Our Maine Street's Aroostook Issue 4 : Spring 2010 | Page 23

Early white settlers later used cast iron kettles
over outdoor fires to boil down the sap. The largest
kettle was filled first and as the water was boiled off,
the sap was ladled off into the second and then third
container. Then more “ raw” sap was added to the first
kettle. Those early settlers used an augur to drill holes
for wooden spouts to tap the trees. Wooden buckets
made by a “ cooper” were used for sap gathering.