| While there are many interesting and wonderful | | | | methods to make their maple syrup. They would |
| stories about the origin of maple syrup, there are | | | | boil the sap over an open fire until it reduced |
| no authenticated accounts of how the process | | | | down to syrup. It takes about 40 gallons of sap |
| was discovered. One of the most popular legends | | | | to make 1 gallon of syrup, which was a labor |
| involves a Native American chief who discovered | | | | intensive and time consuming operation. Not much |
| the clear liquid sap seeping from a tree he had | | | | changed for the next two hundred years, and |
| stuck his tomahawk into. As the day got warmer | | | | then during the civil war the tin can was invented. |
| the sap seeped into a cooking pot on the ground. | | | | It wasn't long before syrup makers discovered |
| The chief's wife, after tasting it and discovering it | | | | that a large flat sheet of metal could make a |
| tasted quite good cooked his meat in it. The chief | | | | much more efficient pan to boil maple sap than |
| was so impressed with the sweet taste of the | | | | the previously used heavy rounded iron kettle. |
| maple meat he named it Sinzibudkwud which | | | | Most original syrup makers were dairy farmers |
| means "drawn from trees". Native Americans still | | | | who made maple syrup and sugar for their own |
| quite often use this word when referring to maple | | | | use, or a little extra income during the off season. |
| syrup. | | | | They continually looked for a more efficient and |
| Soon they discovered that cutting or (wounding) a | | | | faster way to make their syrup. Many innovative |
| maple tree in early spring caused it to ooze a | | | | ideas and processes evolved over the years, but |
| sweet clear liquid that could be processed into a | | | | for the most part technology stayed the same |
| sweet product they found to be delicious. Most | | | | for another century. In the 1960's it was so labor |
| stories probably have been modified over the | | | | intensive and time consuming it was no longer |
| years, but the discovery of maple syrup most | | | | possible for small farmers to sustain themselves. |
| likely was accidental. | | | | They could not afford to hire the large number of |
| Over the years they learned they could gradually | | | | people required to tap the trees and haul the |
| reduce the sap to syrup by repeatedly freezing it, | | | | small buckets to the evaporator house. |
| discarding the ice, and stating over again. They | | | | Finally with the energy crunch of the 1970's |
| could store up to 30 pounds of maple sugar in | | | | another surge of technological breakthroughs |
| containers made of birch bark. | | | | occurred. Tubing systems were developed, and |
| Eventually some of the Native American tribes | | | | vacuum pumps added to draw the sap directly |
| began to process the maple sap over fire. The | | | | from the trees to the evaporator house. |
| women would migrate to the maple groves or | | | | Pre-heaters were that "recycle" heat that |
| "sugar bushes" during early spring to process the | | | | previously was lost were developed, and |
| maple syrup. They made troughs in which they | | | | reverse-osmosis filters that remove a portion of |
| collected the sap and brought it to the fire. The | | | | the water out of the sap before it is boiled were |
| sap was heated by adding heated stones. Freshly | | | | developed. |
| heated stones would be added while removing | | | | Technological developments continue today with |
| older cooler stones to be reheated. Most early | | | | new filtering techniques, better tubing, |
| Native Americans preferred sugar over salt and | | | | "supercharged" pre-heaters, and improved storage |
| used maple syrup or sugar on their meat and fish. | | | | containers. |
| Early settlers imitated the Native American | | | | |