What a Sap!

Zachary and I decided that we should tap some trees for maple sap and try our hand at boiling it down. We are by no means professional tree-tappers, and barely qualify as amateurs! So I bought four "taps" and yesterday Jamie, Zach, and I headed out into the yard with our make-shift drill, empty plastic juice bottles, and some string.

I said to Jamie, "Let's start with that big oak tree over there". To which he replied "OK" and started off in the direction of said oak tree. Hmmm, this is perhaps why we do not even qualify as amateur tree-tappers! Zach joined us and I tried the same joke on him. He did somewhat better, saying "Ok" but immediately following with "wait a minute!" and stopping.

We got the job done and today two of the bottles are already half full! I know a little about making syrup and that even if we get all 4 juice bottles filled (without the string breaking and them spilling all over the ground), it would boil down to enough syrup for one plate of pancakes. We are enjoying the anticipation so far though.

Tomorrow we are going as a family to Old Sturbridge Village to see their old-fashioned tree tapping and boiling down of the sap. I will post pictures-- if I remember the camera!