Earliest evidence of maple sugaring in the region comes from Native
Americans tapping maple trees as early as 1609. A thrown tomahawk
probably led to discovery of these frozen little icicle treats of
sweetened sap. Though sap itself is not sweet, the boiling or freezing
of it adds a sweetened taste - something you’ll probably never forget
once tasted.
There’s a certain “knack” to maple sugaring. Sap won’t run if
it’s too cold or too warm, so finding that delicate balance can be a
bit tricky for novices. A clear Spring day, with thawing evenings is
perhaps the right time to tap a hole into a sugar maple and let the sap
drip slowly into a bucket. Then another and another because it takes
35-40 gallons of sap to boil down to one gallon of syrup! Sap can run
sporadically from the first spring thaw until the buds turn into leaves
from mid-March until April. Light syrup is generally the highest quality
while the darker syrups are used for cooking.
There are four kinds of maples throughout the region: Sugar Maple
(Hard Maple), Red Maple ( Swamp Maple), and Ash Leafed Maple ( Box
Elder),Silver Maple (soft maple). Properly cared for sugar maples can be
tapped at 40 years of age and will yield sap for 100 years or more.
Only about $2 million in revenue is derived in Massachusetts from
sugaring - but perhaps this oldtime favorite will lead local
entrepreneurs to reconsider a small operation. The River Bend Farm, in
cooperation with the National Heritage Corridor offer actual
instructional programs each March at River Bend Farm, Oak St, Uxbridge.
Recipes, wholesalers, process instructions can all be found at
http://www.massmaple.org/info.html
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New Sugar House Reason to Celebrate
Maple Sugaring in the Blackstone Valley
Dignitaries to Attend Ribbon Cutting
Uxbridge, MA. A new maple sugaring house has been officially opened by
the Blackstone Valley Sugaring Association with a ribbon cutting held
in February 2007 at River Bend Farm Visitors Center at 287 Oak Street in the
Blackstone River and Canal Heritage State Park in Uxbridge.
Federal, state and local officials were in attendance to celebrate the
partnership between the programs of the John H. Chafee Blackstone River
Valley National Heritage Corridor, the Commonwealth’s Department of
Conservation and Recreation and the volunteers of the Blackstone Valley
Sugaring Association who spearheaded the building of the new facility on the
grounds of the Blackstone River and Canal Heritage State Park.
“This is a terrific Blackstone Valley story about how much can be
accomplished with partners and volunteers working together,” Thomas E. Ross,
Acting Executive Director of the John H. Chafee Blackstone River Valley
National Heritage Corridor said. “National Heritage Corridor staff has
worked for six years to grow the national Volunteer in Parks program here in
the Blackstone Valley and what started out as a family hobby is now
supported by over four dozen volunteers and has evolved into a wonderful
winter event for families and friends right here at River Bend Farm.”
Two Uxbridge residents, Bill and Valerie Paul, officially created the
non-profit Blackstone Valley Sugaring Association in 2006 to support and
foster maple sugaring education and activities and to the preservation of
maple trees throughout the Blackstone Valley of Massachusetts and Rhode
Island. They work closely with Ranger Suzanne Buchanan, coordinator of the
Volunteer in Parks (VIP) program at the John H. Chafee Blackstone River
Valley National Heritage Corridor, to ensure that their Maple Sugar Days
scheduled for weekends in March are well organized and running smoothly with
plenty of support to assist participants. The VIP program logged 41, 980
hours of volunteers’ time in the Blackstone River Valley – the equivalent of
over 20 full time employees – last year along. “The VIP’s insure that we
have a consistent and well trained group of volunteers who are available to
help us with demonstrations and other aspects of sugaring throughout the
season,” Valerie Paul explained.
“We’re thrilled to celebrate the opening of this beautiful new Maple Sugar
House at DCR’s Blackstone River and Canal Heritage State Park,” said the
Department of Conservation and Recreation’s Acting Commissioner Priscilla
Geigis. “What began in 2002 as a single-day maple sugaring demonstration has
grown into a three-week event attracting thousands of visitors. We’re
grateful to the dedicated volunteers from the Blackstone Valley Sugaring
Association for helping to fund this new building and equipment along with
the Massachusetts Executive Office of Environmental Affairs Office of Public
Private Partnerships. And we thank the John H. Chafee Blackstone River
Valley National Heritage Corridor for their ongoing support of the state
park and its programs for visitors.”
The Blackstone Sugaring Association organizes Maple Sugar Days on weekends
in March to tap maple trees in the Blackstone River and Canal Heritage State
Park and boil the sap down to make maple syrup. Maple Sugar Days at the
state park have averaged two thousand visitors over their series of weekend
demo days scheduled throughout the month. Through a grant from the
Commonwealth of Massachusetts’ Fix It First Friends Program, Bill Paul was
able to purchase a professional-sized indoor evaporator and to coordinate
and purchase the materials needed to build a new sugar house. “The lumber
used for our Sugar House was actually harvested from the Blackstone Gorge
when several trees were removed to make room for the site’s new parking
area,” he proudly noted.
The event will kick-off with a
pancake breakfast with continuous seating from 8:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m. at
the River Bend Farm Visitors Center. The Uxbridge First Holiday Night
Committee is presenting the breakfast and will use all proceeds to help
defray the costs associated with this year's 10th anniversary celebration
scheduled for December 1, 2007. A $5 donation will be collected at the door.
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For more information, visit
www.blackstonevalleysugaring.org.
Directions to River Bend
Farm:
From the Mass Pike or Route 146
Take the
Massachusetts Turnpike to Worcester/Providence Exit 10A to
Route 146 South. In 12 miles use the Uxbridge Exit for
Route 16 and turn left onto Route 16 East, drive 2 miles to the
traffic lights and turn left on Route 122 North, drive
1-1/4 mile and turn right at traffic light onto Hartford Ave.
In 1 mile, turn right on Oak Street at the UMass Memorial
Tri-River Family Health Center. Visitor Center is 1/10 mile down the road
on the left in the red barn.
From Route 122
For those that prefer to travel through some of
the mill villages, use Mass Pike Exit 11 for Millbury and
follow Route 122 South for 13 miles and turn left onto
Hartford Avenue in north Uxbridge (CVS across the street). In 1 mile, turn
right on Oak Street at the UMass Memorial Tri-River Family
Health Center. Visitor Center is 1/10 mile down the road on the left in the
red bar