HOW TO MAKE & MARKET MAPLE SYRUP
(Page 5 of 15)
Place your storage tank adjacent to an outside wall of the
sugarhouse as close as possible to the inlet on the cooking
pan and on a platform that supports the base of the tank
level with the base of the pan. Make an outlet in the
bottom of the holding tank and fit it with a pipe
connection that extends through the sugarhouse wall and
into the inlet on the side of the cooking pan. If the pan
doesn't have an inlet hole in its side, raise the tank a
little higher and extend the feeder pipe over the pan. The
feeder pipe must have a shut-off valve through which the
flow of sap from the tank to the pan can be regulated. If
there are two tanks, hook the second to the first with a
separate shut-off valve between the storage vats.
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THE SUGARHOUSE
Location of the sugarhouse is a strategic matter, whether
you build one from scratch or decide to utilize an existing
building. First, consider the matter of proximity. If the
sugarhouse is in or near the woodlot, it's close to both
the sap and the firewood supply. However, since the boiling
down—or cooking—of maple sap is a
time-consuming process, some folks prefer to locate the
sugar shed near a barn, garage or other building where they
can carry on a second chore while "keeping an eye" on the
cooking.
Next, because syrup time precisely coincides with "high
water" time, think about access to your sugar shanty during
muddy weather. Melting snow and spring showers will turn a
seemingly solid piece of ground into an impassable morass.
If you can't locate the boiling house on high ground, at
least try for a spot that's reasonably well drained.
If you're blessed with a small knoll in a favorable spot,
on the other hand (or have the means to create one), build
your sugarhouse close by and set up a simple gravity-feed
system from the collecting tank into the storage area. Your
truck or other vehicle can be driven onto the knoll and, by
means of a simple connection, the sap transferred from the
collecting tank to the storage tank without pumping or
bucketing.
Finally, consider the availability of water and electricity
to the sugar shed. Though neither, facility is absolutely
essential, they both can come in handy. If I had to select
only one, I'd choose water because it's such a convenience
to be able to wash the sugaring equipment without carrying
it to another building. A ready supply of water is also a
godsend in case of fire or other emergency (more about this
later).
Electricity is necessary only if you're ambitious enough to
plan on boiling sugar a lot after dark. Remember, if you do
wire the cooking house, that the building will be filled
with steam which can easily cause a short. Don't mount a
light bulb directly over the pan.
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