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pearl christine

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maple sugaring 2023 {tapping, collecting, boiling, & a giveaway!}

Apr. 07, 2023

Hello, my friends!

Some of you who have been around for a while may remember last year’s series I did on our maple sugaring – But for those of you who are new, here’s a quick explanation. For the past 8 years, my family has tapped maple trees and made maple syrup. In this post, I’ll cover everything from tapping our trees to jars of finished maple syrup. And at the end, I’ll be doing a giveaway with a half-pine of this year’s syrup, maple fudge, and the book, Miracles on Maple Hill by Virginia Sorensen. Sounds fun, right?

Enjoy lots of woodsy photos, crazy siblings, and our maple syrup adventures!

To be honest, I didn’t do much this year, or at least as much as I usually do. I’ve carried a few buckets, opened the spigot, helped with the much-needed decorating for the sugar shack, and stayed up late to provide moral support while Mom & Dad finished one evening, but I’ve mostly taken pictures and worked on inside chores. So, this year’s syrup is mostly going to be the labor of my parents, brothers, and little sister. But, I do have pictures of most things!

Let’s start with lots and lots of white buckets that Malachi cleaned one Saturday morning. We use to hang bags to the tree, but we’ve switched to buckets so they won’t burst. They’re definitely not the prettiest to look at, but at least they’re clean. ๐Ÿ˜›

Once you have plenty of clean buckets, it’s time to tap your tree. Basically, you drill a hole into a maple tree, add a spile, (the faucet that the sap will drip out of!), hang your bucket, and you have a tree with a bucket on it. Very rewarding, I know. XD

Another tree with a just as lovely white bucket! Time for a quick lesson! Sap flows when the temp is above freezing during the day and below freezing at night. Sap flows up in the springtime to help generate energy, while the new leaves are forming.

We tapped 78 trees by the end of the season, I believe! Not all of them were on our property (e.g. we tapped both of my grandparents’ trees they have in their yards. Don’t worry, we didn’t walk into someone else’s yard and start drilling holes in their trees.)

When your trees have been tapped then you wait a few days for your buckets to fill, it’s time to go and collect! We used to carry ALL of our buckets down from the woods (a lot of which were on a very steep hill) but then we got the Ranger two years ago and the four-wheeler last spring which makes collecting a lot easier. (Does anyone love the chaos that’s going on in the corner of this picture? You can thank two crazy dogs and one little brother. ๐Ÿ˜œ)

Dad and Malachi attached a 65-gallon tank to the four-wheeler and Malachi rode around collecting with that. Quite the change from past years! ๐Ÿ˜€

This is our maple sugar shack that’s really just the overhang from our garage. It’s usually neater over here so you don’t have to walk through a maze to get to the boiler (which is technically called an evaporator, but we always just call it the boiler), but this picture is in its messier state. Mom and I also hung string lights around one day, and they were so pretty at night when we out to check sap/finish!

Once you start the fire in the boiler, you pour the collected sap in. It takes forty gallons of sap to make one gallon of syrup, so by the end of the season for you to have a good amount of syrup, you have to collect a LOT of sap.

Oh! This was something that I actually did help with this year. xD I did the treacherous job of driving the ranger down to one of our many wood piles and filling it, and then bringing it back and letting the boys stack it. I love how it looks like the wood is glowing in this picture!

Once the sap has been boiling for more than a few hours (how long it takes depends on how much sap is in the boiler – it usually takes 3 – 4 days (with breaks) of boiling and adding for us to get 6 gallons of syrup.) and is starting to look like syrup, you check it using the hydrometer. The hydrometer measures the density of the syrup, and it has to reach 59 brix (or be close) for it to be the right density.

You keep checking it – about every 3 to 5 minutes – until it reaches 58 since it’ll get to 59 while we pull it off. And then. . . .

You pull the syrup off the boiler! Our boiler is bowed slightly in the bottom of it, which is why someone has to use a spatula or scraper to get it all out.

Technically, it’s best to open the spigot first so the syrup has a way to get out of the boiler. XD We just put it in a 5-gallon bucket (or two) and then we’ll put it into jars once it’s filtered.

Then the sap that’s now syrup starts to pour out! Seeing the golden and caramel-colored syrup is quite satisfying. ๐Ÿ˜€ We’ve accidentally managed to melt three buckets because they were too close to the boiler. o.O

Once we get as much syrup as we can scrape from the boiler and into the bucket, someone starts pouring in new sap so the bottom of boiler doesn’t burn. The screen is on there is to make sure that there aren’t any big things (e.g. bugs, leaves, etc) getting into the boiler.

I glanced out my window one foggy morning and noticed how neat the wood smoke from the boiler looked. This isn’t exactly a syrup photo, but also, it is, so I’m putting it here, haha.

By the end of the season, we ended up with 26 gallons of syrup. o.O Which is 1040 gallons of sap, all of which was all collected by my brothers or dad, so we get to thank them for the syrup this year.

Let’s start talking about the giveaway!

the giveaway

Quick rules:

  • The giveaway is only open to U.S. residents โ€“ Iโ€™m so sorry, guys! Shipping in the U.S. is already expensive enough as it is.
  • If youโ€™re under 18, please get a parentโ€™s permission before entering since Iโ€™ll need your address if you win to send you your prize.
  • The Giveaway starts today, the 7th, and ends at midnight on the 13th.  I will announce the winner on the 14th, and I will email them. If the winner doesnโ€™t respond by April 20th, I will have to pick a different winner.
  • Once you enter, there are plenty of ways to earn bonus entries โ€” There is a list on the giveaway page when you enter!

What the winner will win:

  • a pint jar of this year’s syrup
  • the middle-grade book, Miracles on Maple Hill by Virginia Sorensen (I love this book! It’s so sweet and is all about making maple syrup!)
  • homemade maple fudge

If you have any questions, comment them below and I’ll get back to you! Now, let the entering begin!

Enter the giveaway!

your turn!

Have you tapped trees before? What’s your favorite thing to add syrup to? Are YOU entering the giveaway?? Let’s chat in the comments!

– Pearl Christine

Category: All Things Life Tags: 2023, country life photography, country photography, lifestyle blogger, maple sap, maple sugaring photos, maple syrup giveaway, maple syrup photography, maple trees, maplesugaring, Nature photography

โ† Previous Post
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Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Betsy says

    April 7, 2023 at 5:14 pm

    That is so cool! Do you have like a special pancake breakfast after you finish making syrup?

    Reply
    • Pearl says

      April 8, 2023 at 6:24 am

      After we finished the first batch, we had breakfast for dinner with waffles! ๐Ÿ˜‹๐Ÿ˜

      Reply
  2. Mayim says

    April 7, 2023 at 5:17 pm

    oh a of this sounds so delicious! after reading t he laura i falls wilder books years ago, me and my sister wanted to tap trees, but weโ€™ve never have enough maple tree to make it worth it ๐Ÿ˜‚

    i just entered the giveaway! everything sounds sooooo yummy!

    Reply
    • Pearl says

      April 8, 2023 at 6:24 am

      Aw, that’s so cute! ๐Ÿฅฐ Thank you for entering!

      Reply
  3. Grace A. Johnson says

    April 7, 2023 at 5:28 pm

    This is SO interesting, Pearl!! Thank you so much for sharing! (And omgosh, maple fudge sounds SO GOOD. ๐Ÿ˜‹๐Ÿคค)

    Reply
    • Pearl says

      April 8, 2023 at 6:25 am

      I’m so glad you found it interesting!! I was a bit hesitant since it wasn’t something I’d normally post, but I’m happy you enjoyed it. ๐Ÿ˜„ Thank you for reading and entering! <33

      Reply
  4. Brittney says

    April 7, 2023 at 6:18 pm

    This is so cool! Our family makes maple syrup, too. Itโ€™s such a fun processโ€” and itโ€™s hard to beat a plate of french toast with fresh maple syrup! Alsoโ€ฆ maple fudge?? That sounds amazing!

    Reply
    • Pearl says

      April 8, 2023 at 6:26 am

      Oh, really? That’s amazing, Brittney! It really is an awe-inspiring process. I made it last year and it was delicious so whoever wins it is lucky. ๐Ÿ˜œ Thank you!

      Reply
  5. Zoey says

    April 7, 2023 at 6:20 pm

    ahh, this was such a fun and interesting read! ๐Ÿ˜€ sounds like a really cool family activity ~ thanks for sharing <3

    Reply
    • Pearl says

      April 8, 2023 at 6:27 am

      Aw, it’s definitely one of my favorite things we do. ๐Ÿ˜ Thanks for reading, Zo! <3

      Reply
  6. Lily Wallaker says

    April 7, 2023 at 6:25 pm

    This sounds so cool…and that is a TON of syrup! Great work, and I can’t wait for the giveaway!

    Reply
    • Pearl says

      April 8, 2023 at 6:27 am

      I know, I don’t know what we’re going to do with all of it. ๐Ÿ˜‚ Thank you for entering, Lily!

      Reply
  7. Allison Alexander says

    April 7, 2023 at 7:12 pm

    Ooh how neat! My family has tapped trees before but certainly not 78; mostly just trees around our house. That’s a ton of sap and syrup! Also Miracles on Maple Hill is such a sweet book. โค๏ธ

    Reply
    • Pearl says

      April 8, 2023 at 6:28 am

      That’s awesome! It’s such a neat process that even a small amount of trees can be fun. ๐Ÿ˜„ I agree; it’s one of my favorites. ๐Ÿ’•

      Reply
  8. Belle Thomas says

    April 7, 2023 at 7:26 pm

    Ooh this is so fun! My Dad decided to tap trees one year, it was great to have our own syrup! I love driving around New England this time of year because you can see all of the taps in trees everywhere!

    Reply
    • Pearl says

      April 8, 2023 at 6:29 am

      Aw, so glad you enjoyed it! That’s really neat – homemade maple syrup is so much better than anything store-bought. Yeah, I get really excited when I see lots of taps on trees. ๐Ÿ˜Š

      Reply
  9. Mia Harden says

    April 7, 2023 at 9:23 pm

    wow, that is a lot of sap for just a little syrup. i wouldn’t have the patience!

    Reply
    • Pearl says

      April 8, 2023 at 6:29 am

      It’s a long process, for sure! But so worth it. ๐Ÿ˜‰

      Reply
  10. Bella Waugh says

    April 7, 2023 at 9:40 pm

    That’s super cool!! We’ve talked about seeing if we can tap our trees, since we have 4 maples, but I’m not sure if our mild Southern weather will let us! XD
    Such a cool opportunity you have, Pearl!! Also YES I’m entering the giveaway!!! I hope I win!! XD

    Reply
    • Pearl says

      April 8, 2023 at 6:30 am

      I never thought about tapping down South. . . I wonder if it’d work. XD
      I know! Thank you so much for reading and entering!! ๐Ÿฅฐ โœจ

      Reply
      • Bella Waugh says

        April 10, 2023 at 10:36 pm

        Yeah, I don’t know if it’d work or not but *shrugs*! Of course!!

        Reply
  11. Selah Shupe says

    April 7, 2023 at 9:41 pm

    Lovely!! Thank you for sharing, love the giveaway!! How fun

    Reply
    • Pearl says

      April 8, 2023 at 6:32 am

      Thank you for your sweet comment and entering the giveaway!

      Reply
  12. artzyjanet says

    April 7, 2023 at 9:43 pm

    The conversion ratio… yikes! 0.o This looks sooo yummy, great job! This is an amazing post!!!

    Reply
    • Pearl says

      April 8, 2023 at 6:33 am

      I know, it’s definitely a bit crazy as to how much sap you need for only a little bit of syrup. SO glad you enjoyed the post!!

      Reply
  13. A. J. Syngrafรฉas says

    April 7, 2023 at 9:58 pm

    Ooh! This was such a fun post to read! The syrup looks delicious! And so beautiful!

    Reply
    • Pearl says

      April 8, 2023 at 6:33 am

      Aw, thanks, Aliya!

      Reply
  14. Deigan Marie says

    April 7, 2023 at 10:22 pm

    Wow, that looks like a lot of fun! I’ve always wanted to tap trees ๐Ÿ˜‚. Does sound exhausting, though ๐Ÿ˜œ. Man, fudgeeeee!!! That sounds so good! *immediately signs up*

    Reply
    • Pearl says

      April 8, 2023 at 6:33 am

      I hope you get the opportunity sometime! It’s such a neat process. ๐Ÿ˜„ Thanks for entering the giveaway!!

      Reply
  15. Chloe Ruth says

    April 7, 2023 at 11:46 pm

    Aw, I love this, Pearl! I’m sure it’s a great way to have family time — something hard to do in large families! Great job to you all with all that sap! (That’s A LOT of sap. XD)

    Reply
    • Pearl says

      April 8, 2023 at 6:34 am

      So glad you enjoyed it, sis! <3 I know, finding enough family time is hard but worth it. Why thank you. XD (HAHA I KNOW.)

      Reply
  16. Ava Coulter says

    April 8, 2023 at 12:58 am

    Wow, Pearl, this is so neat!! I’ve always wanted to do this. Maple fudge??? That sounds immaculate! This is such a fun post! <333

    Reply
    • Pearl says

      April 8, 2023 at 6:35 am

      I hope you’ll get the chance sometime! It is SO good. ๐Ÿ˜‹ So happy you enjoyed the post! <33

      Reply
  17. Emily says

    April 8, 2023 at 1:18 am

    It looks like a lot of work,but Iโ€™m sure you can not beat the taste of it on pancakes or French toast ๐Ÿ˜‹๐Ÿ˜ƒ๐Ÿฅž!Also, what a fun giveaway!!!

    Reply
    • Pearl says

      April 8, 2023 at 6:35 am

      Waffles are my fave, but yesss, for sure! ๐Ÿ˜„ Thanks for entering, Emily! ๐Ÿฅฐ

      Reply
  18. Charlotte Mills says

    April 8, 2023 at 2:59 am

    I loved reading this post, friend!! I knew your family tapped and boiled maple syrup, but it was so fascinating to get a clearer understanding of the process. ๐Ÿ˜€

    Reply
    • Pearl says

      April 8, 2023 at 6:36 am

      Yeah, I’ve told you quite a bit about it. ๐Ÿ˜ Thank you for reading, Char! <3

      Reply
  19. Anna says

    April 8, 2023 at 8:01 pm

    Loved reading this post! Our family tried tapping trees onceโ€ฆ letโ€™s just say it didnโ€™t work out. ๐Ÿ˜‚ Lovely family tradition!

    I am entering the giveaway! Great idea, will be lots of fun!

    Reply
    • Pearl says

      April 8, 2023 at 10:52 pm

      Oh dear. XD What happened, if you want to share? ๐Ÿ˜€ I agree! Thanks for entering! <3

      Reply
  20. Virginia Henderson says

    April 9, 2023 at 4:17 am

    This was cool and very informative. Sounds like a ton of hard work but totally worth it in the end. Thanks for hosting the giveaway, sounds so fun. ๐Ÿ™‚

    Reply
    • Pearl says

      April 10, 2023 at 7:12 pm

      I’m so happy you enjoyed the post! Thanks for entering the giveaway!

      Reply
  21. KJ Lynn says

    April 9, 2023 at 7:10 am

    Mmm, this looks really good! My family loves maple syrup, but we’ve never tapped any trees.

    Reply
    • Pearl says

      April 10, 2023 at 7:13 pm

      Ooh if you get the chance, I’d recommend doing it; it’s such a neat experience!

      Reply
  22. Dad says

    April 10, 2023 at 9:01 pm

    I really enjoyed this post Pearl. This is one of my favorite times of year!

    Reply
    • Pearl says

      April 11, 2023 at 12:10 am

      Mine too, Dad! It’s so much fun.

      Reply
  23. L.C. says

    April 11, 2023 at 1:58 am

    This is super cool!

    I love maple syrup, but like several other people that have already commented, I’ve never tapped any trees before.

    I really enjoyed reading this post and the pictures were beautiful:)

    Reply
    • Pearl says

      April 11, 2023 at 7:04 pm

      I hope you get to tap sometime; it’s so much fun!
      Aw, so happy you enjoyed it. <3 Thank you for reading!

      Reply
  24. Tess says

    April 11, 2023 at 5:37 am

    An amazing post as usual, and please tell your sisters I say hi!

    Reply
    • Pearl says

      April 11, 2023 at 7:03 pm

      Thank you! <33 I will! (:

      Reply

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Hey, friend! I’m Pearl, and I love Jesus, writing, photography, running, and chai lattes. Welcome to my blog where I share photography and lifestyle inspo for teen girls!

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posts from the past

๐Ÿ What do you read and watch during autumn?

Iโ€™m a seasonal reader (and movie-watcher!), so autumn brings a new set of books and movies Iโ€™m ready for!

This year Iโ€™m reading Anne of Green Gables in September, Little Women in October, and the Loves Comes Softly series around Thanksgiving. Iโ€™m currently watching season 10 of #whencallstheheart with my sister, and my family always starts watching Christmas movies on Thanksgiving Day. ๐Ÿ‚
I may or may not have started a new project! ๐Ÿ‘€ I may or may not have started a new project! ๐Ÿ‘€

Tell me all about YOUR brainstorming/pre-writing process! Iโ€™m currently crafting a solid premise, characters, and plot โ€” plus scrolling Pinterest for aesthetics. 

#writersofinstagram #middlegradebook #middlegradebooks #middlegradebookstagrammer #writinglife #middlegradeauthor #middlegradenovel
Have you ever found a book character who shares yo Have you ever found a book character who shares your name?

Believe it or not, Iโ€™ve read 1 book that had my name in it! I was so surprised because it also had my sisterโ€™s name in it, too. Sadly, the one character was a villain and just a genuinely awful person ๐Ÿ˜‚๐Ÿ˜‚ 

(Also these lemon blueberry were so delicious! If you want the recipe, let me know ๐Ÿ‘‡๐Ÿ‘‡)

#middlegradewriter #middlegradebooks #middlegradebookstagram #youngwriters #middlebookboostagrammer #booksandmuffins #professionalbookworm #middlegradefiction
Do you listen to audiobooks? Iโ€™m currently list Do you listen to audiobooks?

Iโ€™m currently listening to Ruby Holler by @creechauthor while I exercise, clean, stretch, or make crafts. I like to multitask while listening to audiobooks, but it can make it hard to concentrate if my mind starts to wander.

Iโ€™m a pretty huge audiobook fan and it isnโ€™t often when I donโ€™t have a list of audiobooks to listen to. 

#audiobooks #middlegradeaudiobooks #middlegradebookstagram #middlegradeauthors
Follow on Instagram
๐Ÿ What do you read and watch during autumn?

Iโ€™m a seasonal reader (and movie-watcher!), so autumn brings a new set of books and movies Iโ€™m ready for!

This year Iโ€™m reading Anne of Green Gables in September, Little Women in October, and the Loves Comes Softly series around Thanksgiving. Iโ€™m currently watching season 10 of #whencallstheheart with my sister, and my family always starts watching Christmas movies on Thanksgiving Day. ๐Ÿ‚
I may or may not have started a new project! ๐Ÿ‘€ I may or may not have started a new project! ๐Ÿ‘€

Tell me all about YOUR brainstorming/pre-writing process! Iโ€™m currently crafting a solid premise, characters, and plot โ€” plus scrolling Pinterest for aesthetics. 

#writersofinstagram #middlegradebook #middlegradebooks #middlegradebookstagrammer #writinglife #middlegradeauthor #middlegradenovel
Have you ever found a book character who shares yo Have you ever found a book character who shares your name?

Believe it or not, Iโ€™ve read 1 book that had my name in it! I was so surprised because it also had my sisterโ€™s name in it, too. Sadly, the one character was a villain and just a genuinely awful person ๐Ÿ˜‚๐Ÿ˜‚ 

(Also these lemon blueberry were so delicious! If you want the recipe, let me know ๐Ÿ‘‡๐Ÿ‘‡)

#middlegradewriter #middlegradebooks #middlegradebookstagram #youngwriters #middlebookboostagrammer #booksandmuffins #professionalbookworm #middlegradefiction
Do you listen to audiobooks? Iโ€™m currently list Do you listen to audiobooks?

Iโ€™m currently listening to Ruby Holler by @creechauthor while I exercise, clean, stretch, or make crafts. I like to multitask while listening to audiobooks, but it can make it hard to concentrate if my mind starts to wander.

Iโ€™m a pretty huge audiobook fan and it isnโ€™t often when I donโ€™t have a list of audiobooks to listen to. 

#audiobooks #middlegradeaudiobooks #middlegradebookstagram #middlegradeauthors
Follow on Instagram

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