“Sap” is Running North of Schaffer
My Dad began making Maple Syrup around 1961 at a small crude operation just North of Schaffer.
He set up a large boiling flat pan over an open fire pit, similar to the one his Uncle Elmer had on his Farm at Eustis. It dealt with snowfall, rain, and at times, cold weather. Approximately 12-13 years later he and his brother Leo, who lived in Louisiana built a shed over the fire pit. My Uncle who eventually was acclimated to warm weather living in a warmer climate had a difficult time spending time with his brother making syrup during the cold spells. My dad and his brother constructed a shed over the fire pit.
In 1990 the shed was moved about a ¼ mile from its original site. After it was moved an addition was put on and both ends were enclosed. The sap is boiled on a smaller flat pan which is fired with wood. It is a time-consuming process but we produce a quality syrup. The lengthy process unlocks the true flavors of the maple sap. 0f course using wood allows for some of smoke to be absorbed by the syrup adding to its delicate flavor.
We have plenty of friends who help us annually. It is a fun social gathering. During the transition between winter and spring it is an ideal time to begin spending time outdoors. There is no season exactly the same.
The ideal day for sap to run is a good sunny day with 40 and lows in 20 or lower during the night. On a trip to Canada, we stopped at a restaurant and couple at next table were discussing maple syrup. We asked them how they were doing and the fella said the weather was not right yet, what we needed was some “pump handle weather”, the moderate warm temperatures were not good. Being sappers, we knew what he meant by “pump handle weather” 40-20.
One item we have at the sugar shack is an example of what the Europeans observed. It was the method the Native Americans used to make sugar. They would have a fire pit surrounded by heat absorbing rocks, and a large carved wooden vessel which contained the harvested sap. They would put some of the heated rocks in the sap and continue rotating the heated rocks to eventually evaporate the water out of the sap resulting in sugar. They used vessels constructed out of Birch Bark which gathered the sap at the trees. They used larger ones to transport the sap.
We use our syrup to make maple cream, taffy on the snow, pecan brittle and sugar.
The fever of making maple syrup has rubbed off on two of our children, one living in the Keweenaw Peninsula of the U P makes syrup. Another makes syrup in Quebec. This makes, including my great Uncle Elmer, four generations of Potvins making Maple Syrup. I guess one could say that in 2021 our family has been boiling sap near Schaffer for 60 years.
Schaffer Quips 