Maple sap is collected from the Northeastern United States and Canadian
Sugar Maples, the only region in the world where
the process can be completed. Due to the freezing
nights and thawing days of early spring, the sugar
content in the sap is optimal. This is the only season
the sap can be collected; usually from the end of
February to the end of March. As the temperatures warm,
the sap spoils and becomes “buddy” from the opening
spring buds. “Buddiness” is a taste that every sugar
maker recognizes as being bitter. A Small hole is
drilled into each maple tree and a spike is then lightly
tapped in for collection of the sap. This process is
known to the sugar maker as tapping. Traditionally,
sap then drips into buckets and waits for collection.
For mass sap collection, many trees are tapped and
connected to a series of plastic tubing and then routed
to one central location. Gravity and pumps are
 used
to keep the sap moving into collection tanks. Only
about 10% of a trees sap is collected every season.
This does not affect the trees health, but is similar
to donating blood with the human. After the collection
of the maple sap, it is then boiled to evaporate water
and achieve the syrup consistency. It takes
approximately 35-50gallons of maple sap to create one
gallon of syrup after evaporation. This is the
consistency that one would eat on pancakes or French
toast. The syrup is then filleted and bottled to sell or
use on the table. Maple syrup can be boiled down
further to be left with pure maple sugar, also referred
to as maple candy. This is a product that children and
adults love and is 100% natural.
The Howles Family currently uses multiple methods of collecting and
boiling sap. Currently, about 1500 trees are tapped each
year; some of which are owned and others are rented.
There are about 400 buckets collected daily. Also,
Plastic tubing carries the sap to one location for pick
up at the end of each day. This process is much faster
than buckets but can only be used in certain areas due
to gravity flow process. At some locations vacuum
systems are utilized to speed the flow. The sap is
hauled back to the sugarhouse where it is then filtered
of any impurities. After being filtered the sap awaits
being processed through a reverse
 osmosis
system. Reverse osmosis is the same process of
purifying water. The sap is pumped at high pressure
through tightly wound filters called membranes. The
sugar is handled as an impurity of the water and is left
behind. The water passes down the drain and the sugar
water is then boiled down further. The reverse osmosis
machine eliminates 75% of the water in the sap during
the production process, saving a lot of boiling time.
The concentrated sap is then boiled in a solid
stainless steel 3' x 8' wood fired evaporator until it
evaporates to syrup consistency. At this point it is
drawn out of pans with a state of the art computerized
draw system. This system assures perfect quality and
taste. The maple product is then filtered and packaged
accordingly.
 Maple
syrup is packaged in multiple ways. The Howles family
uses glass leaf shaped bottles, which give off a more
antique and classy look that most people like. This is
a best seller along with the plastic containers used to
bottle. The plastic containers are available in sizes
for a half pint to a
 gallon
jug of maple syrup. Wholesale quantities are also
available to local and out of state restaurants. This
gives the restaurant the opportunity to provide the
customers with the best tasting breakfast and still be
cost efficient. Maple sugar and candy come packaged in
a variety of ways. The sugar is molded into small maple
leaf shapes and packaged in either bags of certain
quantities, or in boxes similar to boxes of
chocolates. Crushed maple sugar in bags is also
available, which can be used in place of brown sugar or
to sprinkle on ice cream & make delicious milkshakes.
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