The Kennebec Explorer 2018 Visitor's Guide to Maine's Kennebec Valley | Page 44

Tree-to-Table:
Ironically, it’s right around Valentine’s Day that the
maple trees begin to produce what will become some
of the sweetest and most delectable edibles on earth.
When the days start to get a little longer (and the nights
stay wicked cold), the roots of these miraculous trees
send out the call that springtime is on its way.
Multiply that annual miracle by tens of thousands
of trees across the northern part of the region. More
syrup pours out of the Kennebec Valley—Somerset
County to be exact—than anywhere else in the world.
Over the next several weeks the trees do their thing
while maple producers do theirs. Gathering up
42 Make a Plan: KennebecValley.org
You’ve never had it so sweet.
and boiling down the sap from its watery start to
the delicious amber liquid that we all know so well.
Like wood smoke, excitement begins to fill the air
because, as the fourth Sunday of March arrives, so
does Maine Maple Sunday, when hundreds of sap
houses across the state open their doors to share
their bounty.
“Sugaring” reflects tradition, science, innovation, and
the ever-changing weather. At its core, it is an age-old
process, from bucket to evaporator to bottle. Every
sugar-maker has stories that describe why their syrup
is the best you’ve ever had.
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