Farm Update: Spring Maple Syrup Making

Maple syrup making is a sure sign of spring

Over the last couple of weeks, several devotees gathered to help with a Sweet Spring Seva lead by the Farm team. There is a short period in the early spring months the maple trees can be tapped to collect the flowing sap. When daytime temperatures are above zero and nighttime temperatures are below zero, maple trees send sugary sap from their roots to the leaf buds at the tips of their branches, preparing the buds to grow. This sap is collected, drop by drop, and then boiled down over many hours to make golden maple syrup.

Volunteers met on Saturday, March 7 to set up pails and hoses to tap fourteen sugar maple trees on the property. This week, close to 100 litres of sap were harvested from the trees. The collected sap was boiled in large pots, over a wood fire, closely monitored by the volunteers to produce approximately two litres of delicious, pure maple syrup bottled in small jars. A delicious dosa lunch was served to all the helpers!

We plan to hold another session again, this Saturday, March 21, if enough sap is running. Please check with Mohan Sookdeo or the Farming WhatsApp by Friday March 20, to confirm participation in this fun outdoor activity. For more information, please email ammatoronto@ammagroups.org

Om Lokah Samastah Sukhino Bhavantu