This week-end is Maple Sugar week-end in New Hampshire so I looked online to find someplace local to visit. The Wilson Suga House seemed like just the spot! Only about 15-20 minutes away.
And you thought Suga was a typo, didn't you? Must be a New England thing.
At the Wilson farm they have about 140 taps. A small operation compared to most sugar houses, but a great little place to visit.
No buckets. Instead they use a tap and tube/line system. That way it goes straight to the holding tank. I don't think most places could use this system because the sugar house is to far away from the trees but it works perfectly for them.
We met the official greeter
And there's Mr. Wilson. A fairly young guy and very friendly. The farm belonged to his father, and grandfather before that.
Though some of the larger producing sugar houses are now pretty much automated this one still uses the old fashioned wood fired evaporator.
Aaahhh, the smell . . .
She was a bubblin'
As far as sugaring goes the season is pretty much over. Due to warm nights in March it ended a little early. If the nights stay cold enough they can tap until the beginning of April. When my husband was at work up in Vermont the guys were talking about the same thing, warm days but no real cold nights below 32 degrees. Except the night we were there!
It's a beautiful day here in the Northeast so if you're interested in getting out and visiting your local sugar shack here are a few links to find them.
Sorry but I couldn't find any information for Massachusetts for Maine.
25 comments:
Neat post! also sounds like a LOT of hard work goes into it too!!
Very cool, Sharon! I've never seen a sugar house, or a suga house either!
Loved this post! Did you try the syrup? My grandparents from New Hampshire used to boil down the tappings in a kettle on their stove, imagine what the house smelled like.....
Funny, this was not on the New Hampshire Living Maple Sugar Weekend site. 150 taps is small, but when you consider how much work, and believe me it is work, 150 taps can keep you busy. Wonderful shots.
I really want to visit a Maple Syrup farm (is that what you would call it?), and am pleasantly surprised that there are so many in New York! I simply have to visit one once the weather gets cold again! Thanks for the link :)
Love maple syrup and candy - just don't need either one in my diet. :)
Thanks for the tour.
Love maple syrup and candy - just don't need either one in my diet. :)
Thanks for the tour.
What a wonderful post. I'm such a visual person, so I especially like all the photographs. I feel as if I were there with you. What a great tour...
Neat. Thanks for sharing the process. You used to be able to see people making sorghum molasses around here, but no one seems to do it anymore.
What a great place to visit. So much history. I'm a big fan of maple syrup. But then, I AM Canadian...
That is an interesting place to go to and how nice you explained with beautiful photo's.
That was a "sweet" post, Sharon. Very nice. Imagine how amazing it is to have sap come out of a tree and end up on our pannycakes! Wow!
By the way, I wanted to ask you about BlogHer. What has been your experience to date with that service? Do you mind my asking you? Thanks. Sincerely, Susan
you did it..you found one to post! How wonderful! It looks very new and organized. My hubby's cousin used to have the tubes right from the tree to the boiler, but now they are hanging buckets again...I hope to get out there this week to take some of their primitive operation!
This was a great post. My family and I love maple syrup but never went to see the procedure. Next time we are in New Hampshire I'm going to have to stop by.
Just loved all your posts and fantastic photography! Thanks for sharing!
Sharon, your photos are simply incredible on this post. They are so rich and beautiful. I am in awe.
This is the most interesting post Sharon. I have never seen how they tap it before. I can imagine it must smell wonderful.Thanks for sharing.
What an interesting post! It is weird to think you can make syrup from trees! :) xxx
Sharon this is a great post - you have captured something important for posterity and I love the photography, as always. Wish I could have inhaled that sugar!!!
hugs....
This was nice to see and brought up all kinds of memories. When we lived in Candia, NH we always enjoyed the season. The local private high school students had built a post and beam sap house and ran their own maple sugaring business, tapping trees throughout the town. I always thought that was a wonderful way to teach math, business, architecture, science, etc. etc.
How cool is that to have visited a sugar farm! I think it's amazing the trees can give their sap and still live.
Well this is all kinds of wonderful! I can see why Kate regards you, your photos and words so highly! I'll be back! (As Arnold would say!)
I love your photos. We visited a maple "farm" (not sure what they are called) - a few years ago - it was very interesting - and tasty.
JO
www.teensandtriplets.blogspot.com
i wish i had a suga house...
great photos~ love the tree with lichens on the bark.
I am playing catch up today Sharon. What a neat place to visit, and I could just imagine the smell in there with the evaporator burning... mmmmmm.
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