On Sunday, we went to a workshop in Pippy Park to learn about tapping trees and making maple syrup!
Boiling down Maple Syrup to make Maple Taffy
Every year at around this time, 'tis the season for tapping maple trees for their sugary sap. Whenever the nights are below freezing and the days are above freezing, the sap flow process takes place, and the trees can be tapped. On the mainland, the window for tapping trees is fairly short, lasting around 2-3 weeks, but here in Newfoundland the perpetually unpredictable weather and freeze-thaw cycle means the tapping season can last from 5 to 7 weeks.
It sounds like a pretty simple process overall: drill a hole in a maple tree, stick a tap in it, hang a bucket off the tap, and wait for the watery sap to collect in the bucket (the maple sap is 96% water!). Then you take that sap and boil it down to get the syrup we all know and love. It takes about 20 litres of sap to get just 1 litre of maple syrup, which is about the yield of one Newfoundland sugar maple (the bigger mainland trees yield a bit more apparently). Any maple tree can be used, birch trees too, but we're told that the sugar maple is the best. This article was written by the people who put off the workshop and is very useful if you're looking for more information about making your own maple syrup in Newfoundland.
It sounds like a pretty simple process overall: drill a hole in a maple tree, stick a tap in it, hang a bucket off the tap, and wait for the watery sap to collect in the bucket (the maple sap is 96% water!). Then you take that sap and boil it down to get the syrup we all know and love. It takes about 20 litres of sap to get just 1 litre of maple syrup, which is about the yield of one Newfoundland sugar maple (the bigger mainland trees yield a bit more apparently). Any maple tree can be used, birch trees too, but we're told that the sugar maple is the best. This article was written by the people who put off the workshop and is very useful if you're looking for more information about making your own maple syrup in Newfoundland.
The event was held at the Pippy Park Headquarters and was very busy with lots going on. Outside, someone was making syrup the traditional way on an open wood fire, while inside in the crammed kitchen they were boiling syrup down to make maple taffy, which was put on snow to make a delicious ice lolly. We pushed a few kids out of the way to get our hands on one, and we weren't disappointed.
There was also a short demonstration on how to tap the trees, outside, which was very informative. Apparently the tradition of tapping maple trees for their sap is a very old one, stretching back to when the native people of Canada would drink the sap for its nutrients. Nowadays, around 80% of the world's maple syrup supply comes from Quebec, but we're told that the syrup from the hardy maple trees of Newfoundland make some quality syrup too.
All in all, it couldn't have been a more Canadian Sunday if we'd tried. And we're sure this information will be of utmost importance when Luke faces his next immigration hurdles.
All in all, it couldn't have been a more Canadian Sunday if we'd tried. And we're sure this information will be of utmost importance when Luke faces his next immigration hurdles.
We also took advantage of Pippy Park's cross country skiing and snowshoeing trail, with Elizabeth's parents, on Friday night. In the winter, the campground in the park is groomed and they have ski and snowshoe rentals. Since the weather in St. John's has been fairly wintry lately (we've had a couple of snowstorms in the past couple of weeks), there is still a substantial amount of snow around. Not to mention that Friday night was perfect for it - clear and not too cold which also made it good for having some fun taking pictures.
Here are some more pictures of our Pippy Park adventures:
Here are some more pictures of our Pippy Park adventures:
