Sappy Times

Spring has officially sprung. Not because the calendar or celestial bodies say so, but because the sap is finally running!
We tapped our trees perhaps a bit early, and had many days of not needing to empty the sap bags. This week, however, that liquid gold (silver?) is flowing fast! We have a handful of maples in our yard that have been tapped, and when I pass by our front window I can see them bursting with sweet, sparkling sap!

But what do we do with all of that wonderful sweetness while it waits to be boiled? Usually, we have enough snow to insulate some large trash cans (used only for sap; never for trash). We fill these up until it’s time to boil! This year, all the snow has disappeared (it has not actually disappeared- I know how the water cycle works), so we have had to get creative. We temporarily repurposed our keezer- chest-freezer-turned-keg-chiller - and lined it with plastic sheeting so we can keep the sap nice and cool until it stops running, or until we have enough to supply us with syrup for a year’s worth of pancakes, waffles, dutch babies, lattes, etc.
Soon enough, it will be time to boil, but if you happen to be in the neighborhood some afternoon this “sap season”, feel free to stop by and help us haul sap out of the woods- it’s a great way to get exercise (cardio AND strength training!) and enjoy the fresh air!

In addition to sloshing sap around, Zachris has been working hard on a special order of mugs for our dear friends at the Oldenburg House and they are cookin’ away in the kiln now! (See what I did there, Glenn and Emily?).

That’s all for now. It’s been quite a day. Sign up for our newsletter to hear the full story sometime soon.

-Tressa
Head Content Writer, Haataja Designs