Did you know it takes 40 gallons of maple sap to make 1 gallon of syrup? Imagine the energy required to boil down the sap which in raw form tastes like water with a hint of sweetness. Sap is, in fact, 98% water, and the sweet truth of maple syrup involves evaporating the water out of the sap to make syrup or other products such as maple candy. There are no artificial ingredients, making it a natural delicacy. Weather conditions have to be just right for sap to flow—days above freezing, nights below. Sap rises from the roots of maples during the day and flows out of taps into buckets for backyard producers and tap lines for sugar houses.

Sugaring in New England is a historic and a vital part of local economies. Native Americans introduced the art of sugaring to early settlers, and modern producers continue to improve methods of collecting and boiling/evaporating sap. A sure sign that winter is coming to a conclusion in New England is the steam seen rising from maple syrup operations. One highly regarded outfit is Ben’s Sugar Shack in Temple, New Hampshire.

Ben Fisk was 5 when he was bitten by the syrup bug, and by the time he was 15, he had won the prestigious Maple Producers Carlisle Trophy Prize for best syrup in New Hampshire. As a young adult, his business currently includes 2 sugar houses. He has successfully turned his childhood dream into a thriving business. Divine Goods offers several gift boxes which include products from Ben’s Sugar Shack. Ben’s attention to high quality, small batch products are a good fit for Divine Goods’ discerning taste—a natural partnership. See links below to order for a special loved one, or treat yourself to the liquid gold on a stack of pancakes. Yum.

https://www.divine-goods.com/collections/frontpage/products/maple-syrup-time