Making Maple syrup with wood-fire    
 
 
 
Nothing can match the flavor of pure maple syrup! And we believe that wood-fired maple syrup has the very best maple flavor. It’s due to the interplay between the heat of wood fire and length of time sap is boiled-the “Maillard Reaction”. Management of wood fire is where the sugar-maker plies their craft & artistry with each sap run’s unique boil. Experience-and pride in our product-provides you flavors ranging from subtle vanilla-maple to creamy butter-maple to robust caramel-maple. It all starts in the ‘sugar bush’ or maple woods. Take a look! The maple producer works in the woods before and after the Spring sap collecting season. The woods must be thinned of unhealthy or crowded trees, to allow remaining trees to spread out their crowns for the most photosynthesis, and it helps the next-generation under-story thrive. Invasive species like barberry, burning bush and mustard garlic must also be removed by hand so that they don’t crowd out native saplings. We NEVER use chemicals, pesticides or herbicides. We are always on the lookout for the Asian Longhorned Beetle. Dead & pruned wood is renewable energy to fire our evaporator. A system of food-grade collection tubes must be installed and maintained to carry sap to a collection tank during every sap run. The sugar maker must inspect and tend this system regularly and often; repairing damage from fallen limbs, hungry squirrels or bear, and roaming deer or moose. It also must be washed before and after sugar season. We pump sap from collection tanks into traveling tanks pulled from sugarbush to Brookview Sugar House by our trusty F250 pickup. Sap is pumped off at Sugar Hollow, run through filters & an RO-Reverse Osmosis machine to concentrate sap from 2+/-% sugar to 5-6% sugar, prior to boiling. This reduces boiling time and conserves wood. The RO does not consume much energy, nor effect the quality of sap. The additional use of a Steam-Away® further concentrates heat to reduce energy use. Wood-fired syrup goes GREEN! Finally boiling begins! This is where our wood-fire, and the sugar-maker’s skill, make a huge difference. We regularly sample syrup as it is being drawn off the evaporator, and experience a variety of maple flavor from vanilla, to cream or butter, to carmel or brown sugar. Every batch is unique-much like fine wine and we love it all. YOU WILL TOO! Just taste the difference when the secret’s in the Wood-Fire. Photos.htmlSave_Our_Maples%21/Save_Our_Maples%21.htmlGot_Maple.htmlshapeimage_1_link_0shapeimage_1_link_1shapeimage_1_link_2