Last year we had a fantastic time at the Blandford Nature Center learning how maple syrup is made. This year we were thrilled when a mom from our homeschooling group invited us for a hands-on experience making maple syrup in their backyard.
First, the girls had samples of the sap.
Next, it was time to collect sap from the buckets throughout the yard. If you look carefully, you can see a drop of sap falling from the tap into the bucket.
Kayla and Madeline were good little helpers. Savannah and I had a hard time keeping up.
Mrs. Miles helped the girls lift and pour the buckets, as most were very heavy.
Here Mrs. Steinbach, the one who invited us to her house, helped the girls.
Once collected, the sap is heated over a fire. As the water evaporates, the syrup remains. The heating process also changes the color from clear to brown, sort of like caramelization.
And when they were done working, the girls had a chance to play with Mrs. Steinbach’s goats!
A field trip like this, of course, required thank you notes. Here is Kayla’s.
And here is Madeline’s.