As temperatures moderate in mid to late February, the tapping process may begin. We start by drilling a hole into the tree trunks, approximately 2-6 feet from the ground. We then drive in either a plastic spout (to connect to the pipeline collection system) or a metal spout (from which 12-16 quart buckets with covers are hung).

The pipelines deliver the sap to storage tubs at the bottom of the sugar lots, or they may lead directly into the sugarhouse itself. Sap buckets are emptied by hand into gathering tanks hauled behind a tractor or truck, and transported to large stainless storage tanks at the sugarhouse.

Maple syrup is produced by boiling the sap at 219 degrees Fahrenheit, evaporating much of the water. This evaporation process is what produces the tremendous amount of steam that can be seen billowing from sugarhouses each Spring. On average, it takes approximately 40 gallons of sap to produce a single gallon of maple syrup.

At Evans Maple Farm,  evaporation is done over a wood-fired, airtight arch, with fans that burn the wood at a hotter temperature, increasing the efficiency. The fire in the arch is drawn through numerous flues in the back pan, aided by air drafts created by an overly tall chimney stack. Sap circulates around the vast boiling surfaces of these flues, on its way to the front pan – where the highest quality maple syrup is drawn off, strained and processed into various size containers.