Tree Stabbing and Tree Bloodsucking

This being maple syrup tapping season, there are events related to that popping up everywhere! Here's one:

Ryerson Conservation Area, Deerfield.

That's one-hour nature walks this weekend, with maple-vampirism as part of it. Reservations recommended. No, seriously.

Then next week, the unholy gore-fest continues:

North Park Village Nature Center

That one's on the grounds of an abandoned sanitarium. As Count Floyd would say, that's reaaaaaallllllllyyyy scaaaaaaaarrry! Ahhhhwooooooooo!

(Ignore the Halloween theme, these are great nature family activities.)

Lots of activities at the North Park maple syrup event, of the brawny, he-man sort that appeals to the six-year-old boy:



They called the resulting discs "tree cookies." At least I know Aaron Deacon reads my posts, because if my camera had been aimed a little higher, you'd see him in line back there with his family.

Wandering deeper, we found a grove of trees into which taps had been hammered, and plastic bottles attached. We were invited to taste-- raw maple sap tastes like water. Which, at a ratio of about 40 to 1, is exactly what it is.



You wonder sometimes how ancient man looked at a tree dripping water and ever thought, gee, if I just stirred that in a pot for about a whole frickin' day, maybe I'd get something. I guess without TV and LTHForum and all, they had more time to contemplate such possibilities.



They were offering tastes of that stuff there, it had a distinct woodsmoke flavor that was awfully strong but kind of grew on me. Though there were a few vendors' tents there, they didn't seem to be selling their own, extra-smoky stuff, alas....

HI,

Outside of these demonstrations at forest preserves, there is only one commerical maple grove in Illinois: Funk's Grove just north of Springfield. My nieces and I love real maple syrup as well as maple candy.

When I was in kindergarten, we lived on a property with maple trees. My parents and I did not understand the 40:1 long cook required. Instead we started tapping our trees with my Dad hanging my sand buckets. Not much really happened though I was out there checking the sand buckets every day. Just some droplets of clear liquid which initially tastes like water. I think we were under the illusion we'd have maple syrup right off the bat.

Looks like everyone had a good time.

Regards,

Cathy2 wrote:HI,

Outside of these demonstrations at forest preserves, there is only one commerical maple grove in Illinois: Funk's Grove just north of Springfield. My nieces and I love real maple syrup as well as maple candy.

Have you been to Funk's Grove (which sells not syrup, but sirop, something to do with French settlers I believe). It's on Rt 66, and on our our brief trek on the mother-road a few year ago, we meant to stop, but accidently whizzed by it. I've been curious.

Rob

Hi,

I have been to Funks Grove several times. Once when I made a pie 'from Illinois ingredients' for the State Fair, I included maple syrup due to Funks.

Physically it isn't much to see. It's just off a road which is parallel to Route 55, you pull into the driveway. The shop is in a garage-type outhouse where you can talk to the owners, buy some maple syrup, candy and souvenirs. We visit every time to lend support. Perhaps at this time of year when they are actively mapling there may at least be an opportunity to see them in action.

I lived for a few years in Massachusetts when I was young. There you get a lot of exposure to the joys of mapling.

Regards,

They called the resulting discs "tree cookies." At least I know Aaron Deacon reads my posts, because if my camera had been aimed a little higher, you'd see him in line back there with his family.

If those are cut from maple, hickory or oak trees they would work well in a WSM.

I forgot to ask!

Mike,

If you had itty bitty fish, then you could plank cook them on those cookies.

Trees can be identified by their bark. My estimate from the bark its a young Ash tree, though I won't bet the farm on it.

Mike, the last time I went to the maple syrup festival (a few years ago), it had been outsourced to IHOP. (Which was the reason that was the last time I went.) I don't see any mention of them here -- can I assume that was just an experiment that has ended? I sure hope so.

IHOP was there serving up pancakes for sale in the parking lot. You know, it wasn't bad, on a cold day. There were also a couple of vendors of the sort you often see at farmers' markets (Chef Earl of hummus fame for instance). The events within the actual nature center and woods were all natural, however.

Several things.

I cannot speak for the maple syrup fest that you all attended. I attended the maple syrup demonstration that was sponsored by the McHenry Co. Park District a couple of weekends ago.

The problem that I have with these events is that they are staffed with volunteers that really do not know much about the process of making maple syrup since sugar maple groves are fairly rare in Illinois.

The producers who do make maple syrup in Ohio and the Northeast are generally farmers who produce syrup as a means of supplementing their farm income. Maple syrup season is a slow time as it is too early to plant. Also, it seams like it is a time when there are very little calving going on.

There are a few people who do make syrup commercially but it is always a side job as the sap only runs 4-6 weeks maximum in a lot of the country. My wife's cousins built a pretty large operation a few years back and hope to produce 3-5k gallons a year. In comparison, my in-laws make approximately 40-60 gallons a year as a hobby.

Trees are generally identified by their bark - although the locals here talk more about branch structure and all that stuff.

One more thing. Do not try to make maple syrup on your kitchen range indoors. The amount of water that you will introduce into the kitchen in the boiling process will mess up your drywall or plaster. You need to do it ourside or in a "lean-to" structure.

It's tree-bloodsucking time again soon!

Here are some upcoming events, always fun for the kids:

Assorted Lake County events throughout March.

Assorted DuPage county events throughout March.

North Park Nature Center, March 18-19.

I usually make it out to the Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore for their Maple Sugar Fest every year.

Maple Sugar Time at Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore
http://www.nps.gov/indu/events/mst.htm