It’s time to tap some maple trees for syrup, at least in southeast Missouri.
. . . Maple sap should be flowing best starting this week. According to the calendar, it’s the variation from freezing nights and thawing days that causes the change.”
Collecting syrup from maples is a tradition stretching back centuries.
Though some think Maple sugaring, and syrup making, is more of a tradition in the Northeast, Missouri has sugar Maples, too, and has enjoyed a long tradition harvesting the sap. . . . the history of collecting sap goes back to its use by Native Americans who originally used it to make sugar. Once settlers arrived, they learned the practice from Native Americans and the sap collection and uses evolved from there. So whether we purchase our syrup from a store, or tap a tree ourselves, consuming Maple syrup is a direct connection to our natural world and our historical roots.”
ajh
