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Making Maple Syrup

The origins of this breakfast staple may surprise you!

March 2022
by Hailee Romain

Jiri Hera/Shutterstock.com (Syrup); Lisovskaya Natalia/Shutterstock.com (Pancakes)

Whether you prefer pancakes, French toast, or waffles, they all pair perfectly with maple syrup! But before bottles of the golden liquid hit grocery store shelves, it starts out as sap from deep inside a tree. “Most syrup comes from the sap of the sugar maple tree because it is naturally sweeter than that of other species,” says Meg Emmons. She works on Bourdon Maple Farm in Vermont, which has more than 10,000 maple trees.

What goes great with pancakes, French toast, or waffles? A drizzle of maple syrup! Most people get this sweet, golden liquid in a bottle from the grocery store. But it starts out as sap from deep inside a tree.

“Most syrup comes from the sap of the sugar maple tree,” explains Meg Emmons. She works on Bourdon Maple Farm in Vermont, which has more than 10,000 maple trees. Sugar maples naturally have sweeter sap than other tree species, says Emmons.

In late winter, warming weather causes sap to move toward trees’ branches in anticipation of the growing season. The sap flows best in temperatures that are below freezing at night but warmer in the day. In Vermont, that usually starts in early March.

Making maple syrup is hard work (see From Sap to Syrup, below). It takes about 40 gallons of sap to create just 1 gallon of syrup. Still, Emmons says the work is very rewarding—especially when it’s tasting time! “My favorite is having maple syrup on ice cream or with fried chicken and waffles,” she says.

As temperatures rise in late winter, trees move sap toward their branches. They sugary sap gives them energy to grow new leaves in spring. The sap flows best when temperatures are below freezing at night but warmer in daytime. In Vermont, that usually starts in early March.

Making maple syrup is hard work (see From Sap to Syrup, below). It takes about 40 gallons of sap to create just 1 gallon of syrup. Still, Emmons says the work is rewarding—especially when it’s tasting time! “My favorite is having maple syrup on ice cream or with fried chicken and waffles,” she says.

FROM SAP TO SYRUP

Evan Kay, Climb High Productions

Tapping:

This is the process of collecting tree sap. First, Meg Emmons drills a hole into the trunk. Then she inserts a spout connected to a network of plastic tubing on a vacuum system.

Tapping:

This is the process of collecting tree sap. First, Meg Emmons drills a hole into the trunk. Then she inserts a spout connected to a network of plastic tubing on a vacuum system.

Evan Kay, Climb High Productions

Evaporating:

As the sap drips from the tree, it is pulled through the tubes to a building called the sugar house. Inside, Emmons boils the sap in a large evaporator to remove the excess water.


Evan Kay, Climb High Productions

Refining:

Removing the water concentrates the sugar, giving it a sweeter taste and thicker consistency. The high temperatures also cause it to turn a golden color.


Andrew Cline/Shutterstock.com

Bottling:

Once it reaches the correct thickness, the syrup is filtered to remove any impurities. From there, it’s pumped into barrels and then bottled to sell!


FROM SAP TO SYRUP

Evan Kay, Climb High Productions


Tapping:

This is the process of collecting tree sap. First, Meg Emmons drills a hole into the trunk. Then she inserts a spout connected to a network of plastic tubing on a vacuum system.

Evan Kay, Climb High Productions


Evaporating:

As the sap drips from the tree, it is pulled through the tubes to a building called the sugar house. Inside, Emmons boils the sap in a large evaporator to remove the excess water.

Evan Kay, Climb High Productions


Refining:

Removing the water concentrates the sugar, giving it a sweeter taste and thicker consistency. The high temperatures also cause it to turn a golden color.

Andrew Cline/Shutterstock.com


Bottling:

Once it reaches the correct thickness, the syrup is filtered to remove any impurities. From there, it’s pumped into barrels and then bottled to sell!

FINDING VOLUME

Syrup containers come in many different shapes and sizes. You can use the formulas below to estimate the volume of liquid that different syrup containers can hold. Volume is the amount of space inside a 3-D object.

FINDING VOLUME

Syrup containers come in many different shapes and sizes. You can use the formulas below to estimate the volume of liquid that different syrup containers can hold. Volume is the amount of space inside a 3-D object.

Calculate the volume of different syrup containers. Use 3.14 for pi (π) and round answers to the nearest hundredth. Record your work and answers on our answer sheet.

Calculate the volume of different syrup containers. Use 3.14 for pi (π) and round answers to the nearest hundredth. Record your work and answers on our answer sheet.

If you make your own syrup at home, you can keep it in a Mason jar. The cylindrical jar has a height of 5.2 inches and a radius of 1.6 in. What is its volume?

If you make your own syrup at home, you can keep it in a Mason jar. The cylindrical jar has a height of 5.2 inches and a radius of 1.6 in. What is its volume?

Some maple farms sell their syrup in rectangular tins. One  is 10.5 in. high, 7.25 in. long, and 2.25 in. wide. What’s its volume?

Some maple farms sell their syrup in rectangular tins. One  is 10.5 in. high, 7.25 in. long, and 2.25 in. wide. What’s its volume?

A cone-shaped syrup dispenser at your local diner has a height of 4.3 in. and a radius of 1.4 in. What’s its volume?

A cone-shaped syrup dispenser at your local diner has a height of 4.3 in. and a radius of 1.4 in. What’s its volume?

A. The largest jug you can buy at Bourdon Maple Farm is a cylindrical container with a height of 12.2 in. and a radius of 5.1 in. They also sell a smaller cylindrical jug with a height of 3.3 in. and a radius of 0.9 in. What’s the volume of each container?

A. The largest jug you can buy at Bourdon Maple Farm is a cylindrical container with a height of 12.2 in. and a radius of 5.1 in. They also sell a smaller cylindrical jug with a height of 3.3 in. and a radius of 0.9 in. What’s the volume of each container?

B. How many of the smaller containers do you need to buy to have more syrup than the larger container holds?

B. How many of the smaller containers do you need to buy to have more syrup than the larger container holds?

How many of the smaller containers do you need to buy to have more syrup than the larger container holds?

How many of the smaller containers do you need to buy to have more syrup than the larger container holds?

On a separate sheet of paper, design a maple syrup container. Be sure to include its dimensions and find its volume!

On a separate sheet of paper, design a maple syrup container. Be sure to include its dimensions and find its volume!

Continue the Learning Journey

  • Many other products besides maple syrup come from trees, such as paper, rubber, and chocolate. Choose one of these three products to research. Then explain the process of making the product you chose in the same way the article did for turning tree sap into maple syrup. You can also add images or drawings to your explanation.
  • Find and measure 5 different-sized objects in your home that are cylinders, cones, or rectangular prisms. You can choose to measure either in inches or in centimeters. Then calculate the volumes of those objects using the appropriate formula.
  • Read the short news article "Syrup Shortage" from our friends at Science World. Then analyze and answer the question on the graph showing the syrup production in different states.

Continue the Learning Journey

  • Many other products besides maple syrup come from trees, such as paper, rubber, and chocolate. Choose one of these three products to research. Then explain the process of making the product you chose in the same way the article did for turning tree sap into maple syrup. You can also add images or drawings to your explanation.
  • Find and measure 5 different-sized objects in your home that are cylinders, cones, or rectangular prisms. You can choose to measure either in inches or in centimeters. Then calculate the volumes of those objects using the appropriate formula.
  • Read the short news article "Syrup Shortage" from our friends at Science World. Then analyze and answer the question on the graph showing the syrup production in different states.
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