Back to Nature never tasted so good.

In a person’s life, it is fun, sometimes, to return to the earth. Living here at Peaceful Pines affords us the opportunity to do just that. This is the year I decided it was high time I learned to tap our maple trees and make our own maple syrup. After all, $40 a gallon is a bit pricey for those with limited resources.

So, first I had to find a tree. That was relatively easy. Finding trees that were actually maple was a little more of a challenge. The tree in the foreground is the maple.

The other is a poplar. And let me tell you, a poplar is not a good sap tree.

So, the sap drips and drips and drips.


I was anxious to start the process, so decided to boil down my two-day collection of drips. Believe it or not, when I tasted this raw sap, it tasted like rainwater. I thought it was going to be a little sweet, but not so. Here is the batch in the collecting pot.

Of course, one needs a fire. We have enough downed wood here to take care of all our needs.


I had read that a ready supply should be on hand. I didn’t believe it then, but I do now.

I suppose a person could multitask. But, I thought it would be much better to keep a constant vigil.

I did not know how long it would take to boil down. What you see there took 8 hours.

But a person has to do what a person has to do.

With all that sap,



one would think the there would be a bit more of prize at the end of the boil.