Why does maple sugaring take place in the New England area?
New England Maple syrup is produced during a short 4 week to 6 week sugaring window from early March into April when the New England nights are cold and the still short days are warming up with the introduction of spring. Warm days and cool nights are an important ” Mother Nature” ingredient in the maple sugaring process, because it is this weather condition that encourages maple sap to flow or “run.” As the maple sap flows up from the roots of the maple tree during the warm day, it allows the maple syrup producer, or “sugarmaker,” to “tap the tree.” The process, called tapping, will not harm the maple trees. The process of “tapping” involves drilling a small 7/16″ diameter hole into the tree, at a slight up angle, to a depth of about 2″ to 2-1/2″. Into this hole is driven a “spout or spile with a bucket hook.” The spouts are formed pieces of stainless steel from which sap can flow from the tree into a sap bucket.
