In the garage today, we're boiling maple sap. Two to three percent sugar at the start, we'll boil off water until we end up with syrup that's about two-thirds sugar to one-third water. That's a lot of boiling. If you're in need of a steam facial, our garage is a good place to be today. And we only boil about 5 gallons of sap at a time. Can you imagine what it's like in a real sugar shack with a wood-fired evaporator, boiling tens or hundreds of gallons at one time? I've been in one before, its quite the experience. You end up feeling damp, and slightly sweet if you spend a long time in one.
Though to explain the smell of boiling sap is almost impossible. It's slightly sweet, but not in a fruit or baked goods kind of way. Its almost vegetably or green; but that doesn't really hit it on the nose either. It's just the smell of boiling maple sap. If you really want to know, let us know . . . we can get you in on the experience.
Otherwise, its just kind of a gray day. A very slight coating of ice on everything. Not enough to be slick so much, just enough to be wary, and make everything a little bit stuck together.
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