaplesyrup.com